Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-22
HAS A PATHETIC SIDE
Conflict With the Renegade Ute
Indians.
SEEKING A PLACE TO LIVE
Want to Get Away From the White
Man.
UINTAH RESERVATION CUT UP
Rush Of Settlers Surrounded the Reds
Declared They Would Not
Endure. It.
SEEKING A PLACE TO LIVE
UINTAH RESERVATION CUT UP

Indians and the white settlers in northeast
ern Wyoming which the dispatches have
recorded In the past few days has a pa
thetic as well as tragic side. The In
dams are seeking for home better suited
to their savage wants than the one al
lotted to them In Utah, and they are frank
In admitting that one of their principal
objections to the present place Of abode Is
the propinquity of the white man. Their
unattracttve reservation comes to them as
direct result of their own misdeeds in
connection with the Meeker massacre In
Colorado in 1878, but they do not consider
that fact in their estimate of the present
situation. Forgetting their own errors, they
rail against fate. the government and es-
pecially against the aggressive white set
tiers as responsible for all their woes. Let
US get away from the whites Is the bur
den of their complaint. and some Of the
leaders told Indian Inspector Mclaughlin
upon his recent visit to them that they
would rather die than go back.
Have Gone 500 Miles.
There are between two and three hun
bred of the wandering party. They have
travelled more than five hundred miles
across country. and would go on indefi-
Uintah reservation. in Utah. where they
have been located since the Meeker affair.
early last summer and have gradually
found their way to the extreme northeast
ern corner Of Wyoming. When they left
their homes they gave 1t out that they
were going to visit the Sioux, and let 1t
be understood that in case they found
more desirable home they would not re-
turn.
With more forethought than is generally
shown by saveages, they drove with them
seventy-ive head of beef cattle to be used
for meat when accession required, and Mr..
Mclaughlin states that when he visited
their camp about two weeks ago they had
reduced the number to eight, showing that
even II 1t be true, as reported. that they
have been killing the settlers stock they
at least have no need to do so. They car
ried with them not only their cattle, but
also their ponies. their squaws and what
ever other property" they were possessed
promised not to return. The procession
must have been an imposing one. for some
Of the Indians are we'll to do in the matter
Of horse flesh. Mr.. Mclaughlin says there
struggling column, to say nothing OF dogs
and other domestic animals that usually
accompany Indian band on the march.
The bucks were all well armed. but the
officials of the Indian office are inclined
to accept with grain Of allowance the
report that they have been committing
depredations on the white settlers.
The official reports are to the effect that
settlements have been avoided as much as
possible and 1t Is stated to be a fact that
when ranchers have warned them away
from their premises they have given them
a wide berth. The leaders have, indeed
tried to make 1t plain that they were es-
pecially anxious to avoid trouble with the
whites so as to secure Immunity from IN
reference by the authorities. II for no
better reason. 1t would appear. however,
to- r. fhaNy hou
and with Uncle Sans soldiers already on
the march in pursuit the very least pun
ishment they can expect Is a summary re-
turn to their Utah homes.
Camp on the North Platte.
The first stop made by the wanderers
after leaving Utah was on the banks OF
the North Platte river in Central Wyom-
ing There they spent most Of the summer
and a part Of the fall. moving on only
when they learned that the Indian bureau
had dispatched an inspector to the camp
in the hope Of prevailing on them to re-
turn to Utah. Their first camp was well
located, as 1t was in a good game region
and near plenty of fuel and water. There
were not many whites In the immediate
vicinity, but it was on the winter ranges.
and the cattle and sheep owners made
complaint that II they were allowed to re-
main the range would be rendered worth
less before the white mans stock could be
driven down from the summer feeding
grounds in the mountains. The national
government took immediate cogntZance OF
the situation. recognized It's serious aspect
and was anxious to act, but 1t found It
self confronted by difficulty which was
new in dealing with Indians.
No Longer Wards but Citizens.
They were no longer wards: they were
citizens In granting them hnd in sew
crafty Congress had removed them from
the position of children under care and
had conferred upon them the. prerogative
of freemen. The great Supreme Court OF
the United States said so. and there was
no way Of getting around 1t. Hence. so
long as the state authorities could deal
with the situation the national govern
ment could not legitimately use force to
secure the return OF the recalcitrants.
Nothing was left but to try suasion. and
the Indians, knowing the powers of In
spector Mclaughlin in that respect. ran
away from him. True, he succeeded in
heading them off and in getting few to
go back, but the main force remained. still
determined to find new home and de-
claring that under no circumstances would
they return. They told the inspector that
many years ago they had been told by the
old Sioux chief. Red Cloud, that they could
find home In northern Wyoming where
they would be removed far from the whites.
where there was an abundance of game,
and where they would be allowed to live
their own manner OF lie unmolested. They
added that what they had observed of the
northern country and the large bands OF
antelope they had found on their march
convinced them of the truth of this re
port and that they were determined to
further test It's accuracy even to the ex-
tent of defying all authority. He left
them where he found them. and would
appear that since his departure the cow
boys have taken them in hand. with the
inevitable consequence that Uncle Sam
must step in to prevent further trouble.
the constitutional point Of emergency
having been reached.
The Massacres Of 1878.
The present hegira Is the natural Sc
uuence Of long line Of incidents extending
back to the Meeker massacre and the
Thornburg battle in 1878. Those events oc-
CURED in Colorado and led to the Danish
ment of the tribe from that state. To this
fate they have never been reconciled, and
on more occasions than one have they
threatened to make trouble. The climax
came when, q year ago. the government
located the Indians on land in severalty
and threw the remaining portion of their
Utah reservation open to settlement by the
whites. Never satisfied with the location.
some of them became highly incensed when
they were made aware Of the fact that they