The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-05-18
THE SOUTHERN UTES
The Desperate Fight by the
Wealthy Cattle Kings.
WILL THEIR EFFORTS SUCCEED9
THE Gentiles viii not Submit to the Re-
mOval, Even if the MormOns dOnOt
Object'-SOme Trash.

The wealthy cattlemen in San Juar
county are making a desperate fight to
prevent the Southern Utes from occupying
the reservation lately selected by the gov
eminent and accepted by the Indians. Tt
show the bitterness with which the fight is
being waged, the following from a Denver
paper, dated Moab, Utah, is given:
Robert Elsmere'' has reached Moab with
the progress of civilization, but it is fair to
say that neither that nor the historical
"She" will produce such a sensation there
as the official document containing the re
port of the late Indian commission. The
gentlemen composing this commission
were Major Weaver, of Arkansas, RevM
Childs, of Washington, d. c., and Judge
Smith, of Wisconsin. Not one of them
were from either Utah or Colorado who
might have had an interest in either place.
Their report shows that they first talked to
the Utes to no purpose, then they went out
to the Blue mountains with some of the
chiefs and, during the tour, by the simple
and child-like plan of promising the Indians
all they could see, won their consent to
move to Utah. Some of the Indians
shrewdly enough, doubted openly the
power of the commission to give what they
offered.
''If a white man has ranch - said Buck
skin Charley, ''can you give it to a Ute!'
mo, said the commissioner, mot if the
government has decided it to him. Then ii
is his"
I'VE are in the same fix said Charley.
This land is decided TO us and we do not
wish to leave it."
LIBERAL PROVISION.
The proposed reservation in the Blue
mountains contains nearly three million
acres, all Of San Juan county. There are
less than 4 thousand of the Southern Utes,
all told. That makes about three thousand
acres apiece for every man, woman and
child In addition, the government gives
each Ute $50 worth Of sheep, and $50 in
money to make the change This does not
include the bounties to the chiefs. Then it
gives them, free, the improvements made
by settlers in the Blue mountain country,
which are estimated as worth $4,000.
Their own houses on the Colorado reserva-
ton are to be sold for the Indians benefit.
Does not this seem a pretty fair start for
few savages: Would not 1000 Ameri-
cans be well off with such assistance in
emigrating!
No" says Severe lit is not enough.
Wew want 100 miles square, we want the La
Sal mountains, we want the crossing at
Moab, we want you TO drive those Nor
mons out of there They are right in the
way. 1t will not be good for them to be
there. There will always be trouble with
the MOrmons and the Utes.'
But, returned the commissioners, 1--WE
cannot. Those people have paid for their
land. The La Sal is not a little place. II
IS thirty miles long. We were day pass
ing it." And then. with supreme tender |
ness, DR.. Childs adds: IF we could, we
would give it to you"
Severe insists that there will be trouble |
because the MOrmons have herds He is |
assured that you shall be protected. if !
1t takes all the soldiers in the United |
States.n
Doubtless; but some of US poor white |
trash would like the protection of a little |
common sense from our rulers
Then the Indians return to the charge.
They must have Moab. They must have |
the La Sal; and, after long talking and as
suranceS that the whites shall be driven |
from the reservation offered, the inter |
prefer turns to the commissioner and says: |
They think you mean Moab
Severe adds: when you say those |
MOrmOns, we mean these MormOns:" in
dicating Moab.
And, with this confused understanding.
the treaty is patched up. Article z gives
the Indians the right to use the La Sal,
which to them, means its possession, and
the expulsion OF the whites. whom they call
Mormons, though the Mormons are now in
the minority.