The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-12-22

the Navajo Reservation in New
Mexico and Arizona. Before the
Northern Ute War in 1879 and the
disastrous defeat of Major Thorn.
burg of the Fourth United States
Infantry and his command near
White river, Col, and the massacre
of Agent Meeker and the employees
at that agency, the Utes occupied
the entire west of Colorado. Though
the confederated band amounted to
less than three thousand, all told,
they occupied, or rather roamed
over and claimed as their own, over
twelve million acres of land, not
one acre of which, outside limited
inclosure of Ouray, the head Chief,
who had adopted some Of the traits
and customs of the whites, was cul-
tivated. The war Of 1879 resulted
in the removal of the Northern
Utes to what is now known as the
Uncompahgre Reservation in East
ern Utah. The Southern Utes,
under very intelligent Chiefnamed
Ignacio, took no part in the White
river outbreak. There was, however,
such a pressure of immigration in
consequence of the discovery Of
valuable silver mines in Western
Colorado, that the Southern Utes
were compelled to make a treaty
ceding this portion of their reser-
vation to the United States at the
time the northern bands We're COM
PEELED to remove to Utah. This
was strip Of some fifteen miles in
breadth and extending across the
entire western boundary Of La Plata
county. They still retained the
southern strip, which has now been
surrendered.
The land which is opened to set
tlement extends clear across the
southern boundaries of La Plata
and Archuleta counties of South
western Colorado. It is a strip of
land of some fifteen miles in width
and about 10 miles in length. All
the roads which led out of South
western Colorado, through New
Mexico, including the Rio Grande
and Denver Railroad, cross it.
There is no outlet south except
through it. There are a number
of bands Of cattle pastured upon it,
but they all belong to white men,
and who, to save trouble, have been
in the habit Of paying an annual
tribute to the head Chief of the
Utes. AS the amount has been
small and the pasturage advantages
have been very great-it is grass
growing region of much nutriment
and we'll watered-there are three
quite considerable streams flowing
through it-these cattlemen have
been very much opposed to the
breaking up of the reservation, and
to their efforts to retain their adj
vantages may be ascribed the fact
that this rich farming region has
not been before opened to settle
ment.
The Southern Utes who have oc-
cupied this land number less than
a thousand people. They have all
the characteristics of the old-time
Indians. They have subsisted of
late years almost entirely on the
rations furnished by the govern
ment, supplemented by the aid
from the cattlemen, and when hard
pushed for food their own hunting
and fishing. They are SO lazy that
hey were in the habit of renting
,he rich farming lands on the San
Juan river to the Navajoes, claim
ng half the melons and corn raised,
md at the time of the harvest
would assemble at the fields watch
ng the industrious Navajoes gather
he crop and seeing that they had
urned over to them the full half Of
he proceeds, at the same time
tealing all they could.
The State of Colorado may, in
he cause of civilization, very we'll
'e congratulated in getting rid of
uch a worthless set. The land
hus opened is, perhaps, the most
'aluable agricultural portion of the
State and will afford farms to a
arge number of settlers.