The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-03
18r MISSION INDIANS
Their Past Grsevsnccs ana Their New
Source OF Trouble.

NsEtsvbuceS
Source OF Trouble.
WASHINGTON. juno AT the instance Of Mr..
Vest. the Senate has directed Secretary Noble
to inform II whether II 10 true that Agent Rust
lately deposed Cabazon, the hereditary chief
OF the Coahuillas. and put in his place. against
tho wishes OF the Indians. q man named Billy
Williams. The Senate also wants to know
what has caused the discomfort now existing
In said tribe" and what steps have been taken
to remove this discomfort
The Coahuilla Mission Indians OF California.
numbering about 300 souls. living near San
Bernardino. are q peculiar band. and. indeed,
according to Mr.. Dawes. who has seen them.
there are no other Indians like them In the
United States" They are apeaceable. tenn
perate. industrious. orderly community. who
we're undcr tho care OF tho Jesuits for moro
than century while California was part OF
Mexico. When Mexico secularized the do
mains OF the Church. these Indians at the
jesuit Mission lost their protectors. and the
annexation OF California caused whites to
drive them from tho lands they occupied.
Readers Of Mrs. Helen Hunts " Ramona" will
fully understand all this.
In his first annual report Secretary Noble
noted that about twenty reservations had been
set aside for the use OF tho Mission Indians
since 1875. varying In extent from SS476 to
30 acres. and aggreRating 223054 acres.
Some OF these reservations. BY reason OF an
incorrect description Of their boundaries. did
not include the very land which It Was de-
signed to reserve. upon which the Indians
were living: In others the Southern Pacific
Railway Company claimed tho odd sections,
and there were also individual claims. Some
OF these Indians were occupying Government
lands not set of as reservations. and some
were on private grants. and. Of course con-
stantly liable to be driven OF. Yet their occu-
Mr.: Noble made these suggestions:
81 3: 81
81. been trsaa.n.y urged upon he ATTENTION Il Con-
to ansi sson Is aes.s y s:ps ss
tn nSs y . % {.
Ss Of .s:
hs Osr. S',. land: ~,
s91nsa to tns subject ss.. dSs ssn that 1.-The
recognized and respeoted by tho snan,.b and
Mexican Governments. have suffered such h
formed the subject Of numsrous oiiioiai r re-
Executive Department has done ali that was
possible to protect them in the posseasion Of
and to
tempted upon their lands. but through the
failure Of iegi slative action their situation has
grown worse from year to year. Innocent set
Just rights and made to suffer S undaser1e d
aa tss en ssd
wilful trespaasers." It must. therefore. be
s sDSs1 6 sn. saa has s
Government; and Il It is true that a person
chief through any unwise or Unauthorized
the Senate's attention y.
1t should be said. however, that at the last
session Of Congress- the long DELAYED Bill for
nasoaJ III ceneAo I,i AHaio4s. whicH naQ
Eassteeu L.t1 oonS'g uuIipH ctne forty-elghth.
CorSy-HIntl. HnQ rlItletn congresses. failing
each time In the House throug h want OF proper
attention to 1t, became q law, The object ~
the act was to determine and adimat fhs ala
tive rights OF the Indians and the settlers to
the lands In dispute. Under that act ap-
proved Jan. II. 1891. commission was i'm
mediately appointed, consisting OF Messrs A.
X; Smiley. J: b. Moore. and O. G Painter.
who were afterward assisted by Mr.. r. D.
Lewis MIR. Smiley and Mr.. Painter are we'll
known frtends OF the Indians. and the Com
mission completed It's work In q satisfactory
tor The aIIotment Wbich thai 10 l., % eS1enanee
Coahutlla reservation. A bill to ratify this ar
ran0ement mas been passed BY tho Senate In
House. n It becomes law tb RensNmhs si IN fhe