Arizona republican., 1902-10-27

speak Of them as pirates. murdcrerS, spoliat1Ts, and all the rest of it. Bat we listen to nothing of this hysterical vCciferation. The Indian must gc. The beneficent settler must divest him of his pride and incidentally, his real and personal estate. What is an In- dian, when we come down to the facts?
 To all of which the worthy and unc- tuous Burnett has filed the following answer with his old friend Beriah Will kins:
 Phoenix, Ariz., October 23, 1902.
 Editor Washington Post, Sir: In your issue of October Is, 1902, under the cap tion, Has the Indian any Rights?" occasion is taken to be delightfully."- irOnical at my expense. For number of years 1 was a subscriber and daily reader of the Post, and after coming to this territory it took years for me to overcome my hunger for it's col umns of news and good things gener- ally. This article or editorial is like a whiff from home.
 In the article in question the Post takes the attitude of defense of the h. dians, and evidently upon the hypOthe- sis that the land at Mcdowell belongs to the Indians. and that the settlers are interlCpers. It is my desire to try and correct this idea.
 Mcdowell was and still is a military reservation. When the soldiers were taken from there the government vir- tually abandoned the reservation. The whites settled upon it, repaired and inn proved the ditches, carved out small farms, erected houses, reclaimed the lands, and for years have been in peaceful possession. These lands have been surveyed by the government, ap- prCval of survey now being held in abeyance pending action of congress as to whether these lands shall be turned into an Indian reservation or revett back to the public domain. The Indi- ans never had nor have they now any more right at Mcdowell than has any resident citizen of angor, Maine. Theze Indians have neither personal nor real estate there. Not a thing have they that is desired by the white set tiers.
 Two years ago seven Apache Indi- ans came there from the San Carlos reservation, which is nearly 100 miles from Mcdowell. They told the whites that they wished to take up small farms and live as did the whites. The whites made every kindly effort to in- struct these Indians, but not one of the Indians would clear land. put his hand to blow or shovel to extend ditch. or in any way make the necessary start to become the possessor of an acre or the owner Of roof. They squatted on high ground and Hved-somehow.
 Since that time. two years ago. there have come and joined the original sev- en some 200 other Apaches, bucks and squaws, with ponies. They toll net. neither do they spin. They do maraud and rob the corn and fodder and melon fields of the whites. They have become insolent and threatening.
 My investigation of this matter was disinterested one-aside from a de- sire to learn the truth or falsity of re- ports as to an uprising, and I learned that there was and is no fear of this. Tn a word the situation is simply that the settlers have reached that station where they can no longer provide for themselves and their families and feed a band of 200 Indians and their ponies al the same time.
 These Indians belong to the San Car los reservation. They are supposed to be there under the charge of an Indian agent. Congress annually appropriates money for their keep and entertainment on that reservation. They have no property, they have no right by law or otherwise on or to the lands embraced in the Mcdowell military reservation.
 The white settlers there are not afraid of these Indians. The white set tiers do net fear an uprising. The white settlers, workers. do feel that they are entitled to the i'm rvention of the gov ernment to the end that their fields be not robbed and destroyed, their wives and daughters lnsulted and threa tened, and they, the settlers left in helpless condition because of the fact that if they attempt to protect their homes and fields from the night visits of these Apaches they feel that the government might decide against them in the mat ter of the disposition of this military reservation.
 All the settlers ask is that, pending the settlement of this question by con gross these Indians be ordered back to San Carlos reservation from whence they came to Mcdowell.
 Now, MT. Wilkins. let us be honest with each other. with the settlers. with the Indians and with the army of Post readers. I may or may not be "virtu- ous." worthy" "unctuous.' The point is this: Am I a capabl investigator? For ten years of my life I was an agunt of the government, most of that time travelling and Investigating for the gov ernment, and I assure you that I en- tered upon the investigation of this Mcdowell matter with my mind entire ly free from bias, prejudice or interest just as l always entered upon every task set for me when I was a govern ment cmplOye. l am convinced that If the Indian bureau will send one of it's men to Mcdowell to look into this mat ter. these Indians will be ordered back to San Carlos within forty-eight hours after his report is received in Wash