GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 263 



north into Montana, following here also the rule before laid down, that 

 is, not going too close to the mountains, and not allowing it to continue 

 in the North Platte Valley for any great distance. 



Such I conceive to be the true policy, looking at the matter from an 

 agricultural point of view. But it may be said that the mining interests 

 demand roads into the mountains, and that Government should foster 

 this branch of industry as well as any other. This may be true in part, 

 but I think the Government should look first to the development of 

 that which has the most elements of permanency, and which, when once 

 put in motion, will continue to grow and increase by its own inherent 

 vitality, that which gives homes, happiness, and stability to its citizens. 



And besides all this, if the main trunks are built along the plains 

 parallel with the ranges, local interests will induce the construction of 

 shorter lines into the mountains wherever needed. It is not worth 

 while for me to elaborate these ideas, as the intelligent reader can 

 readily see their bearings. 



The instances given are only used as illustrations, as there are other 

 sections where judicious grants might be made, and which would be 

 the means of bringing into use large bodies of land which will long remain 

 valueless without some aid of this kind. I mention these because they 

 are within the bounds of the territory under consideration in this report. 

 I might add, also, that a road from Salt Lake City to St. George, in 

 Utah, would greatly assist in opening up a very important section, and 

 would form one link in the great line which will some day traverse the 

 length of the great inter-alpine trough from the Dalles to the mouth of 

 the Colorado. And perhaps it might render valuable assistance in 

 solving a troublesome question; and it is always better to cure an evil 

 by benefiting, where it can be done, than by harsh measures, be they 

 ever so just. 



These roads, wherever they pass through Indian countries, would 

 not only greatly lessen the expense of military transportation, but 

 would also have a tendency to check their depredations. Therefore it 

 is not wise for the Government so to bind itself by treaties that the 

 right of way for railroads cannot be given through reservations. In 

 fact, it is my opinion that the policy of making treaties with them, as 

 quasi-nationalities, is detrimental to the agricultural development and 

 best interests of the West. Perhaps I ought not to express my views 

 so strongly on a collateral topic. But the Indian question does have a 

 very important bearing on the subject of this report, and for this reason 

 I shall briefly allude to it again. 



It is possible that some general law might be passed which would 

 induce colonies to settle isolated sections where bodies of arable land 

 of limited extent are to be found. Something of this kind is certainly 

 desirable in those portions of these Territories where there is no pros- 

 pect of railroads being extended to them for some time to come. Assist- 

 ance given by proper grants for the construction of leading canals, with 

 reserved rights to the settlers on the reserved sections, would certainly 

 be a means of bringing into market and into use large bodies of land 

 which will otherwise remain for a long time idle. 



INDIANS. 



The present Indian policy, which doubtless looks forward to the local- 

 izing and settlement of these roving tribes, is intimately connected with 

 the agricultural development of the West. Unless they are localized 

 and made to enter upon agricultural and pastoral pursuits they must 

 ultimately be exterminated. There is no middle ground between these 



