Show I THE STORY Of THE UI NT A H BAS BASIN I N NI I Advancement Retarded Progress Progress' Made only by a aFew aFew aI Few Under Handicaps p ns Implied Federal Aid I Nev Never i Given In view of much in this issue other phases of our simple story in this basin should be told We here all know but many readers may not know that all this Utah sector nearly except Ashley valley valley val val- ley was an Indian reservation until by proclamation of Theodore I Roosevelt then president it was opened for settlement in 1905 The federal government L E-L gave ye this opening wide publicity literature literature literature lit lit- was printed and scattered scatter scatter- ed over the country and under such conditions thousands of people people people peo peo- came to take homesteads President Roosevelt's proclamation tion as we are advised for construction of reservoirs I jointly by the Indian bureau and the reclamation service This was never done Nearly one million dollars was spent in reclaiming acres of th the Indian lands and on the assumption assumption assumption as as- that there were 1980 In In- But an later revealed reveal reveal- ed the fact that there were vere not I over 1200 natives including the few of mixed blood This overestimation overestimation overestimation over es of Indians gave a surplus of farm lands and some of it that I was sold by advertising each week in local papers seventeen and eighteen years ago describing the theland theland land the cost n name me of the Ute etc We Ve do not know how much sue hI bland and was sold By 1908 a few schools had been I opened under trying conditions although many had taken up residence residence residence resi resi- I dence on their homesteads by spring of 1906 For several years the usual condition was no culinary culinary culinary culi culi- nary water hence no water for gardens and livestock People came from Price in four days or more and Grand Junction Heber City and Kamas were the other starting places from which people drove into the Happy Home Land Charges for th the filing were not very low about we are told and a land office fee of 1600 A petition was circulated we are advised asking that Indian Indian Indian In In- dian and other reclamation be kept separate Information given us is that it was vas the original intention of the government to reclaim all the best lands charging the white te people for actual cost Some advise us that such a large development did not suit certain forc forces especially the power companies because I power would be under such a joint ownership sold under government government government gov gov- orders In the spring of 1910 special Investigators Investigators investigators In In- in- in were sent here by the U. U S S. S and to consider the Ule reservoir and power site with with- If It our information is correct the field men reported not more than enough water for the Indian lands and the report was against the joint reclamation and against the three large reservoirs I Even railroads did not want to come into a country wherein government government government gov gov- ownership and operation controlled so much wealth al although although although al- al though such wealth would be be and andis is relatively small if we leave out the forest reserves I In 1931 petitions were circulated ed asking for federal aid on construction construction construction con con- of the storage as originally planned It appears that at this time Porter J. J Preston Preston Pres Pres- ton in charge of Colorado river I investigations and Wm S. S Post director of Indian irrigation and Leut John Dean have been ordered ordered ordered or or- dered to investigate the matter and some work has been done From the spring of 1906 when homesteaders began their building building building build build- ing of log houses on their quarter sections until today twenty-five twenty years progress has been and prevented Stronger language language language langu langu- age could be used to fit the terrible terrible ter- ter l handicap lii cap which tl this s g generation genera genera- genera generation nera- nera tion of slow progress and hope has produced This holdin-back holdin process must stop Unless action be taken talen the matter will result in more harm to the forces that have manIpulated manipulated manipulated manip manIp- the inaction than the good they have enjoyed because It is really scandal when the facts are brought together in short or succinct succinct succinct suc suc- formation A strong and self-imposed self liability li liability liability li- li ability rests on the federal government government government govern govern- ment to give the people of the Uintah Basin a square deal as was implied and practically ordered ordered ordered or or- dered by the government in 1904 05 This implication if not more brought people h here re Population would not have flowed into such isolation without some reliable assurance assurance assurance as as- of help that would break the bonds and open up these lands and this vast wealth To make the fohmer reservation just a big cattle and sheep country country country coun coun- try for large operators will not help much to make malce the Indian Independent But these 1200 Utes scattered among homes kept by their pale face brothers will vill do it As evidence that this policy has been Improper and let us note the tribe down at Ouray formerly of the Grand Junction section Their lands are unplowed Ii little or no farming farming farming farm farm- ing done and Ouray today looks just as it Booked forty years ago There at Ouray where Utah's ter resources is exhibited least is greatest display of land and wa- wa done About feet in elevation eleva- eleva tion deep soil ample water and yet no farming It Is retrogression if such there be bo Green river runs as it did did with little or no attempt to use it Duchesne Duchesne Duchesne Du Du- chesne and White rivers join the Green there at almost the same point among the cottonweeds the mosquito in summer and the Coyotes Coyotes Coyotes Coy Coy- otes in the winter Let any fair lair minded man examine examine ex ex- ex I amine the topography from some good point on Leland bench or ortale take tale position on higher ground and use a small telescope and the picture tells its own o story These ae witten unde the stress of adversity and struggle hence we refer you to the real land land- But Ouray is not all Look at P Pleasant Pleasant Valley Independence B Blue ue Bench Ouray Valley If this is not enough travel through our towns and farming districts and feel the pulse of tho the average man Like LUte the landscape the human pulse will tell a story and in harmony with this effort to portray a summay of and privations and twenty thousand thousand thou thou- sand here T 3 |