L{G _;: :\.
1871
Litt
efie:a to:1u~
.
...
552.
553
.
R.CI 11371.
~~c. 102. J .S. Lit',lefield to H • . ::1um, IC:, "fuite River Agency, 3ept 30, '71
t~ter sever l p r rrr~phs psrtainin ~o buildin7 s, a mill fire , etc . vte
fol,~·i~~ cct ,et-s tbe report:
-"iith regard for the a~ricultural prospects for the o~ing year, Mr. dams informed me that it 'as ~nly an experiment which he had tried for the first time, it having been thoue;h'-:. imnossible to raise 0rop~., on '3.ccount of the alkali in the c::i oil arid the coldness and hish alti ':..ude · of the agency. •'le
are of the opinion, though, that the experiment has proved that wheat, oaas, P,Otatces, and some other gard-n vegetables of the hardy kind can be raised.
1he corn in the garden did not mature, owing in part to the ',·rant of irrigati but the potatoes and some otjer vegeable did mature, and were exce::..lent . I should not J.ttempt to sow or plant without i: rigation, and, as some spots can be selected easy to irr·igate, I shall select those for farming purposes. I have purchased four mules, and these, with the oxen, are ample for our work.
I found no plows, except broLen ones, at the agency, and have purchased one, and sha 11 break up six or eight acres this fall. 'iha .nanure and offal that was accumulated l~st year was burnt up, but, being of the opinion that even on the best land good stock-rna~ure isa good fertilaizer, I shall take care tc use it to enri;h the land. 1ie have cured and ')Ut in covered stacks,
50
tens of excellent hay. Last year but a small quatnity was secured. fhesevere st :>rms and deep snows renered it necessary to ~:;:eep the ·work-stock upon hay durin_: three months of the year, and .. •1r . Adams assured me that it was absolu~elf necessary to workpca~tle durinz the incle~ent ceas ln 0n ~ay,
and have them well protected fror. the inclemency of the weather.
'I'he herd of cattle that was driven 11.ere by ~lr. U.1v,. Curtis from 11 3an Luis _ lains, 11
numbered 290 cows, 4 J.,lurha:n bulls, 90 youn · steers and
56
heifer calves and yearlin:::s. One of the large .uurha. bulls they were obli_·ed to shoot; the other W3.S left 01 :::;ear ,iver, being too fcot-sore '.:.o be driven
but may be brogght in. Cf the '290 cows are larfe portio.1 are rexas cattle,
ut the hei~ers and Jou:1.~ stE:,ers are one-half .American, and fine stock. rhey wi:=re in geed conditio~1, when we consider they were driven four hundred and fifty ~L'..es, at a season of t.he year v.rhen grass was .. carce, and through sixty miles of the heart of the Rocky .. ·!ountains. I take pleasure in ra
rema.rhine; that. dr. Curt .LS fulfilled his contract acce tably, and t_1at. t::ose cat.tle c uld not have been driven the lon distance and looked after be~ter by any other man.
A letter of ~-1r. Sheath, askin6 compensatior}. for herding of the cattle from .,,ebru""rJ, I send you, notnhaving any . .iec...-S of ~~nowing ·:rhether the clG.im was j..ist; also a cle,nand for tol::Ls that !'·1r. vu.rtis si:ned, that I do not feel wg,rranted to pay without instructi~ns froro tue Lepa..'."tnent. The cattle are branded with every variety of brand, over vhirty in number.
