Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1875-10-01
'0allatin County ana the Ncovl,
Reservation.

oallatih County and thu NEoyI. |
Reservation.
We publish in this issue an article froml
The Helena Independent, stating hat It isIs
nrorosed to cut off . portion Of this couu u
" living north of the Yellowstone rlver. L
md attach it to the Crow Reservation. II
We have heard nothing of any such pro-
position, and can hardly think il Is enter.
,sined. Tho Grow reservation 10 now q Il
large as any two counties in the Territory, |,
and embraces some of the finest agricul.
raj land to be found In the country. Wei
cannot see in what manner the Indians
would bs materially benefited by the
division alluded TO; aud such Astep woulal
certainly be 90 act Of great injustice toll
the settlers who have taken up and i'm
proved ranches or the Yellowstone, as|
we'll rs to the business interests of Boze-
man. There is q thrifty population in |
the section spoken Of a. being probably
detached from this county. The land isI
as good. and the warm seasons longer
than in the Gallstin valley. and Is graz
ing country. there Is probably none asI
good IN the Territory. 1t would be WE'LL
for the Crows to put their present extern.
sye reservation To some account before|
they are cetlei any more land. And the
government should give some attention to|
the rights Of the white man, If such 81
thing as announced by the Independent il
contemplated. The pioneers who located
and improved ranches on the Yellowstone
did so at the imminent risk of their lives,
and several have sacrificed their lives in
doing 50. They arc raided upon By
predatory bands Of hostile Indians al
most every summer. and haying staksd
80 much aud endured all the hardslips
incident to frontier life in order to secure
for themselves and their children com
portable homes, the government shnnld At
least have some consideration for their
rights and honestly acquired claims.
Since writing the above. we have been
handed report of an interview had with
Col. Watkins. Special Indian Inspector,
by number Of our prominent citizens,
in reference to the proposed scgration.
hich we publish in another column. We
have also made inquiries relative to the
matter. with view 10 rendering justice
to both sides of the question, and have
gained the information from parties con.
yersant with the facts that Gen. Clapp
has asked that q small strip Of country
living north If the Yellowstone river and
east of Big Timber creek he designated u
Indian territory. 1t was not the intention
to make it part and parcel of the Grow
reservation, but 20 extend the jurisdiction
OF the agent. in order to prevent traffic II
} liuuor, which we understand ha, beer
carried on pretty extensively in the pas
by white men with the Indians. Il wal
not designed to infringe upon the legi'i
r mate rights of white men. nor Z
J close up that county. For years ate
+ the settlement Of Chouteau county all or
greater portion Of it was known and re
i. coenized in law as Indian territory. Thi
}, did not prevent the navigation OF the Up
i. uer Missouri nor the opening of stage
and wagon road from Benton to Helena
Q On the contrary. a hourjshing town wa
y hull, al the head Of navigation, large set
Is Elements we're made on the fertile valley
of that county; land was pre- emptrd an
. filed upon thousands of cattle and horse
: grszed upon its rich pastures; the publ
- road was throngei with freight teams
. and better state of society existed
certain sections Of that county then tina
has oo,aincd since the repeal Of the 10
:. making it Indian country. In bis appl
- cation for the de ,nation of the sect'o
alluded to Is India. country. we are sati
W. fed that Gen. Clapp dill not contempla
- Interfering with the rights OF our peop'
!. He is not the kind of man to make the il
:, ,erests of the white man subservient
= those of the Indian. and there is no dou
in the minds of those acquainted vi
+" Gen. .Clapp that he is governed in the mi
~ Ter by good motives. The section is
o. moved from present settlement, the nes
r. est habitation being, we believe, sbo
10. "a thirty miles distant. But, if the seq
''s ton contemplated is inimical TO the int
ests o: our people. or will in any mann
'it tend to retard the future prosperity OF
~ town and county, We enter Al emphs'
his protest against its ccns"mmation.
In
is Can You Paye