Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-19
Removal of the southern u,e.

Removal of the Southern Utes.
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
My attention has been called to a corn.
munication under the above caption. pub
lshed few weeks since In The Star,
signed c., which. but for my absence from
the city, would have been noticed sooner,
but as bill TO accomplish this removal is
sun pending I ask space for a reply II is
TO be regretted that c. has added TO rather
than corrected MISUNDERSTANDING in re-
gard to the merits of this question. He
notices first the misrepresentation" which
has been created by opponents to this
measure. that the land to which Il is pro-
POSED to remove these Indians is barren"
and inaccessible"
This Misrepresentation. IL such Il is, has
been largely created by the commission
'hat selected It. On page Il Of the COM
missions report. under date OF November
10. they excuse themselves for not dis
charging the imperative duty of estimating
the value Of improvements made on the
land by settlers and negotiating with them
for sale of the same. by saying that lit
is difficult to traverse that part of Utah so
late In the season." and that they were told
when there In October that the settlers
most OF them, intended TO move to the
other settlements before winter came.
where they could find more comfortably
quarters" and they did not think thy
would find them IL they went there al the
date OF their letter TO the Secretary Of the
Interior. One of the commissioners saws
page ~, November 15: The season 10
far advanced. the journey would be at
tended with risk" much time would be
difficulty of reaching them" ON page NJ
of the report one of the commissioners
says OF the country given the Indians In
the agreement: South of Moab We passed
fhrnnQh - 1nS% III, a, a
the country thus far. The land was bar
ren. but the mountain masses were re-
markable." &c.
Ex-senator Adair Wilson OF Durango.
who has spent much time during the mast
six years endeavoring TO secure the passage
Of the pending bill In reply to a corre-
spondent Of Denver paper. who protested
against giving such a large and valuable
tract OF Utah to these Colorado Indians
asserted that the tract described by this
correspondent was in another region and
said page AZ of the hearing before Senate
committee, Sen. Elk Doc. 81. % ses. FIJI
tieth Congress): "One would search long
time within the psrched and barren limits
OF this reservation before finding one
wagon load Of purple grapes or golden
peaches" 1t is. therefore respectfully sub
mitted that the promoters OF this removal
are somewhat responsible for an impress
sion &C. calls IL misapprehension) that this
is barren" "desolate" and 'inaccessi-
BILE" region.
Again {. says: "The present reservation
is most unfortunate one for them. ana
they ought never to have been sent 10 IT,"
On page u Of the same con missions
port is the following statement concerning
the reservation: 1T contains about $1,000
acres OF rich farming land. crossed by
seven rivers. besides smaller streams. from
which these lands can be irrigated at but
small expense" So valuable indeed That
IL is beyond human reason 10 believe Il
Will be long permitted 10 remain In the
control of people who only cultivate al
- - n r0rtf1 Ia
difficult to persuade the average farmer
that such land. near TO the fiourfshing city
of Durango was unfortunately" sit
uated.
1t is a misapprehensicn that. contrary TO
all that is just and reasonable these peo-
pie have been gathered up from some
undesignated country and dumped down on
the nourishing. ancient city of Durango.
which. but for this incubus. wrongfully
fastened upon It would become the me-
tropolis Of the west.
II is true that these Indians gave their
consent-how and under what circun-
stances gained viii be best understood and
appreciated by one who viii patiently lead
In full the report OF the councils held with
them-to remove. Ignacio. their head chief.
has given most convincing proof Of his
earnest desire. in which the others are said
to share. to go. At his own expense-the
commissioner refusing to bring him-he
and spent some weeks at one CT our most
expensive hotels that he might persuade a
reluctant Congress to remove him and left
with the threat that he would so on his
own responsibility II Congress failed 10 act.
Ii is not clear whether the delegation OF
philanthropists from Durango who came
with him pleading the cause Of these much
abused. but sometimes most noble red men.
came at their own charges or whether
1gnacio paid their expenses. perhaps for
their time also. but the fact that this chief
has been so prosperous on this present res
ervation would seem to indicate that Il
he a m n hiatt ora
for him. and the disinterested interest
these gentlemen OF Durango take In the
welfare Of his people indicates a degree Of
kindly feeling ana fraternal affection which
II would be rash 20 hope for among any
other people. Congress ought 20 pause long
before severing reia tons characterized by
such kindness, or TO remove lgnacio from
opportunities which have yielded him such
rich returns
Reference is made to the position OF ex-
Senator Dawes with reference 10 this
apprehension In regard to this. but what he
does say has led TO this. as / happen TO
know. The declaration on the floor OF the
Senate that he believed that the good OF
these Indians required their removal from
their present reservation must not be inter-
preted to mean that Senator Dawes IA
vored their removal to the land selected
for them. For the sake Of peace, which he
thought Colorado would never give them.
and because Of what he considered too
great exposure TO white Intrusion because
of the shape Of the reservation, he said
what he did. Influenced by these consider
atoms. as justifying him. he yielded much
to desire TO crafty senatorial associates.
who eagerly pressed this matter upon him.
This was at an early period OF this Discus
sion. but later he expressed himself clearly
as opposed TO removal and wrote one who
was trying to persuade him to prevent
favorable report from his committee that
he need not write him, but TO do what he
could to persuade other members Of the
committee TO help him defeat IT. During
his recent visit TO the city he asked what
danger there was that the bill would pass
and expressed himself favoring the set
ting apart Of a sufficiency OF the present
reservation TO meet the obligations of the
treaty of 1880. which should be allotted
when the Indians were ready for IT, while
the remainder should be sold for Their
beneft and opened 70 settlement.
CHAS. c. PAINTER
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