White River Agency, Colorado
May 5, 1879
Sir: The working force at this agency has been reduced during April by four men, who, as previously reported, have gone into business on their own account or returned to their farms. Three men are on their way hither to fill their vacancies. As a consequence, general spring work, and particularly preparing the ground for crops, has been delayed, and I find it impossible to perform all I had intended. A good deal of the work performed is in the nature of “improvements” available for years to come, such as the building or completion of an extent of two miles of fence and the construction of an irrigating lateral a mile and a half long, from the main canal down to the new agency location, which is five feet wide on the bottom and as straight as a line can be run, showing how favorable the ground lies for irrigation. This lateral will water about 300 acres of land, as much as we can put in cultivation in a year or so, the area this year being 80 to 100 acres. Other kinds of work, but mostly in the nature of improvements — that is, of getting ready — crowd almost every day, as of necessity they must, where everything was recently new, and all things needful were to be provided. The Indians have required a great deal of time, and work is constantly broken off to superintend or assist them, so that continued order was out of the question. At the same time, from 10 to 15 Indians have been quite regularly at work, and they have been of great help in forwarding common undertakings; still they are uncertain, for generally about once in 10 days something is the matter, all stop, but after a little they become reconciled and go to work; but these strikes are less and less frequent.
Several hours each day are devoted to dairy matters. Several of the Indian families early in the spring begged [for] milk, which was refused, but they were told they could have cows of their own if they would milk. They said they would have cows, so cows were driven into the corral, with their calves, from the herd, and being wild, it was necessary to lariat them and haul them into a chute with a windlass, where, being tied to prevent kicking, they were milked — all of which requires courage, skill, and patience on the part of the employees detailed, and frequently they are badly bruised in the encounters with these fierce animals. The Indian women quickly learned to milk, and their men are also learning to break the cows. We have now seven Indian families which get milk this way, and several come as far as a mile and a half. But the Indians are having corrals built for themselves, and, as fortunately we cannot assist them much, they do their own work. One man on his motion cut poles and posts, and, being furnished with a wagon, he drew them, and then he did the rest of the work. There are now at least a dozen Indian families which want to be accommodated in like manner.
We are now about to plant the Indians’ allotment of corn and vegetables, and a great embarrassment arises from the fact that the demand is greater than the supply of prepared land; hence I am forced to limit the areas of each, and lead them to hope for more next year. I surrendered to them 20 acres I had expected to plant corn for the agency mules, since land broken this spring cannot be cultivated by Indians, owing to the roads and the great difficulty in getting water over it. Even in skillful hands the yield will be unsatisfactory.
A great obstacle is constantly presented in the idea the Indians have that white men can do anything, and at any time, for they have no idea of the amount of labor and time required to overcome natural obstacles on new land, and they grow impatient and wonder why more is not done. For instance, they want cabins; want to plant corn now; want me to “hurry up, hurry up;” everything must be done at once, to-day, and they see no prospect of the “good time coming” they have heard so much about. There is no help for this, because they have no experience as a base on which explanation can rest, and they only persevere because they have faith, and hope that something will come at last. I think it is a good help to get them tied to cows, and the next thing is to get them tied to personal allotments of land, cabins, and a lot of “trumpery.”
The adverse party of Indians with Jack have come, and they propose to go to farming 10 miles from Powell Valley, but it is too late to do more than make a small commencement this year.
The river is now becoming impassable, and our butchering will be done, during high water, 12 miles from Powell, where all the operations herein mentioned are performed. The cattle are doing well. There are many calves, and the grass is good. The great crowd of Indian horses — perhaps 3,000 — keeps the cattle on remote ranges.
The health of the Indians is good. Supplies are in abundance; but there is an entire lack of vegetables.
The school is in the same condition as previously reported — not satisfactory. This is now largely owing to deficiency in proper buildings and the residence of the Indians being in Powell, 18 miles away. It is hoped that during the present month the agent’s family and the school will be moved, when organization can be effected.
Rations for the week are issued still at the old location; but no kind of industry is carried on here.
Respectfully yours,
N. C. MEEKER,
Indian Agent
HON. E.A. HAYT,
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D.C.