Ne
propose to build 3. corrJ.l an have them a.11 brg,nded with the letters I.D. 11 Indian Department. 11nt a coun'.Jil of the chiefs and headmen of this agency, held u3ust 10, 1871,among the matters brou.:i:ht up for consi eration ·was a desire that this agency be re~oJed to Bear ~i~er, sixty-five miles north, and the reasons urged were the eMcce, sive cold of "t .. he winter, and the scarcity of game in this vicinity • .,.'he cl-iiefs were unanimous in requesting t at I insist
on \he removal. Douglas, their head chief, saiG Governcr :·1cC ok promised its removal after one year's exper i Je ,t here. By consulting ~'hayer' s map of
Colorado for 1871, I f ;nd that the Indian reservatlo-i does reach the jjear Riverw within te.:.. miles, and that at -lilliams -" ork. lith the experiment this year in rasin: crops, I a-1 fully co·~vinced that the change is not e·:pedient,
but, vi-wed from the pecuniary point, doubtless it woulC. cost the Government far less for th~ transportation of .f'reight; a saving of two' or three per cen c-:uld be made, b t the bu· :::..idi g are a:2_1 here, and I do not thinl<: th~~ wL,h re6 ard to game the Indians would experinece any adv3.nta5e; the country
l.etween the bear niver and Rawlin (S will soon be se ... ~led up, and he game,
::53
5_,4
.
... RC A 1C7l . Littlsf.ield to ~lum. C ntinuat.:..on-
2-and report to me at the earliest, convenience. Doubtless the Indians would no not .1ave thought of inan:in"2 the change, had it not been su.__:3e s ted by the
3-overhor and talr:ed of bJ th white people.
Upon t._e subject of edu::at on, I would re;Krt t at, while the chiefs do not fsel much interest in the matter, frotIJ the simple reason that they do not un:iersta1~d what it means, yet :-,hey do :1ot o :--, se it; a"1.d as s :m as a
school house can be erected, it will be used, nu,bers of theill ... avin3 exoress a desire to learn. One of t~em (by the name of Joe)who speaks ~nilish
fluently, has said to me that he was anx "Lcus :.o ~o to schx:l; and with his
k owledge of thr - ~glish la~;uage could be easily taught so as to fit him
-self for an interpreter---a man very much needed at this a~ency. ~he teacher has been unremi1tins in his effort to ac~uire a knowle 13e of the Ute l~n6ua
6 so as to be able to teach them. Our books , blackborad~, slates etc have not been recieved; but we expect them next week, and sh""~: fit up a room, and have no doubt "tut that a g od schoo- can be C.3.:t'ried on. We have rei-Jor::.ed forty sc olars, yet doub':.less, in a short t~_ne more will be added. I have
confidn ce that if t he right means are empl"yed the Indian youths can be eucatec--perhaps not quite as eisily as the freed c1ll~r n of the South.
I take pleasure in reporting t hat no com9laints have come to :ne froJ,
Indians, or from wh tes, of disturbance or difficulty of any Ain~. rhe Indians are hi::;hly gratified with the herd of cattle that the Government has given them. _io intoxicating liquors of any kind are to be obt:iined w·it 1'-iin a hundred mi 1_es; hence the Ind ia.n ca:np has been r:_uiet and pe1....cful.
' i t~ the exception of the ta: of re~oval of the egen8y, they seem to "te satlsfied with 1vhat the Govern;nent does for them, and. ;.kre anxious that
other men now off the rreservatio. shall come and live with t~e~.
I'he general health is 5c,d, although, ~rom time to time, we have
applications for med 1c .ine s , which we ~i ve ""':::c crdin_; to our j 1.1d;:;rnent. I :iee:g:11n: re ;ret very much to prescribe in cases I do not un erst and, and wish that the .vepa.rtme t •v:::ml,J furnish a physic lan. ",le are so far :remote from white se~tlements, t i t if acciaents occur amon_ the Indians or employees, life often has to tb sa~rifi;ed for want of msdical
and
sur5lcal aid. Thephysician at Fort '-'t ~e1e ('vyorilinc ... e.cr ~':.ory) said tc . .1 me th of the late vtto
on nagen, who died in the hospit::i.' 1 st JulJ, 0h9.t if he could have had prompt surgical aid, his lide ~oult have bee2 baved.
I have the honor to be, veryrespectful::..y y ur obeJ ien\ servant, J .3 . Li',' lsi'ield, U.S. :nd:.an .;,gent.
Hon. H.R . .:::lum,
.vting Iv:Jian Com11iss1~ner, 'ashlngton D.C End o'" J. eport .
