Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-14
WRONGS or THE UTES
Indians Come Here to Tell Their
Grievances.
WHY THEY LEFT THEIR HOME
Allotments of the Uintah Reservation
Made Hastily.
THE LAND HUNTERS INPATIENT
Story Of the characterization Of the
Past Summer and Roundup
by Col. Rodgers.
THE LAND HUNTERS IMPATIENT
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.

Secretary Tart - is bearlng 'tne white
mans burden for this administration, and
1t seems to get bigger and heavier as time
passes He has broad shoulders and broad
views and his tact and happy disposition
have made him eligible for most of the diff
cult jobs that are floating around. He is
called 1.-The Great American Peacemaker''
and 1.-The Conciliator General and has
earned those titles. He not only has to sit
on the lid every now and then, but. If trou-
BILE breaks out anywhere the President
sends him to settle 1t. The white mans
burden" he is carrying is not limited to the
Filpinos. the Igorrotes, the Moros, the Ne
gritos, the Guamites, the Cubans and the
Porto Ricans, but, by reason of their insub-
ordination, the White River Utes have re-
Gently come under his jurisdiction and this
week he will vary his usual program by
trying to conciliate the noble red man. Col.
Rodgers has brought bunch of Ute Indians
who were rounded up on the plains OF
Wyoming last summer.
1t is very interesting case and the Incl
dent illustrates the consequences of the in
considerate and unjust manner in which the
Indians are often treated by Congress.
Allotments Made Hastily.
There are three tribes upon the Uintah
reservation of Utah-the Uintahs, the I'm
compahgres and White River Utes. In 1904
Congress passed an arbitrary act requiring
that their lands should be- allotted to them
in severalty and the remainder Of the reser-
walton opened to white settlement by Sep
TENDER J. 1908. The land hunters were in a
hurry and would not wait. The commits
ments had to be made very hastily because
the act directing the opening of the reserva-
ton did not allow a reasonable time. 1t
was impossible to survey the land before
before ha
were made and not even yet are approved
plats for all townships containing allot-
ments procurable. AS must always be the
case under circumstances like these, the al
reservation of what was believed to be suf-
ficient land of the right character The
patents for the allotments have all been is
sued, but large part of them do not de-
scribe the land correctly. The errors are
material and many disappointments will
occur 1t is certain that some persons
both Indian allottees and white homestead
ers. will lose part of the lands they have
selected, and a great deal of additional la
Dor and expense will be thrown upon the
government, all due to the unwise haste
with which work was pushed through
that properly demands elaboration and
care
Revolt of the Indians.
The Indians did not express their dissat-
isfaction in such polished language as
Commissioner Leupp acquired in his news
paper career. but they felt it even more
keenly. The Uncompahgres and Uintahs
although not Disgusting their dissat isfac-
ton, innocently indicated their readiness
to trust their interests to the government
The White River band however refused
to. submit to this, hasty. summary and un-
just. treatment and sent delegation to
Washington. They made eloquent appeals
to the President, to the Secretary OF the
Interior and to the commissioner OF In
dion affairs And while those officials were
compelled to recognize the justice Of their
complaints, they were powerless to relieve
them. Congress had passed the law and it
must be enforced. Finally, when they
found that their allotments- could not be
changed the White River Utes asked per-
mission to occupy some other reservation
them. They asked if they might camp in
one of. the forest reserves, but the Presi-
dent was compelled to deny their request
and to warn them that they were expected
to become civilized and cultivate their al
lotments and behave themselves like white
folks.
- The Utes went home from Washington in
n sullen mood and began to save their
money until the pasturage on the plains
and " the valleys was in good condition
last String, when about 400 of them struck
their tApees, left the reservation and. like
the children Of Israel fleeing from Egypt,
they crossed Utah and Wyoming on the
way to ."some better country" which they
believed must exist in the northwest
They moved gradually toward the north
east for couple of months They had
plenty of money and bought supplies of
food, arms and ammunition at the towns
along the way. They killed a good deal of
wild game, but did not touch any private
stock. They stole nothing; they nterIered
fenced lands; they kept to the regular
roads and trails; they showed absolute
respect for the rights of the settlers, and
were quite as well behaved as any similar
white might
on hunting expedition.
Indians Claim Citizenship.
Their agent followed them into Wyo-
ming urging and admonishing them to re-
turn to their own country and trying to
point out to them the uselessness of the
project they had in view. But they in
sisted that when the government took
their lands away from them it created
them citizens and made them Independent,
like white men, with the right to go where
they pleased and do what they plea ed.
missioner of Indian affairs the latter re-
piled: Explain to them that the citizen
ship to which they attribute their indie
pendence has its burdens we'll as its
privileges, and that they are liable to pun
ishment by the local authorities for any
unlawful act they may commit
But they did not commit any unlawful
act. They minded their own business and
behaved themselves in remarkably peace
full and orderly manner. Nevertheless, the
governor Of Wyoming got ratified and
and called upon the President for pre- tee
ton. Exaggerated reports were tele-
graphed to the newspapers all over the
country, and peaceful migration was de-
scribed as a bloody raid. Capt. Johnson
and Can't. Paxton of the 10th Cavalry were
sent out to confer with them when they
were about forty miles north Of the town
of Gillette. Wyo.. but were unable to per-
suade them to return to their reservation.
Maj. Griersons squadron of the 10th Cav
airy was then hurried from Fort Robin
son to Gillette by rail to cut them off. Six
troops of the 9th Cavalry, under Col Alex
ander Rodgers, made forced march
overland from Fort Meade, 146 miles in
four days, and Joined Grierson. When
Rodgers arrived there was pow-wow. At
first the Indians were disposed to be ugly
and assert their independence. They are
convinced that they are citizens Of the
United States. and have the same rights
as white citizens to go and come and do
whatever seems good to- them; and they
proposed to assert and defend their pre-
negatives as citizens. They are well
armed and well supplied with ammunition.
and very suspicious Hence 1t required
great deal of tact and delicate diplomacy
to quiet them and obtain their confidence.
Went to Fort Meade.
But Col. Rodgers was equal to the task,
and the officials at the War Department