The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-05-23
THE FIGHT GOES ON.
Adair Wilson on the Removal
of the Southern Utes.
THE ADVANTAGES TO BE GAINED.
A Few Cattlemen Only Represent the Sum of
the OppOsitiOn-The Indians and Nor
mons Favor the Change.

the 0ppOsitiOn-The Indians and Nor
mons Favor the Change.
In response to communication from
Moab to a Denver paper, and which was
recently reproduced in The HERALD, Adair
Wilson writes as follows: The ratification
OF the treaty recently made with the South
ern Ute Indians, looking to their removal
from their present reservation, is matter
of vital Importance and concern to the
whole people of Colorado, and especially to
the 10000 residents of Archuleta, La Plata
and Montczuma counties, as well as the cit
liens of the prosperous county of San Juan,
in New Mexico. These people have been
working zealously for five years with the
united and earnest support of the Colorado
delegation in Congress to secure the re
moval of these Indians, and now, as they
are on the eve of success, it would be a
calamity to the state should Congress refuse
to confirm the treaty. This is my excuse
for begging some space in your paper to
notice communication signed IN. NJ r, -
which appeared in your issue of Sunday
last. Your correspondent evidently writes
from the dictates of honest conviction but
he has been misinformed as to some mater
ial particulars, and the skill and ability
with which he advocates the cause might
create damaging misrepresentation in the
public mind, if corrections were not made
M. M. r., inadvertently no doubt, creates
the impression that the large area (3O.Op0.-
600 acres) included within the proposed
reservation is garden thickly settled with
industrious farmers, where the climate is
perfect and where melons, fruits and veg
etableS grow to an enormous size and in
luXuriant proportions. This impression
would arise from the fact that the place
from whence the letter was written is not
given in your paper. The reader would
therefore, naturally suppose that it was
written from, and of, the proposed reserva
ton. As matter of fact the letter de
scribes a few small settlements which are
not included within the reservation. and
was evidently written from one of those
places. One would search a long time
within the barren and parched limits of
this reservation before finding one wagon
load Of purple grapesn or golden
peaches"
OF the 100000 acres included within the
proposed reservation do not believe, from
what l have seen of it, and from reliable
information as TO the remainder. that on as
much as 800 acres has the virgin sod been
cut with plow spade or hoe, and owing to
the extreme scarcity Of water nine-tenths of
the whole reservation can never be utilized
for agricultural representation being
necessary. 1t is valuable for grazing pur-
poses.
WILLING MoRNIONs.
The only settlers affected are a few Nor
mon families about Bluff City and Month
cello, not, PROBABLY, exceeding forty in all.
Ihey are all squatters, having no vested
rights in the land. The treaty proposes a
liberal compensation to them for their i'm
provements, and they are satisfied with the
treaty. They are anxious to remove from
their present location to the rich and we'll
watered lands of the present reservation
in Colorado. At least l am so informed by
their bishop, who most ZealOusly assisted
in the making of the treaty, and who is one
Of the filmest advocates of its ratification
The only persons affected are few cat
temen-citzens of COlorado-whOse cattle
roam over this vast, unoccupied area They
oppose the treaty, and l don't blame them.
Free pasturage upon the public domains is
most desirable privilege. In the same
situation all of US would probably do the
same as they. But the settlement and i'm
provement of the country cannot be stopped
and the wants and necessities of the many
be ignored in order to allow the exercise of
free, fat and juicy privileges to a few.
Neither Moab nor any of its fine orchards
or valuable improvements are included in
the proposed reservation.
The lines Of the reservation are well de
fined, and the Indians know them. 1t is a
groundless fear to anticipate that because
they are allowed to hunt in some sections
without the reservation, that they will
claim those sections as their own and drive
out the settlers. Under the present stipu-
lations these Utes have the right to hunt in
any portion Of Colorado, and in Utah too.
for that matter, and have never heard of
their claiming anything beyond the lines Of
their reservation by virtue Of this priv
lege. l agree with Nj NJ. r. that it is bad
policy. l also agree with him that it is bad
policy TO set apart large bodies Of land FOR
the exclusive occupancy of these or any
other Indians. They should all be removed
TO the Indian Territory.
FIXED POLICY.
But both Of these things are in accord
with the settled policy of the government
and neither NJ. NJ r. nor l can change it.
don't think it would be good or wise policy
on our part to assist in defeating a measure
so promising of good results to ourselves
as this Southern Ute treaty simply to show
our disapproval of the general Indian
policy of the country. The wheels of gov
eminent would not be stopped thereby. l
doubt whether the machinery would be
Jared even. In fact ! am of the opinion
that the machinery would run as smoothly
and regularly as before our indignant as
sault. The only result would be that after
the smoke and dust of battle had cleared
away, we would have a realizing sense of
the fact that we had made supreme asses
of ourselves
NJ. M. r. speaks of the Utes as ''learning
to farm after fashion, and says that ''by
degrees they will become able to take care
of themselves, etc. 1t is well that the
qualifying words latter fashion" were in
serted. If NJ. NJ. r. will show me one of
them, outside possibly of Charlie, chief of
the Moache band, who has done or will do
two hours OF farm labor. in three months,
will give him the best chrome to be had.
The government has been for years endeav-
oring TO make them farm, but the effort h. 8
been a total failure. Thirty-two sma
farms have been opened up on the reserve
ton, and improved by the hired labor Cf
the government but how does this indus
trious and self-supporting Ute work then :
He lets them to Mexicans on shares, while
he reclines beneath the welcome shade Of
his wicki-up, INDUCES in a horse race, or
takes an occasional hunt
Your correspondent calls attention, dis
approvingly, to the fact that by the terms
of the treaty certain amounts in sheep and
money are to be given to the Indians. He
is not, probably, aware that there is now
in the United States treasury to the credit
of these Southern Utes nearly s., 900, 600
on which they receive per cent per ar
hot