Page 305

REPORT     OF  THE   COMMISSIONER       OF INDIAN     AFFAIRS.     305 
CIMARRON INDIAN AGENCY, 
Cimarron, New Mexico, September 1, 1874. 
SIR: In compliance with instructions received from the Department, I have
the honor to 
submit the following annual report of this agency: 
I assumed charge on April 21, 1874, and at a time when the Apaches of this
agency were 
threatening an outbreak in consequence of three of their tribe having been
wantonly mur- 
dered by Mexicans at Alamo Gordo, a point about one hundred and fifty miles
south of this 
agency. However, by assuring them of the capture of two of the murderers,
their close 
confinement in jail, with the promise of punishment by law, and other considerate
treat- 
inent, I have succeeded in pacifying them, and at the present time they are
more peaceable 
and friendly than I have ever known in a residence of over six years among
them. 
NUMBER OF INDIANS. 
I see that the last annual report estimates the Indians connected with this
agency at 
1 170, which I consider as too high an estimate. There have been under my
charge about 
290 Muache lUtes and 460 Jicarilla Apaches, but, owing to their nomadic habits,
they are 
never all present at any one issue of provisions, the largest number I have
had present at 
one issue being 535. The Utes are constantly passing between this and the
Los Pinos In- 
dian agency. 
SCHOOLS. 
There are no schools for the children of the Indians, neither do I think
it would be of any 
use, under present surroundings, to try to establish any. 
FARMING, 
This agency being upon a private land.grant, there have been no farming operations
carried on in connection with the agency, and it would be almost useless
to attempt any. 
There is very little industry manifested by them. They seem to care nothing
for stock- 
raising, with the exception of horses, of which they have quite a number.
They are in the 
habit of allowing their horses to stray upon the fields of grain and hay
belonging to the 
settlers, which is one of the greatest sources of annoyance connected with
the agency. 
RATIONS. 
The rations issued are one pound of shorts and one-half pound of beef per
day. I would 
recommend that the ration of shorts be changed to flour and the ration of
fresh beef increased 
to one pound. 
REMOVAL. 
P The country is fast settling up, and soon these Indians will have to be
removed, for the 
settlers are getting more impatient every year under the petty depredations
of the Indians 
upon their fields and herds of stock. Trouble is liable to occur at any time;-
but force 
would have to be employed in order to remove them, and you must decide whether
it is ad- 
visable at present to use force. 
As might be expected from their habits, the Indians of this agency are very
poor, and 
unless their annuities are issued to them before winter sets in there will
be a great amount 
of suffering among them; and they are constantly complaining that the Indians
at other 
agencies are better treated than here; of which latter fact I have no doubt.
There are in the neighborhood of the agency whites and Mexicans who are in
the habit 
of furnishing whisky to the Indians. It is done in an underhanded manner,
and has been 
found a very hard matter to prove it upon them, and it will be almost impossible
to break 
it up while the Indians remain here. Efforts are constantly being made to
find and punish 
the guilty parties, but without much success. One party is now lying in jail
awaiting the 
meeting of the grand jury, and with good prospects of being found guilty.
The Indians desire very much to remain here, and many of the settlers consider
them a 
protection from the plain Indians, so that I do not feel competent to advise
in regard to their 
removal. 
Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
R. H. LONGWELL, 
Farmer in Charge Cimarron Indian Agency. 
Hon. EDWARD P. SMITH, 
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D. C. 
MESCALERO-APACHE INDIAN AGENCY, 
Fort Stanton, New Mexico, August 31, 1874. 
SIR: I have the honor to submit my first annual report relative to the condition
of affairs 
connected with the Mescalero-Apache agency. 
I assumed charge of this agency April 1, 1874, relieving my predecessor,
S. B Bushnell, 
at which time there were but few Indians on what is recognized as the reservation,
in all 
not to exceed 300, the great body of the Indians having left the agency last
fall, some 
20 IND