New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-03
THE BANNOCK INDIANS.
EX-COMMIsSIONER MORGAN WRITES
ABOUT THEM.

HIS EFFORTS TO BETTER THE CONDITION or
AFFAIRS on TIE FORT HALL. RESERVATION
r,,r GOVERNMENTS RESPONSIBILITY.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: Allow - thank you most hea''"' o'
vour TWO very able editorials Sunday last ana To-
dav regarding the present trouble WIN 'he pa"
mock Indians. doub; not your readers WIZ -. 81"
tsrested In some additional facts regarding
neone While in charge Of the Indian once IN Inc
faI OF 1890. | visited them. made carer" 'N"''''
nation of their reservation and CT all '""''''S -
,a,,lnr 10 Il and since then have been very "TePf
interested in their welfare. The reservation j. So"
ated south OF Snake River. in the son'heas'e'" Po
ton OF Idaho IN the same latitude ar Noa"N' Wv
Of tho hear; Of the reservation was carved "a Town
site on which has been built the thf'''hs Ho"'s
c,y o, pocate.o. The soil o. the r's''N "'.on -
v.ne~,v ~ about the same quality as that OF cen
.rai s,d Southern Idaho. The nt'e Valleys poiue'-
ing the streams produce abuncan' crops ~ nay
Grain etc bi, the upands are mostly hr'if S"''s
owl n,,c,,e,ly worthless for agricultural purposes
without irrigation. 49,,
.rnr ,o ty,o tribes OF Indians occupying the
r.s.rvati,r. the Hannocks number 4o5 ana the Sho-
sboncs ess total % l.SiS found them yer! pa'N-
ward In almost every respect living III r""e ""','
poorly clothed. poorly fed knowing Hu'" VI "s'r
culture practically nothing OF other INDUSTRIES op
posed 10 education. jea.ous ana suspicious VI '''
white neighbors From the best Information coulu
obtain they had generally faied badly at the names
of the Government agents with some marked rAcep-
tons / was shown an attempt at irrisauoi ""''S
An agent had spent 5000 in cutting ui''" para
lei to ard the same le'e. with the s''e" "a
which the water TO be taken OF course INC
scheme was failure and the money wasted.
A school had been established some years before
IN the buildings formerly occupied by United states
soldiers at Fort Hal. but 1t had been pracuca"E
failure through mismanagement ana nesec'' III.
buildings were DID, daplda,ed and entirely uhso''eu
10 their purpose The Indians had a strong anu
wel-founded dislike for the school. and We're I'M
willing 10 send their children II they could aVou IT,
After studying the situation carefully "a" ''a'
there were lust two things needed 10 solve the proo
lem of the reservation satisfactorily ana III ir'
sonable length OF time. The first was 10 euu'''7
the entire body of children Of school age SIN 10
sixteen less than three hundred. Accordingly NV
school plant was enlarged and every way improved
afording facilities for giving the children a goo'
rudmentary English education. as we'll as an ac-
u;iain.ance with those industries which were espe-
cialy adapted TO their surroundings farming gar
dorng stock raising. etc The buildings are located
in one Of the most beautiful valleys in the state
large farm was fenced in. barn was erected,
herd OF cattle purchased. rrigating dhoh"s
were constructed shops were erected and Industrial
teachers employed All this required time, ana the
plans which formed we're not fully matured before
! left the Office. March. 1896
believe confidently that II the plans had been
body Of children OF school age had been put INTO
the school ard kept there few years. until they
had acquired the English language, become ac-
customed to the ways OF civilized iife and had been
taught. practically. the common industries, there
would have grown up new generation. hot OF
savages nor OF lazy, idle. worthless people whose
destruction would be no loss but OF intelligent
thrifty, industrious, law abiding american cr1ets
save Only the opposition OF the Indians themselves
10 the education OF their children. Ny theory was
and Is that the Government owed II 10 these young
Indians, its wards and future citizens 10 take nem
by force. IL need be. from their parents ana keep
Of their parents a, any lime until their education
was completed Whatever arguments have weight
IN nre ees taie Of NewYorH have double force When
applied TO an Indian reservation such as nave
The second thing needed 10 be done was 70 provide
ms sSSs'ss" BE- .S or WIZ Water and the indians
induced to settle along the canal on tracts OF land
perfected bringing waier 10 the reservation
from an irr:gs,.ng system already esiaolsned,
on the north. Without irrigation. much OF ne
land was barren waste with II could be made tsI
famed Cash Valley " which the Mormoas have
on nas sssem. Of this a involved
appointment OF men as agents who nag knowedge,
interest in the welfare and progress Of the indians
] fear that the plans thus formed for the m
Sen carried ou At least TO be
The case from the last report q the Indian agent
i, IS no. to be wondered at tina, these Indians
shut up and hemmed in on a reservation such as I
have described: compelled TO witness year by year,
the miserable failures OF the United States Govern
ment through It's agents to do anything practically
10 improve their condition, or to aid them In ther
unequal struggle with the conditions OF soil and
climate should conclude that civilization Is a
failure and fall back into stolid pessmisn. con-
tent to remain Indians. DO not hesitate TO say
that the American people bameworthy for the
present low condition OF these poor peope. and that
cessive generations of barbarians. they must pay
the cost II Is q righteous retribut.on from Heaven
A Itiie conmon-sense, a little patriotism. little
humanity. little money and good deal OF pa
tlence can In a very few years change the whole
state OF things at the Fort Hall reservation and
make any Indian outbreak there an mpossie!lity.
r. j. MORGAN.
Ex-commissioner Of Indian Affairs
Nnrlr