Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1897-11-03
CiFIbIAIAG APACHES.
Difficult Undertaking OF Govern
mens Agents
splendid Results ca Determined r.
forts tn Make the Indians self
Suaportir. aad Law
Abiding.

y marvellous transformation has
taken place ON the Mescalero Apache
! Indian reservation in southern Ne~
| Mexico within two years. duria~ Nhion
period Y. /. Stottler, first lieutenant
| feath infantry, United States tamr, Es.s
served is acting agent The Indians
number nearly 5uo, one-iislh ueis. thil-
| dren CT school age. Nur;uea il -
Iorance and superstition and sra-c,, ~
| filth and laaiNcss these indiana have -.
10 years s.tubbornly refused taltspos.
70 the governments efforts Ia cnj.5.:,
them. Fer generation they have +
ceiyed rations of bccf, ocEce, ncpr
sugar. clothing, farm implements, ets
! Good schools were established 1or thc.n
and dwellings, belt at go,clamel.t {
pense, still they stuck to their pavhiGe
terees and rersistently refused Ia
school their children or 10 aGu5> ei,i!;.ss
dress, adkering to their bceekhe'ous
and blanllets and long hair. AithtSc
millions expended annually IN india
education, next to nothing wan bt.s.g
accomplished. There we've a5cut -
acres of irrigable and goad land Oh :,
reservation, but the Indians were toa .
lazy to plant crops that wcuid have
furnished them with the fcod necessary
for their support, Ii was Isueh mere
pleasant to draw rGtions frola an IL
dulgcnt and paternal government, aud
reserve their energy for war dances ans
brawls. There We're % strong, broad
shouldered bucks, educated III the e..
pense of the government, running
around the reservation in paint and
blanket. They were too lazy Ter nl2nu-3
labor. Several educated squaws were
married and living in filthy tcpcss
While girls were usually taken out cf
school at ten and twelve years of arc.
and sold for ponies into bondage
worse than death
Lieut.. Stottler's predecessor had or
dered the bucks to cut their hair, and a
revolution resulted, They refused
rointblank, and that settled it. Gtct
tiers first move was to increase the ~
tons of the police. He then informed
them that they must all put on uniforms
under pain OF durcss. They rcluctantlg
obeyed. Then lie ordered them TO cHt
their hair. This caused storm, and
the matter was allowed to rest for Il
time. His next command was to ahar-
don the tepecs and move into the dwell
ings. All children over five years Old
were ordered to attend school. This
was too much, and, by the advice OF
some of the whites, n petition was fer
warded to Washington asking for Slot
tiers relief as agent. No attention was
paid to the request, and the ringlcade.a
were spotted and severely punished
The chief of police, an Indian, had been
one of the instigntors in this move, and
he was discharged as such and put on
| reduced rations.
Several of the head men of the tribe
were ordered to work and deprived of
the Office of spokesman, under which
system the other members made their
wants known through the agent. In
this capacity the head men had been al
lowed extra rations and sncnll salary
and their reduction to the ranks made
! it possible for any member of the tribe
to apply personally for what ne needed
in the way of land, implements, etc.
This was an important pcirt-to
break the power of the chiefs and de-
stroy tribal relations. 1t was constant
ly impressed upon the Indians that in Il
| few years rations would be cut off en-
tirely, and those who had not taken
land for cultivation would go hungry.
At first they laughed at this, bet the
officer. by way of example, cut eff the
food occasionally. and they at last cane
to realize that IT would be a very easy
matter to stop all rations. This had
salutary effect and induced many Of
them to go to work. Every man ard
woman caught manufacturing "tiswia'
was made to understand tE2t II means
q long season in the guardhouse CT
bread and water.
Now all is changed. The govern
ment's agent is absolute master. Last
fall there was harvested from the irli-
gated lands 25,0o0 pounds of bects, 90
oco pounds of cabbage, 1000 pounds %
eaulifower, $500 pounds of turnins
1,400 pounds of onions, SEQ pounds CT
radishes, 1,400 pounds of celery, 2,nNe
pounds CT pumpkins and squash, 400
pounds of peas, 500 pounds of Germ.
$500 pounds of potatoes, besides cucus:-
/
pen of swine, hocks of chickens, herd
OF fine mich COWS, and all the hay and
fodder for them and ten horses raised
on the farm.
During 1896, upon recommendation OF
Lieut.. Stottlcr, the government issued
5000 sheep for distribution among the
tribe, aad go for the school. The idea
is to have the Indians raise their own
mutton, and then cut OFF the supply OF
beef, which cost the government $6,5oo
in 1896. On July next all rations eX-
cept beef will be cut off.
These Indians have been made nearly
self-supporting within the brief period
that Lieut.. Stottler has been in charge.
Every male on the reservation has cut
his hair, put on civilized dress and tal:en
a piece of land which he has fenced aud
commenced to raise grain and ve2c-
tables. They all have cabins with cook
stoves and utensils. There is 10 drunk