The daily sentinel., 1907-04-08
CHANCES ON THE UINTAH.
Excellent Opportunities for Men of
Small Means offered Now on
Nelghboring Reservation.

The recently inaugurated policy of
the government in throwing open to
settlement the various reservations
of the west, has called for large ap-
preparations of money by congress in
order that the water rights of the
Indians may be protected through
the construction of canal systems for
the proper irrigation of their allot-
ments.
This important branch of the gov
ernment work is conducted under the
supervision of w. II. Code, chief en-
gineer of the Indian service, Mr..
Code. who is now In Washington, has
given the following details with ref
erence TO the scope and character of
the work underway or contemplated.
In New Mexico on the Zuni res
ervation, the government is construc-
ting "A large combination loose rock
and hydraulic earth fill dam for the
purpose of creating n reservoir for
storing the flood waters of the Zuni
river The maximum height of this
dam Is seventy feet above the stream
channel and its width on top approx
imates 500 feet The common labor
entering into its construction has
been chiefly Indian to date, the Nav
ajo. Zuni and Pueblo tribes furnish
ing the greater proportion of men.
This character of construction re-
quires that the Indians be taught to
work with derrick and hoisting en-
gines. operate steam drills, perform
concrete mixing and tunnel excava-
tion, and become more or less famil- |
lar with the hydraulic process of de-
posting the earth fill comprising the
upper portion of the dam.
This work of the Indians is. of
course. conducted under the super
vision of competent engineers and
foremen assisted by a sprinkling of
skilled labor. Some of the Indians
have shown marked ability along me-
chanical lines, and the picture of an
untutored Navajo Indian in a semi
civilized garb, operating a steam drill
ms satisfactorily as his white brother,
is an encouraging sight and one to be
remembered.
In Arizona large sum approx
mating half a million dollars has
been tentatively promised by congress
for furnishing the ella reservation
with proper water supply. This will
probably be obtained by a combina-
tion of gravity canals diverting flood
waters of the Gila river. supplement-
ed by a number of direct connected
electrically operated centrifugal
pumping plants drawing upon the
underground supply.
An irrigation system is under pro-
cess of construction on the Wind rlv-
err reservation. Wyoming, which will
Involve the expenditure of approx
mately 100000, and cover vast
area of allotments belonging to the
Arapahoe and Shoshone Indians.
In 40
in Utah a system is being built which
viii ultimately cost about 5000 900.
In addition to the above, special ap-
preparations for the fiscal year be-
| ginning July l. provides $35O,OOO|
| for the construction of reservoir
and canals for the irrigation of the
Fort Hall reservation, Idaho, and the
ceded lands contiguous thereto. The
sum of 100000 was appropriated
for the Blackfoot reservation and
$40, goo for the Tongue River reser-
vation, both being located I'm Montana
Smaller projects are under way
on reservations in many other states,
these being paid for from the annual
appropriations specifically made by
congress for irrigation purposes on
Indian reservations.
Chief Engineer Code states that
there are most excellent opportunities
for men of small means and would-be
settlers on the former Uintah reser-
walton, Utah, where thousands of
acres of Indian allotments now being
covered by a comprehensive irrigation
system can be leased from the Indians
on exceedingly favorable terms. In
addition to being afforded an oppor-
tunity to acquire land and water for
period of five years at a nominal fig
ure. there is ample work for indus
trious men with good teams on canal
construction now under way, which
Will require several years for com
pletion. The government is now pay
Ing $3.50 per day for man and team
Captain C. G. Hail at White Rocks
Utah, will upon application furnish
tull information regarding the leas-
Ing of Indian allotments. Similar op-
portunities also exist on the Wind
river reservation, wyoming