REPORTS OF AGENTS. REPORTS OF AGENTS IN ARIZONA.. REPORT OF COLORADO RIVER AGENCY. COLORADO RIVER AGENCY, SIR: In accordance with your instructions dated June 1, 1890, I have the honor to herewith submit my first annual report: Since assuming charge of the Agency (April 1, 1890) I have visited every portion of the reservation and have conversed with all the heads of families in their own homes; consequently can report accurately as to the condition of the Mohaves. THE RESERVATION. The Colorado River Agency is situated on the Colorado River 200 miles above Yuma, Ariz., and 100 miles below Needles, Colo. It contains 128,000 acres, 50,000 of which is good arable land capable of producing two crops each year by proper management, and plenty of water for irrigating purposes. The soil is adapted to the raising of corn, wheat, barley, beans, squash, pumpkins, melons, sugar-cane, peanuts, and all kinds of citrous fruits. The soil in many places is rich clay loam, while in others it is more sandy; at present it is covered with a thick growth of mesquite and arrow-weed. Along the river bank it is studded with a thick growth of cotton-wood and willow. The land that I refer to is quite level and easily cleared up; auxiliary ditches for irrigating can be run in any direction. IRRIGATION. About twenty years since an irrigating ditch was constructed at great expense. The ditch ran through a system of tunnels for several miles; these tunnels were run through soft ground and timbered up with cotton-wood timber, which at the best would not last over one year, as cotton-wood logs would naturally rot out and give away in that time. However the water was turned on and the ditch accepted by the Government, and it caved in at the tunnels in a few days. The ditch has been of no use since, although it has been cleaned out below the tunnels within the last two years and is now in a very fair state of preservation. At a very high stage of water in the river the water runs through the ditch for a few days or until the river recedes; that is, coming in below the tunnels, where it runs out to the river bank; but the ditch will not take water at an ordinary stage so as to get it on the land. The only way that I can see is to put in a large irrigating pump at this point, or perhaps two, which would throw in about two hundred barrels per minute. The reservoirs could be constructed below to hold any amount of water, and by this means all the Mohaves, Chimehuevis, and Hualapais could be made more than self-sustaining (this is a fact and not a theory), as there are now in use on this coast many of these vacuum irrigating pumps that are giving entire satisfaction. The Indians agree to furnish the wood for this means of irrigation, so, after the first cost of the plant, the expense would be but little, and the most sanguine expectations of the Government carried out. If this land was thrown open to the whites for settlement, only a short time would elapse before water would be pumped on; therefore if it would be profitable to the whites it would 13059 I A-—1 be equally so to the Indians and the Government. For years every agent that has had charge of this reservation has recommended some means of irrigation as the only hope for the tribes of Indians that rightly belong here, and I now hope and trust that this matter will now engage the serious attention of the Department. THE MOHAVE INDIANS. Of this tribe at the present time I find located on the reservation 640; males, 306; females, 334; children of school age, 111; children under one year of age, 24. They are all peaceable and industrious. A part of them wear citizens' clothes. They all would do so if they had the means to procure them. They are fond of good clothes, and if they had the means would dres as well as the average white man. They are proud and axious to become more civilized. The Mohaves are more observing and more anxious to learn than any tribe of Indians I ever saw. I have been among many different tribes in the past twenty years, and I was familiar with the manners and customs of the different tribes in western New York. In boyhood an Indian does a thing just as he is taught, and if they are thoroughly trained they never forget. Chief Hookarow returned from his trip to Washington in April with more broadened ideas, but he said so much that the Indians did not believe much that he told them. It improves the individual Indian to visit Washington, but a chief always loses his influence over his tribe after such a visit, as an Indian only believes what he can see. The other Indians that properly belong to this reservation are the Chimehuevis, Hualapais, and Mohaves, at the Needles. The Chimehuevis, about 200, are situated about 30 miles up the river above the reservation on the Arizona side, at the Chimehueva valley. They are engaged in farming, but will soon be crowded out by white settlers. They are industrious, wear citizens' clothes, and speak the Spanish language. There are about 667 Mohaves at the Needles and about 410 at Fort Mohave. making the Mohave tribe in all 1,717. The Hualapais, situated in the mountains and along the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad northeast of Fort Mohave, number about 700, as nearly as I can ascertain from inquiring. Year by year the Mohaves at the Needles and the Hualapais situated along the line of the railroad are degenerating and growing worse morally. They are not only spreading syphilis among themselves, but among the whites as well, with no restraint and no one to look after them. Between bad whisky and loathsome diseases they will ere long become past redemption. Water should be supplied here for irrigating this land, and as soon as practicable all these tribes above mentioned should be brought here, as there is sufficient land for all. Here they would be under the immediate care of an agent, have the benefit of a physician, and be away from the contaminating influence of railroad employés and tramps. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. The Mohaves like all Indians are somewhat given to superstition. They cremate their dead and formerly burned all the property belonging to the deceased, including the house where the death occurred. The burning of property of any value is now discontinued, as I have given strict orders that all those participating in the burning of property shall be severely punished. The practice is still in vogue at the Needles. When one gets sick they all gather around and set up a hideous cry and keep it up until death occurs, which is almost certain unless the patient is taken away from them. Shortly after I arrived a medicine man visited the school children and told some of them that they would have fits, and sure enough three of the girls worked themselves up to a hysteric fit. As it is now arranged none of the older Indians are allowed around the school children without my permission or that of the superintendent. They are very superstitious about eating some things. Once upon a time when nearly starved they ate some beaver, and the story goes that those that ate had swelled necks, so now no Mohave will taste beaver. There are now some carp in the river, but being a new kind of fish to the Indians they would not eat them until I insisted that they were good to eat. They also have a number of spiritual traditions, but they are gradually dying out