The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-02
|1HI indian INVASION.
No Change as Yet in the Sit
uation.
1t IS STILL VERY SERIOUS.
ANOTHER URGENT APPEAL RE-
CEIvED By GOVERNOR WEST.
The Southern Utes, Led By Chief Ig-
nacio, Are killing Cattle and Are
Very Deffant-Dr. Seymour b.
Young Reviews the Situation.

Invasion in San Juan county.
The Indians are still there, and while
there has as yet been no open rupture
between them and the settlers, there
is ample cause for alarm, and the sit
uation is still critical. This is shown
by the following communication re-
ceiyed by Governor West yesterday:
Monticello, San Juan County,
/ November 81, 1894
Hon. Caleb w. West, Governor Utah
Territory:
Dear Sir-In behalf of the citizens of
San Juan county we take the liberty
| of addressing you and asking you to
come to our relief through the proper
! channels at once, as our necessities
are very urgent. We earnestly ask you
to act Immediately as an Indian war
is likely to come upon us soon if some
thing is not done Immediately
The southern Ute Indians, headed by
Ignacfo and four other chiefs, have
suddenly come upon us with their
sheep and horses, and. they say that
they are going to remain, as this is
their country.
We had long talk with them today,
hand Ignacio says their agent sent them
here and he further says that he will
not leave, even if the government COM
mands him to. Our danger as settlers
lies in their driving their stock upon
the cattlemen's winter ranges. Some
of these men. commonly called
cowboys, are hot-headed, and
may either shoot some of the
Indians, or their stock, and thus bring
on war, which would be very disas-
trous to our defenseless settlement.
The indians are also killing cattle,
which will also incite the anger of the
cattlemen. The Indians say they trad
ed for this country and they mean to
have it. This country is very valuable
as a grazing district, and it is because
of this and the good winter ranges
that the Indians desire to possess it.
Besides its grazing facilities, it is prov
ing to be rich in minerals and is also
well adapted for the agricultural pur-
suits
For these reasons, the farmers,
ranchers, cattlemen and miners do not
wish to leave it and will not unless
obliged to. The Indians are peaceable
at present, but trouble is likely to en-
sue at any moment and a, disastrous
Indian war be brought about. For the
above-named reasons, we earnestly ask
you to take the necessary steps al once
to relieve us of our danger and compel
Colorado to keep her Indians within
her own border. The Indians could
number 200 warriors in six hours and
more are constantly coming in. Our
sheriff has written to you, but our ne
cessities are becoming more urgent
every day
Hoping you will attend to this at
once and all trouble be avoided, we
remain, Yours respectfully,
2. J. JONES, Bishop of Monticello
ward
A. P. SORENSON, First Councillor.
Governor West is giving this matter
careful attention and will make every
effort to obtain assistance from the
government in protecting the settlers.
DIR. YOUNG'S VIEW.
DR.. Seymour B. Young has just re-
turned from the San Juan country.
where, with Apostle Brigham Young,
he has been holding conferences. As
indicated by the appeals recently made
to Governor West for troops, the peo-
pie there are greatly exercised over the
situation, not entirely on account of
the presence of the Indians, but rather
that the very Incorporate cowboys may
precipitate the trouble. Should the
latter make an attack upon the IN
dams, who are making use of the
ranges the red men would more than
likely Seek revenge and fall upon the
whites, who are not more than 300
strong. There are at least 500 we'll
armed Indian warriors in the dis
trict
In an interview yesterday afternoon
DR.. Young stated that in his opinion
the greatest trouble was to be feared
from the actions of the cowboys, who
are transients. The resident stockmen,
while feeling that they are being i'm
70 Il +I,o+ = i
to endure, are more conservative and
are willing to wait official orders from
Washington. The man who is respon-
sible above all others for the invasion
is Indian Agent Day, of Colorado, who
informed the Indians, and still MAIN
tains that they have as much right in
Utah as the white settlers. The chiefs
are, as rule, quite sensible fellows
and signify their Willingness to return
to their own reservation on the first
order from the Great Father" at
Washington, but they want to be GER
tain that the order comes from him.
One statement has been made, Of
fcially and otherwise very often during
the present trouble that the doctor
wished to emphatically contradict 1t
was that the Indians had been in the
habit of bringing their stock into Utah
to winter. They had never done that
before and the report that they had
was made evidently with a view to in
a. measure justify the invasion.
DR.. Young spent five or six days in
the settlements of the San Juan coun-
try and saw two bands of Indians dur
ing that time. but they had done moth |
ing up to the date of his departure
which would indicate that they intend |
ed to go on the war path. They had |
taken possession of Dry Valley, which |
is about fifteen by forty miles in area. /
That is the wintering range for the |
stock of the settlers and the loss of it |
as grazing grounds will be great In it |
the Indians could successfully resist |
large bodies of troops. 1t is surround |
ed by wild and rugged spots and box |
in which few Indians could |
guard every source of water supply |
and thus for a long time keep back the |
soldiers if sent there. The nearest |
point to the scene on the railway is |
Springs, distance of fifty |
miles.