Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-04-12
Those on the Ulntah Reservation
Celebrate Their Great Annual
Festival.
ATTEND II CAILY BEDECKEO.
Big Chief Returns From Washington
With Good Responsibilities
Captured,

Special Correspondence,
Ouray Utah, April 9.-All your read
ers are interested IN the Indian reser-
walton and q few lines from here Will
probably be acceptable Ouray was at
one time the chief agency, and old Fort
Thornberg was located here, but later
the agency was removed to White
Rocks and Fort Duchesne replaced Fort
Thornberg, Stll, at the present time,
about half the Indians of the reserva-
ton have their headquarters here. The
Uncompahgres and White Rivers, the
descendants OF the two Colorows,
brothers, are merged into one tribe
now with two chiefs, Enc ColOrow and
Charley ChaoanauN, but their tribal
relations are not so distinct as they
were. While these two men are recog-
nized as chiefs, they have nothing like
the power formerly welded by the old
chiefs.
The last 10 days the greater part Of
the Indians have been assembled here,
with a goodly number Of visitors from
the Uintahs, engaged IN their great
annual festival the bear dance. The
dance continued each afternoon without
cessation for 10 days and ended with an
all-night dance and big feast yester-
day
on these occasions all hands, old and
young alike, fix up IN all their glory,
logged out IN paint and feathers,
gaudy colors, beads and trinkets and
llashy blankets and shaws they pre-
sent a striking picture moving back
wards and forwards In two long lines
the men one side and women on the
other keeping time to the chant and
peculiahr music Of the orchestra"
Tho band all play on the same instru-
ment, which consists of an old vat,
something like the watts formerly used
for dipping sheep, turned bottom side
up ON the ground. Each musician
has q notched stick, one end Of which
rests on the vat the other end In his
left hand while with the right he rubs
the shin bone Of horse or sheep, or,
In fact, anything else that comes handy,
UP and down. up and down, over the
notchcd stick TO the cultivat-
ed ear il would hardly pass
for music, but it seems to
suit the Indians, and they frequently
manifest their appreciation by a Pc
culiar "yip' and then dance faster and
harder There Is indeed a certain rythm
to II and the step used I'm the dance Is
not readily acquired by the average
white man,
NO WALL FLOWERS.
There are no wall flowers among the
women either, for they do all the choos-
Ing Of partners, When they c0ndescend
TO choose a pale face for a partner, ne
is supposed to show his appreciation by
giving the dusky damsel a quarter for
the favor.
Contact with the whites has no visI-
BILE effect I'm clvllizng these peculiar
people, All the civilization they have
acquired is Of the doubtful character.
The great majority OF them don't know
the meaning OF virtue and they continue
idle, lazy and thrifuess, the squaws
doing all the work.
monte" is the favorite pastme and
all indulge in II from children to grey
headed men and women. Groups OF
them can be seen any day squatted
upon the ground each with a pack OF
cards, Usually the stakes are small
but when they are flush considerable
money changes hands,
BACK FROM WASHINGTON.
Charley ChayauauN Just re.
| turned yesterday from having a biz
| talk WitE Washington relative to thu
opening OF the reservation. The report
/ he and others bring back seems TO hc
| satisfactory for the Indians appear 10 bt
content with the approaching opening
There can be no question about the
advisability Of opening the land for set.
] Element for If left 10 the Indians for
/ an indefinite period n would continue In
| It's present wild, uncultlvated state
| yielding nothing to them or anyone else
SEVERELY DEALT WITH
The six soldiers who recently broke
| out Of the new cage IN the guard house
| at Fort DuChesne We're captured the
| day before yesterday, l5 miles above
| here, ON the White river. They were n
| pretty bad condition worn out am
sore footed from the long tramp
by order OF the oommandaut ut For
| Duchesnc these poor fellows Wer,
forced TO walk back the whole distance
| and Il they refused 10 walk drag then
back with a rope" IL would seem un,
| necessarily harsh and brutal to serv,
| even these "conylCts' so. They arr
human, at least, but thoir treatment
was most lnhuman,
The large fcrryboat being built by IN,
| United Railway company here is nearly
| completed and win soon be ready foI
| service, From now on the freight for
| the post viii go over the UIntah road {,
! Dragon gnd from there by team insteat
| OF from Price as formerly.
Passenger automobiles are now al