The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-06

y
submitted his report to the board. 1t
is d very interesting document and fur
nishes much information concerning
the lands as well as the prospects for
opening the reservation. The follow
ing is a copy of the report in full:
THE REPORT.
Salt Lake City, Utah. Oct. 81, 1885,
To the Hon. State Board of Land Com
missioners, Salt Lake City, Utah:
Gentlemen-In accordance with your
instructions, we visited the Uintah In
dian reservation, and beg leave to re-
port as follows:
His excellency the governor, fur
nished us a letter of introduction TO
Colonel James f. Randlett L. S. A, act
ing Indian agent. Immediately upon our
arrival at Fort Duchesle we called
upon the colonel, but unfortunately he
was too i'll to receive US that day. The
following morning, however, he had.
sufficiently recovered to give US d very
pleasant interview, which resulted in
arrangements that were highly salts
factory to US personally and contrib
uted materially TO the accomplishment
of the object Of our visit. The colonel
regretted very much that his indisposi-
ton prevented him from personally
showing Us over the agency. de there
fore arranged to have US taken there
in his own conveyance. Our drive took
US through the Indian farms and it was
gratifying to see the great progress
that has been made to induce the In
dams to give up their rowing, predatory
habits and become tillers of the soil.
Thousands of acres of land have been
cleared and are now being cultivated
by those Indians who, but a few years
ago. considered it a disgrace to work
and who derided and Scorned the few
that could be induced, by presents and
other faVorS, to make a beginning in
this direction. Too much praise can
not be bestowed upon Colonel Randlett
and his assistants for the admirable
tact and judgment displayed in over
coming the inherent prejudice of those
savages toward any and all forms of
civilization.
Arriving at the agency, we found that
the colonel had already informed, by
telephone, Mr.. Huse, the gentlemanly
clerk in charge, of our coming. We
were Immediately made welcome. The
following letter of Introduction, which
the colonel had given US, was presented
and read:
Fort Duchesne, Utah. Oct 10, 1896.
My Dear Huse:
Mr. Ross and Mr.. Ferron come to the
agency, introduced by his excellency,
the governor of Utah. | wish you to
show them the school and agency, with
all its pertainings. Have Mr.. Wayman
show them his department and desire
him to take them out to the new ditch
and tell them everything he knows OF
the character Of the country west of
the -DUche5ne and to answer ran ques-
tons about other portions Of the reser-
walton, giving them the most reliable
information possible. The party will
remain at the agency over night. Very
respectfully, JAS. F. RANDLETT,
Lieutenant-Colonel, L. 5. A, acting
Indian agent.
Soon afterwards Wayman, the head
farmer. VINO has charge of all the i'm
provements, made his appearance and
invited US 10 take a drive with him
along the new canal, which is in course
of construction. We found in Mr.. Way
man an earnest and conscientious
worker. The canal we went to inspect
is taken from the Uintah river and
covers d large portion OF the high
bench land, lying between the Uintah
and Duchesne rivers. It Is on the
lower part OF this bench that the Indian
farms, above described, are situated.
The ditch in question is now about nine
miles long and, when finished, viii
probably be 20 miles long. At present /
it is not a very large canal and can
supply only a small portion of the |
lands which il covers. The intention /
is TO enlarge il as necessity requires.
The following day Mr.. Huse invited |
US to inspect the school OF the agency
and sucn buildings as are connected !
with it They are brick and frame
structures, well built, with plenty of |
light, fresh air and scrupulous cleanli-
ness. There are at present about 50 /
pupils Of all ages and both sexes. Two /
-
English branches. There are, besides, /
a gentleman teacher for manual train
ing and the principal The school some
times counts as many as $50 pupils, /
which is, perhaps, one-third of the 1
children of school age on the reserya-
ton. Connected with the school are |
number of other buildings for the con-
venience of teachers and pupils, all |
kept in the best possible condition.
me question of the possible opening
of the reservation was fully discussed
with Colonel Randlett. as it was on
that point thar we based our presence
on the reserve and asked to be per-
mitted to gather the information de-
sired by the state board of land COM
missioners. Colonel Randlett talked
very freely on this matter and desired
it 10 be distinctly understood that, al
though his sympathies might be with
home-seeker in particular, still, as the
acknowledged 'soldier-father" of the
Indians, 0his is the title by which he
is known among them), he felt it his
bounden duty to protect their rights
against any and all interlopers and in
truders who might seek to steal land i
or mines from the nations wards under
his charge. He had talked seriously
and earnestly to all the principal and
influential men among the Uintahs, and
had advised them to sell the western
half of their reservation, retaining the
eastern half. which contains most of
the valuable farming lands in the res
ervation, much more than sufficient to
give each and every Indian who desires
il. a good home He further stated
shat he believed that the major portion
of the Indians were favorable to this
proposition and that the commission
APPOINTED to renew the negotiations for
The opening of the reservation, expected
10 arrive by the end OF October, would
find the Indians more tractable than
their predecessors had done. This same
view is taken by most of the white
government employees of the reserva-
ton and also by several old Mormon
friends of the Indians, WhoAare able to
talk to them in their own language and
have thus been able to sound their
views. The only difficulty that we con-
ceive will be the consideration" The
Indians and some of their would-be
friends have exaggerated ideas as to
the mineral wealth in these mountain
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