The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-08-15
INTERIOR Department.

INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
Fort Kaarney, South Pass and Honey Lake Wagon Road
Information has been received by the Interior Department
and by private advices to the general superintendent of
the Pacific wagon roads from the expedition to construct
the western division of the Fort kearney, South Pass,
and Honey Lake wagon road under John Kirk, supern-
tendent. This party consisting OF seycnty-seven men,
fully equipped with six months provisions and the ne
cessry implements left Placervlle the 9th OF June,
were at Bger Lake on the 18th OF july and expected
to reach Carson Valley the 18TH They crossed the
Sierra Nevada without material accident though the road
was very rough In few days from the last date they
expect to reach Honey Lake Valley, the point OF begin
ming, and push forward for City Rocks
The California Indians TJon Reservation. The
superintendcnt of Indian affairs for California, Thomas
j. Henly esq., in letter dated San Francisco, July 10,
enclosed the letter of Mr. Madden clerk at the Ielo
reservation who had been instructed to make report III
regard the condition of the Indians at that agency
Mr.. Heny adds that by vigilance and industry the
part of the agent food enough may be saved there cons
being plenty the Indians from stavaton though
there will be scarcity of food in the southern country
Mr. Madden in his letter, states that on an examina
ton of tae crops the TETON reservation he found that
six hundred had been sown in wheat one hundred
and fifteen in barley, four in potatoes, I'm the
canon six in corn and about sixteen acres us
garden Three hundred and fifty acres OF the wheat
were an entire failure; the remainder two hundred and
fifty acres would yield about three bushels to the acre
This however was much injured by the smut as TO
render it useless for seed and without washing, unfit for
the -four ratons the employees Seventy of the
barley were also failure; the remainder yye acres
would produce about five bushels to the The yield
of the potatoes was uncertain though they looked prom
ising. There would probably be sufficient corn saved for
seed for sowing next year the remainder would be used
for roasting it ripened. The garden would produce
about ten bushels of onions and fifteen bushels of peas
had been gathered. The peach, pear apricot, pome-
ganate and fig looked fourishing The vineyards
promised small yield
Without exception the past season had been the most
disastrous crops since the reservation had been stab
lshed The drought however, had not been confined to
that place. had spread throughout the entire country
and from this cause the crops had failed generally
The lands cultivated by the Indians for their
at their respective ranches would, with but few excep
tions yield fair crops.
The Indians were made to gather much grass seed,
roots &c. they could They had already collected
large supply of their natural food, and the crop
promised abundant yield Mr. Madden had no reason
to believe that the Indians present the reservation
would suffer during the approaching winter from the
scarcity Of food Those however, who lived further
south would not be so fortunate The latter had not
been successful in gathering wild food raising crops
Besides the gasshoppcrs had visited Them and proved
very destructive What saved by irrigation de-
stroycd by this plague of California.
In estimating the various crops Mr.. Madden had been
careful not overestmate anything but endeayorcd to
give you statement the facts as it possible to
obtain them
California Pirate Land Claims. The following pats Of
private claims in the State of California have been rccev
ed at the General Land Office:
Plat of the survey of ''San Antonio Rancho, claimed
by the heirs of Pedo Mesa showing the part not
frrned to William A. Dana al containing 1913
Plat of the survey of 'San Antonio Rancho, showing
the part claimed by William A. Dana al, containing
! 3,54I acres.
Plat of the 'tSan Maeo Rancho" claimed by the
cutrx and executors of VIM. d. M. Howard, deceased,
containing 6,43S $4,000 acres.
Plat of part of the Rancho de San Antonio claim
ed by Ygnacio Pealta, containing 94l6 66-l00 acres
Plat of the ssSotoyome Rancho, claimed by the heirs
of Henry Fitch, containing As, 1856 5l-l00 acres.
S,canp and OucrRo,ced Lands-Ihe Commissioner of the
General Land Office transmitted yesterday to the governor
of Florida patent numbered TO- for lands enuring to
the State under the grant of September 2s 1885, in the
Tallahassee district containing 2Os s4l and 9l0O