Bisbee daily review., 1910-05-15
RESERVATION SOON
TO Be ABANDONED
FORT MCDOWELL WILL BE NO
MORE AFTER SUMNER CROPS
ARE GATHERED

PHOENIX, May 14.-According to
reliable reports which have reached
this city. the abandonment of the
Fort Mcdowell Indian reservation aid
the removal of the 900 Indians thereon
to the Salt River reservation will oc-
cur Immediately after the summer
crops are harvested.
Il has for some time been a mat
ter of common knowledge that the
Mcdowell reservation was to be aban-
doned because OF the difficulty Of
maintaining dam in the Verde river
20 divert irrigation water upon the
farms Of the redskins. Il is under
stood that the reclamation service
and Indian bureau have agreed that
the Indians SHOULD be removed with
out any unnecessary delay.
The floods in the Verde river con
tinue to wash out the brush dams
which the Indians threw across the
stream. To build an adequate cement
dam would cost many thousands OF
dollars. so II has been decided to
place the Indians on the Salt River
where they will be fur
'nisNed with a steady and reliable
water supply from the Arizona canal
The water rights Of the Indians in the
Verde have been cancelled and they
are given rights under the Arizona
instead. This merely means that the
Indians take the same water lower
down. The farmers of the valley are
not affected.
? For a year or two the Indian bus
reau and reclamation service have
been working out the details of this
arrangement. and it is now under
stood that they have agreed upon
every point Superintendent c. w.
Goodman of the Phoenix Indian
school, who has taken a leading part
N the negotiations, stated this morn
ing that he had received no definite
information that the time of remov-
al had been settled. but thought it
quit probable that some action had
been taken in regard to the matter.
Superintendent c. Z. Coe of the Nc
Dowell reservation is expected TO ar
rive in Phoelix in two or three days
and he Will be acquainted with the
latest developments
The Fort Mcdowell Indian reser-
walton was established six years ago.
II is ten miles square and 500 acres
are under cultivation It is expected
that this viii al be thrown back in
% the public domain but as there
viii be 10 water available for its ir-
r'gation this will not benefit the set
tier. though the land is as fine as any
in the world for agricultural purposes
William Gill was largely instrumen-
tai in having the reservation estab-
lished. He was a missionary and
found it exceedingly difficult TO
preach The word to a few scattered
natives. who were roaming over the
hills as wild as mountain sheep. 4
number of settlers along the Verde
We're dispOssessed when the land was
set aside for a reservation. Among
these was Deputy Sheriff Jen Adams.
There are now about 300 Indians
al 4tAAiS1 tii- -uUSA OF lAELA dlt MO
jave-Apaches and the rest are Yumas
Gil was the first agent at Mellow
ell About two year sago he was sue
ceeded by Mr.. Coe. who stiH holds
the position.
In 1898 the military post of Fort
Mcdowell. one Of the most import
ant in the territory during the early
days. was abandoned. The buildings
are now used by the agent and school
teacher. General Adna R. Chaffee.
who was in comand at Mcdowell
while a captain. long used the agents
house as his headquarters and the
teachers house was for several
months occupied by General Leonard
Wood There Is also a little school
house and a little store at Mcdowell.
All the government buildings viii be
dismantled as soon as the reserva-
tiOn is abandoned