The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1871-09-09
4 MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.


The Bitter Root valley is the best agricul.
tursl region In Montana It has large and
rapidly Increasing population of farmer.
who have made permanent and expensive
improvements. They have good farms
good homes, good harvests; are N indus
trious. intelligent. enterprising people.
Upon them depends nearly one third of the
population of Montana for their flour and
farm products, ami year by year they are
producing them more plentifully and n
lower prices. The valley from Lo Lo. Fork
to its head is forty or fifty miles long. and
the extent Of arabic, easily cultivated, pro.
iuctive lands is not less than 500 square
miles, capable Of sustaining. with popula.
ton as dense - that Of Ohio in 1850, more
people than there are in Montana to-day.
With all these advantages, it has one
great disad yantage. an unnatural and serious
evil, becoming more apparent each year. II
is held under treaty 40 not open to settle.
ment by the whites until certain surveys
and recommendations are made by the Prcsi
dent of the United States. Until that time
the farm of every settler is in peril, and
titles cannot be had. This has been the
case for nearly seventeen years, and it IL
time it was ended. The facts are these.
Governor Stevens made treaty with the
Flatheads and other tribes, which WAS AZ.
proved April 10. 1854. giving the Flathead,
Kootenai and Pen d'Orcille tribes general
reservation of 5000 square miles, including
the celebrated Jocko valley. The Indians
all professcd satisfaction with this until it
came to signing the treaty when = few Flat.
heads demanded an additional reservation
of lands on the Bitter Root. above Lo Lo
Fork, and Stevens was compelled ia. com.
promise by inserting this additional article
in the treaty:
ART. XII. II is moreover provided that
the Bitter Root Valley, above the L0 LO
Fork, shall be carefully surveyed and ex-
amined, and If it shall prove. in the judg.
ment Of the President, to be better adapted
to the wants Of the Flathcad tribe than the
general reservation provided for In this
treaty, then such portions of 1t as may be
necessary, shall he set apart a. . separate
reservation for the said tribe, No portion
of the Bitter Root Valley above La Lo Fork
shall be opened to settlement, until such ex.
animation 10 had and the decision of the
President made known.
This Examination" and "decision" has
never been made. Soon, however. the Flat.
heads found they had captured white elc.
phsnt The Snakes ON one side and the
Blackfeet on the other were their implac.
able enemies, and the annihilstion of their
little band by these wasiike tribes was inn.
minent. The Flatheads were anxious for
white settlers ~ . protection, ana ~ they
came In. Victor himself, the head Chief,
went with and pointed out to them favored
spots and encouraged their settlement upon
them. OF the dozen instances Of this we
need only cite Measrs. W. e. Bass aud Thos.
Harris, possessors of. the two best and best
cultivated farms In Montana. The Indian
Agent also encouraged white settlement,
and year by year Il has gone on until half
the taxable property of Missoula County Is
on this forbidden ground, and the question
of obtaining title has become serious one
1t will be seen from the article cited that
no Reservation now exists in Bitter Root,
and We might hold that the government,
under well defined principle that where
no particular time IL specified, IN act is al.
ways to be performed within reasonable
time, has forfeited the right to Get apart any
portion of the Bitter Root Valley fora re
servstion, Fifteen years 10 IN asonable
time for negligence 70 debar industry any,
where, especially In the West, where the
pioneers OF America. with rife, plow and
pick, are Wrestling from uselessness the
heritage for the Ropsblics fast increasing
millions. 2 go .-t Hs.f-
But there is another reason why no re-
servaton sicnld be set apart in Bitter Root.
The rlatheads ACvc rescrvstio n In Jocko.
and from the best information We can OBJ
tain. 1t ID about 5000 acres to each Indian
included In the treaty. We IRE also credibly
that there arp are not Z dozeE real
Flathead Indians In Bitter Root, and that
the entire band kept together for annuity
purposes does not exceed $50 or 900, and IL
Of remnants and strsys from ev.
evry portion Of the country. Possibly .
dozen or % have farms. Under the treaty,
they are - much trespassers ~ tho whites,
md under the laws can obtain title after
the survey just - the whites can. Those
who spend most OF their time after buffalo,
would be better of 1t the Jocho than where
they ara. Two weeks ago Governor Potts,
Ar. Clagett and Superintendent Wall vssi.
ted tho Jocko and Bitter Root Valleys to
this matter. They conversed
with The settlers, held m informal Council
with the Indians, examined the records, and
obtained thorough knowledge Of it, his
tory and condition, and the wishes and
foslings Of tho people They entertain sub.
stentislly the views We have expressed on
the subject, and already have fully reported
70 Washington the facts, and recommended
IL caos p The prompt Attentions Of tho ~
thorites. While very few persons having
particular axes to grind in getting rescr.
walton II the Bitter Root. may feel sore
over The new direction taken on this ques-
ton, the best interests Of The Indians and
The Government viii b. suhssrved thereby.
and Il will b ''evseything" for tho hardy
toilcrs Who for yeoSs have labored ID do.