and ideas of Christian religion are beginning to dawn upon them. They are quick to acknowledge the superiority of white men, and always pleased to see any new improvements. They are fond of blue colored clothes. Last May three boys ran away from school on account of being furnished with brown overalls. They are all anxious to have homes to live in, and you can rest assured with entire certainty that soon as the Mohaves get water in the ditch for irrigating all their superstition will vanish and they will be a thriving community. AGRICULTURE. Under the existing state of affairs there is no chance for the Mohaves to farm only along the bank of the river when the river overflows, which only occurs about once in three years. When the water recedes they plant corn, pumpkins, melons, and beans, but consume the same about as fast as it ripens. This has been an exceptionally good year, but they will have their entire crop consumed by November and have to fall back on what few mesquite and screw beans they have laid by. When I arrived here last April these Indians were in a starving condition, having scarcely anything to live on. In the country where the Apaches roam nature has provided many things for the Indians to subsist upon, but here scarcely anything. A little cactus was all they had to eat last winter besides what few rations were issued to them. The cactus only serves to fill up on with scarcely any nutriment. Agriculture is the only hope of sustaining and improving the condition of the Mohaves. To all appearances the only means of civilization the Government has furnished the Mohaves for several years was starvation. Expecting them to remain here without furnishing water for them to irrigate their land with is on the same principle of confining a man in prison and condemning him to slow starvation. From my observation I will venture to state, if you will give the Mohave Indians half a chance they will raise more vegetables from an acre of ground than the average Western farmer. Education facilities at the agency are very good as far as they go, but the schoolrooms and dormitory are too small to accommodate all the children of school age. There was a new building erected during the past year by my predecessor, which I have been using for industrial purposes-teaching the girls how to mend, sew, manufacture mats, etc., from old rags, and soon as I can procure suitable straw I intend to have them taught the art of braiding straw for hats; the children all want straw hats. A hat seems to have a more civilizing influence than anything an Indian can wear. During my incumbency the superintendent and principal teacher and assistant teacher have taken the most careful interest in instructing the pupils, but the labor is too great for two teachers, consequently an additional one has been asked for. The Indian children require hard and constant drilling, and one teacher is required most of the time in the industrial room. The hardest thing seems to be to make them speak the English language while out of school hours; but I have noticed a marked improvement in the past three months among them. ALLOTMENTS. There have been no allotments of land made in severalty as yet and can not be until some means of irrigating the land is provided by the Government. INDIAN POLICE. The Indian police force at this agency have at all times faithfully and willingly performed any duty assigned them. SANITARY. As there has been no competent physician here for a long time the Indians have rather lost confidence in the American medicine man and the Indian medicine men have taken advantage of it and when I arrived were in the supremacy; but I think I have them under control and am now only waiting to make a first-class example of the first one that shows up. A hospital is badly needed here and I propose to establish one as soon as the newly appointed physician arrives. The women are constantly coming here from Needles for treatment. RELIGION. During the school term services are held every Sunday morning in the school-room by the superintendent and other employés. The children are all assembled and usually quite a number of the elder Indians. The children delight in and are quite proficient in singing gospel hymns. They all repeat their prayer in concert on retiring at night. CONCLUSION. In conclusion I will state that there is no reason in the world why the present state of affairs should continue on this reservation. With the expenditure of a few thousand dollars in a 60-horse-power boiler and two vacuum irrigating pumps, a perpetual supply of water can be had (the ditch already being constructed), and all the Mohaves, Hualapais, and Chimehuevis made self-sustaining. Besides there is land enough to support the Yumas, the Apache-Mohaves, and Apache-Yumas. There would be less work and trouble for an agent for things to run along as they have for years at this agency, but under the old system the Mohaves have no hope to better their condition. With means to irrigate their land they would soon turn into a thriving community, settle on a permanent home, and each family become individualized and fit for a higher and more civilized condition. The degradation of the Mohaves is owing to neglect on the part of the Government to furnish them the means by which to irrigate their rich and extensive lands. Very respectfully, The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. GEORGE A. ALLEN, REPORT OF PIMA AGENCY. PIMA AGENCY, ARIZ., SIR: In compliance with request and custom I have the honor to submit this my first annual report of affairs at this agency. I shall not begin by speaking disparagingly of the condition of affairs here on taking charge, for the intention of such is to inter or assert carelessness, inability, and dishonesty of the predecessor. I will say that my predecessors have done well, and this fact is well manifested in the advancement and mental development of these Indians. I may say, too, that my predecessors have made some mistakes, and that I am profiting by these errors. TRIBES. To this agency belong three tribes, viz, Pimas, 4,421; Maricopas, 315; Papagoes, 3,363; total, 8,099. I have taken a careful census of the Pima and the Maricopa tribes, but I was compelled to estimate mainly in regard to the Papagoes, because they were scattered over the southern third of this Territory, on no reservation, and on a mountainous and desert slope of country which is about 150 miles long and 100 miles wide. Our census revealed the following: The Pimas and Maricopas live on reservations in the Gila and Salt River Valleys; and, excepting the reservation at San Xavier, where 363 Papagoes have received their land in severalty by allotment, this tribe of 3,363 have no reservation; they are homeless. The Indians of this agency always have been friendly to the whites; they are as honest and industrious as the average white man would be under the same circumstances. They are kind and obedient generally. They are now, and always have been, self-supporting mainly, for nothing has been given them except a few farming tools and household necessities. EDUCATION. As an evidence that these tribes are inclined to improve, especially the Pimas, I cite the fact that there have been about 250 children from this agency in attendance at foreign industrial schools during the year. Of those who have attended school here, at Albu |