84 A BOOK-LOVER'S HOLIDAYS 



against Indian criminals who were no more 

 entitled to sympathy than the members of the 

 Whyo gang in New York City. Messrs. Shelton 

 and Parquette explained to me the cruel wrong 

 that would be done to the Navajos if their res- 

 ervation was thrown open or cut down. It is 

 desert country. It cannot be utilized in small 

 tracts, for in many parts the water is so scanty 

 that hundreds, and in places even thousands, 

 of acres must go to the support of any family. 

 The Indians need it all; they are steadily im- 

 proving as agriculturists and stock-growers; 

 few small settlers could come in even if the 

 reservation were thrown open ; the movement to 

 open it, and to ruin the Indians, is merely in 

 the interest of a few needy adventurers and of 

 a few wealthy men who wish to increase their 

 already large fortunes, and who have much 

 political influence. 



Mr. Robinson, the superintendent of irri- 

 gation, in protesting against opening the reser- 

 vation, dwelt upon the vital need of getting 

 from Congress sufficient money to enable the 

 engineers to develop water by digging wells, 

 preserving springs, and making flood reservoirs. 

 The lack of water is the curse of this desert 

 reservation. The welfare of the Indians depends 

 on the further development of the water-supply. 



