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-6- <br />of leaving the land. <br />The Northern Utes had been placed on a reservation along <br />the ldhite River. The White River agency which was established <br />in 1368, had a long history of problems. The most serious was <br />the fact that the Utes rarely got their annuities. This caused <br />the Indians to roam the countryside in search•of food and hides. <br />~ series of agents had left in total frustration. The neat to <br />last agent, the Reverend H. E. Danforth (for whom the Danforth <br />Hills are named), quit the agency after lambasting the govern- <br />11 <br />went for failing to uphold its agreements with the Utes. <br />In 1878, a new agent, Nathan Cook ?feeker, of Greeley, was <br />appointed. He was a poor choice in that he was a typical <br />nineteenth century visionary who saw the Indian's salvation in <br />making white men out of them. In this, he was wrong, for the <br />Utes failed to comprehend the ways of Che white, just as Meeker <br />failed to understand the U[es. The fric[ion tha[ came of this <br />12 <br />mutual failure ended in disaster. <br />Pfeeker insisted that the Indians becomes farmers. In order <br />to accomplish this goal, he forced the Utes to give up grazing <br />land (for their horses), he brought in men from Greeley to till <br />the soil and build irrigation ditches and he refused to give the <br />Utes their annuities until they turned to agriculture and stayed <br />on the reservation. Under his constant goading, the Utes finally <br />rose in rebellion. On September 10, 1879, t•feeker provo};ed Chief <br />Johnson to the point that the Ute shoved the agent. With this <br />Meeker telegraphed to P,awlins, Sdyoming insisting that help be <br /> <br />