The Portland daily press., 1897-06-08
cNlLIZING THE APACHEs.
Remarkable Result Achieved by an Army
Lieutenant.
(Santa Fe Correspondence of ST. Louis
Globe Democrat.)

(Santa Fe Correspondence OF st. Louis
Globe Democratic
A marvellous transformation has taken
place on the Mescalera Apache Indian
reservation in southern New Mexico with
in two years, during which period V. E.
Stottler, 1st lieutenant 10th Infantry,
United States army, has served as acting
agent. The Indians number nearly 500,
one-11fth being children of school age.
Nurtrlred in ignorance and superstition
and reared in filth and laziness, these
Indians have for 40 years stubbornly re-
FUSED to respond to the government Is
EFFORTS to civilize them. For a generation
they have received rations of beef, coffee,
hour, sugar, clothing, farm implements,
etc. Good schools were established for
them and dwellings built at government
expense; still they stuck to their rawhide
tepees and persistently refused to school
their children or to adopt civilian dress,
adhering to their breechclouts and blan-
kets and long hair. With the millions
expended annually in Indian education
next to nothing was being accomplished.
There were about 500 acres of irrigable
and good land on the reservation, but the
Indians were too lazy to plant crops that
would have furnished them with the food
necessary for their support. 1t was much
more pleasant to draw rations from an
indulgent and paternal government, and
reserve their energy for war dances and
brawls. There were 25 strong, broad
shouldered bucks, educated at the expense
of the government, running around the
reservation in paint and blanket. They
were too lazy for manual labor. Severa
educated squaws were married and living
in filthy tepees, while girls were usually
taken out of school at 10 and 10 years OF
age and sold for ponies into bondage
worse than death.
Lieut.. Stottler's predecessor had ordered
the bucks to cut their hair, and a revolu-
ton resulted. They refused point blank,
and that settled it. Stottler's first move
was to increase the rations of the police.
He then informed them that they must
all put on uniforms under pain of duress
They reluctantly obeyed. Then he or.
dered them to cut their hair. This caused
storm, and the matter was allowed tC
rest for time. His next command was
to abandon the tepees and move into the
dwellings. All children over five years
old were ordered to attend school. This
was too. much, and by the advice of some
of the whites a petition was forwarded to
Washington asking for Stottler' S relief as
agent. No attention was paid to this re-
quest, and the ringleaders were spotted
and severely punished. The chief Of
police, an Indian, had been one of the in
stigators in this move, and he was dis
charged 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 theil
wants known through the agent. In this
capacity the head men had been allowed
extra rations and q small salary, and
their reduction to the ranks made it posi-
BILE for any member of the tribe to apply
personally for what he needed in the way
of land, implements, ETC., for the bucks
now saw that it was work or starve
This was an important point-to breal
the power of the chiefs and destroy tribat
relations. 1t was constantly impressed
upon the Indians that in a few years
rations would be cut off entirely, anC
those who had not taken land for Guilt
walton would go hungry. At first they
laughed at this, but the officer. by way Of
example, cut off the food occasionally
and they at last came to realize that il
would be very easy matter to stop all
rations. This had salutary effect, and
induced many of them to go to work,
Every man and woman caught manufac-
turing ''tiswin" was made to understand
that 1t means a long season in the guard
house on bread and water.
Now all is changed. The government
agent is absolute master. Last fall there
was harvested from the irrigated lands
5000 pounds of beets,. 20, 600 pounds o.
cabbage, 1000 pounds of caulifower, $500
pounds of turnips, 1400 pounds of onions,
$40 pounds of radishes, 400 pounds OF
celery, 1000 pounds of pumpkins and
squash, 400 pounds of peas, $50 pounds oil
corn, $500 pounds of potatoes, beside.
cucumbers, asparagus, etc. The school
has pen Of swine f1ocks of chickens, a
herd of fine milch cows and all the hay
and fodder for them and 10 horses raised
on the farm. During 1896, upon recon
mendation of Lieut.. Stottler, the govern.
ment issued 5000 sheep for distribution
among the tribe and 500 for the school
The idea is to have the Indians raise theil
own mutton and then cut off the supply
of beef, which cost the government $500
in 1895. On July 1 next all rations ex
cept beef will be cut off.
IhoS6 Indians nave D6en maze 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 taken &
piece of land which he has fenced ano
commenced to raise grain and vegetables
They all have cabins with cook stoves
and utensils There is no drunkenness
Every man has 10 head of sheep and 8
like number for each member of his
family. Every child ON the reservation is
at school. Every man has a wagon, har
ness and plow. In two years these In
dams have been transformed from lazy
filthy savages in red paint and breecI
clouts into reasonable, working human
beings, with a care for the morrow and {
desire to become useful citizens. TIL,
history of government Indian work has
been a series of blunders from the begin
ming, but this seems to be marked ex
ception to the rule.
Fruit and Flower Mission.