Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-06-05

From the st. Paul Pioneer of Sunday.
Hon. jas. Smith, Jr., one of th,
Commissioners appointed to treat will
certain tribes of Indians for the ces
sion of the country heretofore claimed
by the Wahpeton and Sisseton Siou1
and Cat Head tribes, arrived home or
Friday evening last. The commission
accomplished the object for which. they
were appointed, and I'LL that immense
tract OF country, with the exception o1
small reserve near Lac Traverse
and another at Devils Lake,
has all been ceded to the
United States. The cession embraces
. tract of country bounded on the east
by the Red River, and extending from
line near Lac Traverse to within q
few miles of Devils Lake, embracing
an area of over $50 miles in length and
100 miles in width, including within ite
limits the fertile region between the
James and Red rivers, section OF
country OF unsurpassed fertility, which
is rapidly filing up on both sides Of
the Northern Pacific Railroad.
Upon the earnest demands of the
settlers, numbers of whom, in antici
patton of the construction of the rail.
road, had settled within this reserve,
and in order to prevent trouble between
the settlers, railroad employees and the
Indians, the Secretary of the Interior
appointed Major M. N. Adams, of Lac
Traverse, Major W. II. Forbes, of Fort
Iotten, and James Smith, Jr., of St.
Pau, commissioners to examine into
the Indian title, determine the amount
that ought to be paid the Indians, and
negotiate and conclude an agreement
with them under which their title
should be relinquished, etc.
Under this appointment the commits.
sioners, on the 20th of September last.
held council with the indians and
agreed upon the value of the Indian
title, terms, and mode of payment, etc.
This agreement having been submitted
to tie Indian Department, was ap-
proved and submitted to Congress for
the necessary appropriation to carry it
out. The main features of the agree
ment were approved by the act of Con-
gress of February IA, 1873, and the
amount required, $50, 600, appropriated
upon condition that the Indians should
assent to certain amendments relating
to the title, occupancy, cultivation,
etc., ETC., of a portion of the unceded
country, schools, etc.
The action on the part of Congress
made 1t necessary to again refer the
matter to the same commission, in or
der that the full assent of the Indiane
should be obtained to the proposed
amendments. This assent has been
obtained, the Indians of the Lac Ira
verse Reservation having agreed to it on
the I'd, and the DEVILS Lake Indians
on the 18th inst. The amount PAYABLE
by the government-$8O, 600 a year TO,
ten years-is not payable to the Indians
in the old way, but is to be invested in
stock, agricultural implements and nee.
essary clothing and supplies, and pay
able only as it is earned, except such
provisions as may be required for those
unable to labor.
The object being to civilize them
and make them self.supporting, each
family is assigned or allowed to select
q tract of land upon the small reserva.
tions not ceded and every acre plowed,
fencing, and other labor 10 paid fol
out of the fund provided, SO that to en-
title any of those able to work to any
part of the price for which they have
sold there lands, the party must work
for and earn it. This system has been
in force in these reservations, and the
results are most gratifying. Many Of
these people at Lac Traverse have COM
pleted log houses, have their seperate
farmf, considerable farms broken. own
their own teams, andgive promise OF be-
coming self-supporting.
The commissioners believe that if
the system of supporting the lazy and
idle Indians can be abandoned, and aid
only given as provided for in the treaty
Just made and according to the theory
OF the treaty of 1867 with these bands,
that the Indians would soon become
selt-supporting.