White River Agency, Colorado,
April 7, 1879
Sir: In this quarterly report I have to say the health of the Indians has not been so good as hitherto and there have been some deaths, while some have recovered from pneumonia, though the tendency now seems toward consumption. A serious fighting encounter to likely to have a fatal termination, as the man was shot through the hips. A detailed account was sent you at the time.
Four of the employees have resigned, three to work farms of their own; one is to return after attending to business. The cost of living—much greater than elsewhere—the want of accommodation, and the lack of society contribute to make the position for first-class laborers far from being attractive. Other men have been sent for to fill their places.
The work has been almost wholly directed to raising as large a farmcrop as possible this the first year of preparation of the ground. Eighty acres have been substantially fenced with cedar posts, a heavy pole on top and two strings of barbed wire below. Twenty acres of wheat is now up and growing. Twenty acres of new bottom land, intended for potatoes, is partly cleared mostly done by Indian labor. A boom 300 feet long has been built for holding the saw logs to be floated down next June.
Something over thirty Indians have been at work, but the average of steady laborers is from twelve to fifteen. These are induced to work by the influence of Douglas their chief. They are his retainers, and they are more subject to him than they would be if they were slaves. He takes their rations and provides regular meals. Another chief, Johnson, boards some of them, and they get along well, considering the great need of horses, stoves, and cooking furniture. The remedy for this condition is to provide small allotments of land, houses &c. (etc.), for each working Indian, whereby he will have a home of his own, and thus become independent of his chief, by which means this species of a feudal system will be broken up and destroyed. Of course time and a well-defined system are required. The progress thus far is decidedly encouraging, particularly when it is remembered that these Indians never would work before. All the time difficulties arise; in fact, the history of every day is the history of difficulties.
I had certainly expected that by this time a response would have been received in regard to the plans I sent you of agency buildings for the new location, and particularly for school accommodations. All the work is done in Powell Valley, 18 miles below; rations are issued here and the school is kept in the dwelling of the teacher, which is the best to be obtained. All the Indians are in Powell, and I am there myself five days in the week. The houses there are a blacksmith-shop one for the employees and one for myself, all of logs, with dirt roofs; two of them removed from this location.
A young girl was taken by the teacher last summer and kept till recently; she was dressed as well as any white girl, and she made fine progress. Then her father took her away. He had no wife of his own, but his son married and he lived with her, and the little school girl was required to carry wood and water. I could not get her back. The two remaining boys belong, one to Douglas, and one to Lewerick, a chief of the faction opposed to Douglas, and they will probably stay, so as to learn English and so as to represent the two adverse parties. If we had accommodation in Powell, a fair number could be had; but the prospect of having a child remain is not brilliant, for it looks as if when a great deal is done for them, and as if when they improve fast and become greatly attached to the school, an inducement is presented for taking them away, because they are supposed to be more useful, or else a fear is felt they will because they cease to be like themselves.
It seems to me that work goes before education, and that only the working man can have an idea of the use of schooling. A savage can have no notion of the value of knowing many things. Besides, the savage family has no discipline, and the children are neither the heirs nor successors of it. The only discipline exercised in this agency is when I get the men to work day after day; and this on the penalty of withholding extra rations. This, in fact, is equivalent to “compulsory education”, and it is the only power that can be made to operate. In other words, with plenty of coffee and sugar and dried peaches I can lead them forward to civilization. The agency herd has been rounded up and found in good condition. The labor required in such work, and in butchering, is vastly increased by the thousands of Indian horses occupying the range around the locality when the Indians require beef. For instance, the Indians are encamped in Powell Valley with their horses and although this range should be occupied by cattle none are found nearer than eight miles, and we are now obliged to go ten miles to butcher.
It seems to me evident that the greatest obstacle to civilizing the majority of the Indians is their ownership of horses, which is proved by the fact that these who work have either few or no horses. An Indian who has a band of horses devotes all his time to them and to racing. Such a one will not work, nor will he sell any of his stock, but he is clamorous for goods and supplies, and, having influence by means of his possessions, he is an obstacle to all progress.
Respectfully,
N. C. MEEKER,
Indian Agent
HON. E.A. HAYT,
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D.C.
Special to the Herald
