White River Agency, Colorado.
March 3, 1879.
Sir: The first part of the last month was stormy and cold, and with deep snow covering the whole country. During the latter part warmer weather prevailed; snow disappeared from most of the valleys, and the roads settled; upon which our wheat was sown on ground plowed last fall, to the extent of our seed, viz, 21 acres, and well harrowed in; a snow of six inches falling immediately after will ensure rapid germination. Meanwhile all the available force was engaged in digging post-holes, the previous part of the month having been devoted to cutting and hauling posts and poles. In this work of digging the services of five Indians have been secured, and I expect five more in addition hereafter. In connection, one of the Indian women boards them in an Indian boarding-house, she being also an employee, a condition necessary to establish, since with their ordinary irregular way of living they would not be able to do much work. Extra rations are furnished, and also dried fruit belonging to the school. Owing to difficulties and distractions presently to be narrated, I am obliged to limit the ground to be inclosed to 80 acres, and perhaps 20 or 40 more if the Indians will continue to work, but I think they will keep on, and so far they are faithful workers. They are for the most part young men, having few or no horses; the older and more wealthy disdain to work. Perhaps, after a time, they too will come to a different frame of mind. I am supported all the time by the head chief, Douglas, but his influence does not extend among the retainers of the chiefs who form the opposition faction.
The practice of these Indians in keeping and holding horses on an extensive scale is not only discouraging to farm industry, but is working most serious inconvenience, if not loss, to the cattle interest. I estimate that these bands of Utes must have 4,000 horses, and that at least 2,000 are in Powell Valley, the new agency location, or vicinity; for, although fully half the Indians are on Snake or Bear rivers, they have many of their horses here, cared for by their friends. In addition, the Southern Ute coming to White River brought perhaps 300 horses. Now during all winter, these horses have occupied Powell Valley, and the narrow valleys above and below, for at least eight miles- exclusively monopolizing the range that hitherto has been used by our cattle — since there is fair feed in the brush and timber along the river. When the snow began to disappear the horses would be taken out from the river, and they covered all the sunny slopes and gulches, and now, at this writing, they occupy all the range within half a day’s ride, except where they have eaten it out.
As an inevitable consequence the cattle are forced back into the hills and mountains. Last fall I had several hundred head of cattle driven down to the valley, so as to be within reach of butchering, but, in less than a week, they were forced out to the north by the horses; and when we get cattle for butchering we go to a bunch among cedar hills, 10 miles northeast, where there are no horses, as water is scarce, while the cattle eat snow.
The circumference of the cattle range is thus made of such great extent, and much of it extremely difficult of access, by reason of mountains and snows, that it is with great difficulty we now find suitable cattle for butchering. Beside the uncommonly large area covered with snow this winter has caused the cattle to scatter badly, since they seek small open places here and there, so that by the horses occupying all the warm, favorable ground, the cattle are forced to seek their living where they can find it.
So far, only one or two dead ones are reported, drowned in crossing the river. Two employees and several Indians have been out over the ranges for three weeks, more on the extreme frontiers than nearer by, and one party has gone a long distance down the river, toward Utah, and thence to cross northward, to bring in all scattered lots, and to see if cattle thieves are taking advantage of this condition of affairs.
The fact is, a conflict exists between the horses and cattle for the possession of the best part of the range. Similar conflicts have existed in all pastoral countries, from the days of Lot and Abraham, and not less than 500 a year; that of the cattle about the same; and it must be manifest to you, that it is utterly impossible for both to occupy the same range. Even if there were grass the cattle could not stay because the Indians diligently herd their horses, and gather them together to water them at least twice each day, riding at full speed, which frightens the cattle, since, by similar performances, they are rounded up for butchering, and they seek other pastures far away. This condition has not hitherto existed, because the Indians have not wintered here for two years in like numbers; and then their horses were few in comparison. And now I have to say that, if the Indians are to be under no restraint nor regulations in regard to occupancy of range and increase of their horses, it will be impossible to hold the cattle on any of these ranges; in fact, I do not see how, in a year or so, beef can be furnished [by] the Indians at all; because if we move to a remote range, the Indians would follow to get the beef, and, wherever they go, they take their horses.
The only practical plan is, to have a considerable region fenced, in which to hold cattle for butchering, while the main herd is kept at at a distance. A suitable enclosure would cost about $1,500. On the range two or three herders would be required, and perhaps more, because cattle are gradually filling up the whole country, immense herds being already on the north and west of us, and more coming in, even from so far a region as Oregon; and wherever there are many cattle there are thieves, who make it their business to run off and butcher small lots, as opportunity offers.
I have been talking to the Indians ever since I arrived, nearly a year, about their horses, telling them they must not keep so many, but it has no kind of effect. The Indian is wealthy, and he has standing precisely as he owns horses. When a wife dies from two to five horses will be shot and six to 10 dogs, but none are ever or seldom sold, and the only real use to which they are put, aside from riding purposes, is to run races. Horse-racing, and consequently gambling, is the main pursuit for nine months in the year, and the Indian who has not a horse to run is nobody.
Late in January a Ute named Johnson, always friendly with the agent, always wanting to be civilized and to have things, requested us to break a pair of horses for him, wanted a wagon, wanted to farm, and he must have a team to work. Accordingly, the men spent a good deal of time in breaking the horses, he [is] riding around and soon learning to drive, and of course we kept the horses on hay, so that they would be in a condition to work. Last week I discovered that he was in the habit of racing these horses in the afternoon, and it was evident that his object had been to get them in good heart so that he could beat his brethren of the turf, and I told him to take away his horses. However, I agreed he might have hay if he would haul it with his team from the old agency, but he refused. Thus the most serious pursuit of these Indians is horse-breeding and racing, and only these, young men who have no horses will work. The conclusion is that this “horse business” is not only a powerful obstacle to progress, but is a great damage to the cattle interest. It seems to me that they would rather give up the cattle than their horses.
The great bulk of the cattle are up Clear Creek Valley 10 to 12 miles, where rye grass is plentiful and standing above the snow, and where are sunny slopes; off toward the Grand many calves have come already.
The health of the Indians has improved since warmer weather came, and only two deaths have occurred during the month. The health of the employees has been unusually good.
Respectfully,
N. C. MEEKER,
Indian Agent.
HON. E. A. HAYT,
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D.C.
