Page 138

138 
REPORTS OF AGENTS IN UTAH. 
trial-school, but have always been met by the same reasons for not sending
them, viz: 
" Why is it that Washington does not build a school-house here, as he
agreed to when 
we sold him our lands in Colorado ? If we send our children away to school
squaw 
heap cry all the time. Ute squaw heap like her papoose. Ute boy no understand
white man house, mebbe so die." But their main argument is that Washington
has 
always promised the Utes a school-house and never built one, but when he
does, they 
will send their children to school. 
BUILDINGS. 
The dwellings are nothing but log huts, not fit for a white man to live in;
they-are 
full of vermin, and it is impossible to get rid of them, as the houses are
built of cotton- 
wood logs, with the bark left on. Just imagine the agent's house with a 7-foot
ceiling 
and no ventilation, sitting on an eminence that is as destitute of vegetation
as the Dry 
Tortugas, with the sun pouring down upon it for fifteen hours per day and
the ther- 
mometer at 105 in the shade, and then going in there to sleep; and my house
is the 
best on the reservation. My employ6s and myself have been sick a great deal
this 
summer, caused principally from having to sleep in these sweat-boxes, and
the way 
it is proposed to fix up old Fort Thornburgh for the new agency is not going
to help 
matters much. 
IMPROVEMENTS. 
There have no improvements of a permanent kind been made at the agency during
the year, notwithstanding there has been a very large anionat of money expended
for that purpose which was worse than thrown away. As far as the agent is
con- 
cerned at this agency in the matter he is utterly powerless to do anything,
as the 
agency for the last year has been continually afflicted either by commissioners
or 
special agents who have spent a large amount of money and accomplished absolutely
nothing. I do not know whether other agents are afflicted in this way or
not, but any 
that are have my sympathy. 
AGENCY FARM. 
My employ6s fenced, plowed, and planted in wheat, oats, potatoes, &c.,
40 acres 
of land which was virtually labor thrown away, as the $20,000 irrigating
ditch that 
was recommended and constructed under the personial supervision of the Ute
commis- 
sioners is an absolute failure, and as I expected to get my supply of water
from it of 
course the farm is a failure also. 
INDIAN FARMS. 
There are ten of my Indians who made a start at farming this spring and have
raised small patches of wheat, oats, potatoes, corn, &c. There were at
least thirty 
more who had their locations selected and were ready to go to work, but there
was 
no water forthcoming, and they did not put in a crop. I do not think they
will ever 
farm very extensively, but most of them, in time, will cultivate small farms.
CRIME. 
There has been no crime committed by these Indians or against their persons
dur- 
ing the year on the reservation whatever. There was one of their number killed
on 
Miguel Mountains, in Colorado, last October. It was impossible for me to
get any 
definite information in regard to it, only that he was killed. The Indians
themselves 
think he was as likely to have been killed by Colorado Utes as by white men,
and I 
am inclined to the same opinion. On the 7th of August, 1883, there was a
white man 
by the name of William Redman, of Middle Park, Colorado, committed suicide
by 
shooting himself through the head. He was found by Harry Golden, of Snake
River, 
and Andrew Strong, of Blue Mountain. A thorough investigation of the facts
by 
myself and other white men found this to be the cause of his death. 
SETTLERS. 
There are two Mormons who claim ranches on this reservation: A. C. Hatch
and 
P. Dodds. These ranches are the headquarters for all the cow-boys who want
to 
hold cattle on the reservation. I understand Hatch is moving a large band
of horses 
and cattle to this ranch; also, that he is going to cut hay on about two
hundred acres 
of Indian land this summer. On December 23, 1882, 1 wrote to the Department,
stat- 
ing the facts in the matter, and was informed that it would require further
report. 
This Hatch ranch is not one day's ride from this agency, and it is just as
easy for 
an officer who has the authority to report on it in three days as it is to
wait one year. 
My Indians talk about this matter a great deal, and are considerably worked
up 
over it.