The times., 1899-05-05
The Reservation Thrown Open
TO HOme-Seekers.
Thousands on the Borders Awaited
the Hour Of Entrance.
A Dozen New Towns Already staled
0T-Serious Conflicts of Rival
Claimants Expected.

AOit luc tieCLS Ol lnG GTeSlueDI s DrOclh-
nation. There was really no definite point
OF starting, as the border was marked with
the impatient applicant. The rush for
homesteads was much greater than was
expected. for 1t was thought that the ma
jority would depend on their filing claims
at the land Office rather than subject them
selves TO the hardships incidental to actual
location.
On the contrary. the greater number ap-
parenuy preferred TO wait just over the
boundary until the expected moment ar
rived and then quickly get over and stake
locations. A surprise was sprung when
Buffalo" Jones. in some manner suddenly
appeared near lgnacio with three hundred
followers from Guthrie, Oklahoma, and
was met by DR.. Z. ID. Allen. who was
prominent in the opening of the famous
Cherokee Strip. The latter has been So
1ourning in and around Durango with
some United States marshals and half
breed Cberokees for the past week and
early this morning started to join forces
with Buffalo" Jones with the determine
tion of starting and booming a town site,
their objective point being near Ignacio.
The new incorporation under the name
of the Ute Town Company, comprised of
Denver and Boulder parties, located a
town site some forty miles south of here.
The name. il Is understood, will be Tabor.
Other town sites are being laid out and
by tomorrow there will, no doubt, be more
than a dozen new villages created on the
map of the Centennial State.
The railroads have their representatives
on the ground and will select the most
promising sections and Immediately begin
extensions 10 those points. Lumber and
building material are already being moved
10 the new towns, and within forty-eight
hours the several new villages Will present
hundreds OF houses well up or in the course
of construction.
The line at the land Office has diminished
to some considerable extent. and not more
than one hundred remain, while hundreds
OF men and women rushed across the line
at noon to stake claims Serious conflicts
are expected between those who filed at the
land Office and those who staked claims
for the same piece of land
Passing of the Utes.
The Southern Utes are comparatively
small tribe, numbering somewhat more
than 1000 members, and divided, as most
Indian tribes now are into progressive and
progressive factions. They are the
last Indians left in Colorado, and many
years ago an effort was made by the peo-
pie in the southwestern corner OF that
State to induce the Government to move
the tribe over into Utah, where a reserva-
tior had been selected. no. with view
10 lis agricultural possibilities, but be-
cause il seemed useless TO the whites and
was understood TO contain some game. The
Indian Rights Association. suspecting the
purpose of this effort, sent committee OF
very intelligent men 10 Utah TO look the
ground over, and their report was wholly
adverse to the plan. This verdict was
~ hot -11a T~afff ff.nc
IL taken out OF a reservation surrounded
by white civilization and placed on ie-
mote oae, where all the attractions we're
toward q return to the barbarous life OF
their ancestors, would quickly let 20 OF
such measure of improvement as they had
already attained, and their last state would
be. ii possible worse than their first The
controversy thus provoked between the
Colorado people, their representatives in
Congress, and the association waxed very
hot. and attracted the attention of Dhilan-
thropic citizens throughout the country.
The association came out victorious, and
then the Coioradosns fell back upon the
dcvice Of having lands allotted to those
Indians who wanted them, and the -est OF
the tribe moved over into diminished
reservation consisting of a western ex-
tremiiy of the old reservation. with Few
townships in New Mexico added.
Inc lled Oh INT dIllOA0 Va AAAA9 SN-%s-+--N
was that only a very few Of the Indians
would care to take allotments, and that
the agent would stand by his white neigh
bors rather than his Indians, with the re-
suit that the pulk OF the tribe would bi
removed TO the diminished reservation anc
the white people would get chance al
everything that was good in the abandonec
part. They counted without their host
The agent happened to be not that kinc
OF man. He was thorough-go going south
westerner of adventurous spirit. who haf
run away from the home farm as boz
in order to get view of the world, hat
served through the Civil War as scou
under Gen Frank Blair, had won th'
right to three medals for distinguishes
valor on the field. and was not afraid o
man, beast. or devil.
a Friend of the Indians.
Col. Dave Day grasped the situation
at a glance and took pains that his In
dlans should understand it also. The pro
and cons were fully and fairly set befor'
them, and in order that those who fel
uncertain about adopting the white man
ways should not be frightened on By tn
novelty Of II all, he pledged himself q
stand by and instruct in agriculture an
home making any OF the Indians who ac
cepted allotments. He also declared Z
mem tnat as iar az ray IN H4h pyRTl y
should see to it personally that The Inaiaa
were fairly treated In the distribution q
land. and that they should get the yer
cream OF all on the reservation.
The Indians who knew him best bclieye
him. and the proportion OF the tribe VIII
agreed TO take allotmenis and becon
citizens was so large as fairly TO pafa!yz
with alarm the little gang in Durango .h
had been plotting against them. Day KEEP
his word 10 the letter. He knew in advanc
what 1t would cost him to do so; for hi
old neighbOrs. finding that they could no
use him, declared u boycott against him
trying to break up his business and max
the place socially as uncomfortable as pos
sible for his family. This last feature o
the war waged upon him had as little etfsc
as the other for Mrs. Day shared her hus
bands clear grit. and preferred 20 see hin
go down with his flag flying than have hin
surrender to the gang. :iis bondsmen ap
piled at Washington to have their name
taken from his papers. but Secretary Hok
Smith had some backbone, too and he re
minded these fellows that bonds were no
obligations TO be willfully thrown asld
any more than to be lightly entered into
Charges OF all sorts were brough
against the agent in the mad struggl
20 get rid of him: but he inyit
ed the failest investigation of eac
one. and the official report invariably clear
ed him. When the commission To alIo
lands was appointed. the friends OF the In
CLANS in the East insisted that Day hinsel
should be one Of the Commissioners, and b