Page 196

196     REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. 
REPORT CONCERNING INDIANS IN COLORADO. 
REPORT OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT IN CHARGE OF SOUTHERN UTE AGENCY. 
IGNACIO, COLO., August 22, !905. 
The agency and school is located 13 miles north of the station of Ignacio,
on 
the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, southwestern Colorado. 
Owing to the fact that I am making a correct census, and that it is not now
completed, I can not now give the census for this year. 
The general health of the southern Ute is good. There was but little sickness
in the school or on the reservation last year. 
Our physician (contract) lives in Bayfield, 7 miles north. They are estab-
lishing a telephone line from that point through the agency to Ignacio Station.
I trust the Department will approve of the installation of a phone here.
With 
telephone connections with the physician it would be much more satisfactory.
The school was filled to its capacity all the year. The pupils appear willing
and attentive, but owing to the frequent changes in employees they were poorly
disciplined. We have the pupils to increase the school to twice its present
size. 
This would give better salaries for employees, and make it possible to retain
competent ones. I do not approve of frequent changes. As this is the third
year for a school among these people, can not hope to take care of the surplus
pupils by sending them away, and they are too scattered to advocate a day
school. I therefore trust the Office will enlarge our present plant. 
The water supply nine months of the year is not what it should be. We are
compelled to depend on a pipe leading from the river to the well. This fur-
nishes water that is filled with sediment. This could be avoided by digging
a 
well to a proper depth between the present one and the river, or the building.
f 
a filter. 
There are several Indians under my charge who have good farms, and they 
were made so largely by their own efforts. There are also several good farms
lying idle. I am doing what I can to get the owners on them and at work.
Many need farm implements that I have not got. Others need new land broken,
and we can not expect them to break this land with their ponies, and we have
not enough horses to do it for them. 
Last winter was very hard on stock. The snow was very deep, and several 
head were lost. About 300 head of ponies have been sold this year. I would
be glad if they would sell most of them. They spend much of their time after
these ponies, and when they try to sell they average about $6 or $7 per head.
I hope to be able to report a change in these people the coming year, and
will 
work expecting that change. There should be three times the land farmed.
If the Office will assist me by supplying the implements and teams, thereby
removing the excuses furnished, it can be. 
BURTON B. CUSTER, 
Superintendent and Special Disbursing Agent. 
REPORTS CONCERNING INDIANS IN IDAHO. 
REPORT OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT IN CHARGE OF FORT HALL AGENCY. 
RoSSFORK, IDAHO, August 12, 1905. 
The Fort Hall boarding school now located at Rossfork, Idaho, was moved 
from the old site, 17 miles from the agency and what was known as the old
Fort Hall school, to a point 1 mile south of the agency. This plant now con-
sists of five stone buildings, as follows: One dormitory, one mess hall and
employees' quarters, one school building, one laundry, and one boiler and
pump 
house. In addition to the buildings above named, a frame barn and ice house
were erected. A steel tower and large wooden tank 80 feet high where tank
rests upon floor of tower was also erected when the new buildings were con-
structed. The plant as it now stands is one of the best in the entire service
of 
its capacity. 
This plant will not accommodate, however, all the available pupils on the
reservation, and it is earnestly hoped that at the coming session of Congress
a 
sufficient amount of money may be appropriated for an additional dormitory
and also for a hospital. This matter will be placed before your office in
a 
separate communication with an earnest appeal for the necessary money with
which to construct the buildings.