Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1901-12-25
Reports From the Agencies in
This Territory
Generally Improved Condition = Rec
ommendation for Further Advance
ment-Breezy Observations on the
San Carlos Apaches.


Indian agencies in Arizona have been
submitted to the Interior department
and are. now in course of preparation
for publication. They show a general
advancement of the Indian and contain
1 many recommendations for his i'm
rrovement
The report of George ID. Carson. who
succeeded Captain X. ]. Nicholson. is
distinguished by a breeziness of style.
He says of the Apaches:
| Il have been much surprised at the
advanced condition of these Indians
Almost without exception the men
wear the clothing of the whites. the
! general costume being a shirt and
/ pair of overalls and shoes. and most
of them cut their hair short. The
women wear loose blouse and very full
skirt. which falls to their feet when
riding astride. as is their custom. They
prefer moccnsins when they can get
! them, but buckslin is difficult to obtain
/ by hunting and is very high priced.
"As 4 rule they are Industrious. and
/ eagerly seek work on the railroad.
among the white farmers, at the mines.
and. in fact. anywhere they can hear
/ utation as good workers, and their ca
pacity runs from railroad work to
washing dishes. There are several who
! are capable of running and caring for
stationary engines. and quite a number
are familiar with the use OF drills and
dynamite in mining. They learn very
rapidly when thrown in contact with
/ the whites. and little trouble has arisen
1 from such association.
They live in tepees made of brush.
! in which the ventilation is perfect. and
frequently move to fresh piece of
ground. ANY smell. except tepee
smoke. is abhorrent to these Indians.
They practically live out of doors. and
the clap-trap talk of filth and degra-
: daticn" is an unjust exagge-atiop.
When anyone dies they burn the tepee.
which as n sanitary measure cannot be
improved upon. In a days time. with
n few wagon loads of brush. any ener-
getic squaw viii build another house.
They used invariably to bury their
dead in the rocks in the canyons. but
now many are brought here to the
age to be buried in collins in the
oem,Vty. Nearly all the educated ones
and school children are buried here.
question always in country where
nothing can be raised without it. and
the economical use OF the available
water supply here is pressing need.
The ditch on the upper Gila has re-
suited in a complete transformation of
that district. and q similar one should
be constructed ol the opposite side
of the river. where there is a splendid
! body OF land. The Indians do an i'm
mense amount of work every year put
ting in temporary dams. which are
sometimes swept out by rise that
comes from hundred miles above.
where there has been a rain. With
proper surveys the head of a ditch can
usually be run out so that a dam will
be unnecessary. except to divert the
water when low. Most of the bitches
the Indians have surveyed themselves.
and il is much to their credit that they
did as much as they did. All of the
land that can be irrigated is used. and
the boys who return from school have
a hard time finding place to make
home.
THE Indians have something over
100 head of cattle. but they are not
good stockmen. The cravings of their
stomachs overcome their desire for
wealth, and permit or no permit, the
cattle disappear. They are usually
ready to explain that the cowboy steal
him. but ] think most of them go
down their own throats.
They have a great many ponies. and
the little brutes are very useful They
are tough and hardy. and seem capable
of standing anything. They are big
enough for the light wagons issued by
the Indians. and are no trouble to keep.
The experiment of breeding up with
a failure as ii will always be where
every foot of land is required to grow
something for the people to eat More
over, the heat. the scarcity of water
and the rough character of the grazing
make il impracticable for these 1ndi-
ans to keep big animals. They would
much prefer small mules, and jacks
should be bought and bred to their
mares. Mules stand this country even
better than the ponies. and they are
better foragers. Besides they very
seldom die.
"A small storehouse. say 10 by u.
would be for each family a veritable
blessing In it they could store their
seeds os all kinds for the next year,
put away what annuity clothing they
could not wear. and their provisions
where the multitude of dogs could not
devour them. These storehouses con-
slider much more urgently needed than
dwellings for the Indians themselves.
The grain would then be a bank ac-
count tc be drawn on when needed.
Like all Indians. they get more or
less whisky. The money and desire
will always find n vendor. But every
effort is made to prevent the traffic.
and frequent prosecutions and pun
ishment of the Indians. too, has bene
fetal effect.
1.-The use of tiswin is much more diff
ficult to prevent. and a good deal is
made in spite of the vigilance OF Il very