Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1879-12-11
THE CROW RESERVE AND MIXING
INTERESTS ONCE MORE.

Now. that Congress has assembled. il
would seem to be favorable time for the
people Of Gallatin County and Eastern
Montana in general to have something
done. through our Delegate, towards seq
regating the mining ground from the Crow
reserve. Ii is well known that there il !,
ce.';sia portion of said reserve, a strip
on the west side. that is of no practical or
prospective value to the Crow Indians.
but which has been for years of consider
able value and importance to the settlers
Of Eastern Montana. With the growth
and development Of the Territory. and
particularly of its mining interests.
this strip Of country has also been more
thoroughly prospected and each succeed
ing year results in new discoveries and adj
ditiOnal investment of labor and capital.
Placer mines had, we believe. been dis
covered in Bear Guich previous to the
Crow treaty. and we know that the mines
in Emigrant Gulch were discovered and
successfully and probably worked four
years before the Crow treaty was thought
OF. and from sixty to one hundred hardy
miners were vigorously pushing forward
operations in that Camp on the very day
that negotiations were pending at Laramie
between the Government and the Crow
Indians.
by some strange oversight. or bluntler
to call it by no harsher terms-the peO- !
pie of Montana were in no way consulted
nor their most sacred rights taken into
consideration in making the treaty with
the Crows. TO the halfbreed, John
Resheau. the Crows owe debt of graft
tude that they perhaps could never dis
charge. and would not il they could. for
SO successfully representing their interests
and obtaining for them treaty more lib-
eral in its provisions. all things being
considered. than any other treaty ever en-
tered into between the Government and a
small tribe OF wild Indians. But as init
mated before. the settlers of Montana being
in that ''pOw WOW" their
dearly-acquired and valuable rights were
ceeded away to savages and the treaty was {
ratified by Congress without even re- {
or protest Icing made against :
It 80 far as We have heard, by our then de-
|egate from Montana. {
Since the treaty, matters have been al
lowed to run along without any serious s
changes in the situation, and the miners a
have been allowed to pursue their legiti- e
nate avocation without formidable inter- t
ference, although they have been threaten t
NJ at times with summary expulsion from
he reservation. This. however. would {
lot at any time have been very easy mat |,
er to do, for the miners happen to know 1
heir rights, and they are made of the kind !,
# stuff that, knowing their rights they h
lare maintain them at all hazards. This h
much as to the right and justice Of asking n
nd demanding of the Government some \
egislation by which this mining ground h
hall be segregated from the Crow reserve s,
md the matter set forever at last d
But outside Of all considerations con-
'ected with Emigrant Gulch mines, which ;.
ave been successfully worked upwards r
4 fifteen years, there are other more ex- !,
ensiye and complicated matters connected a.
With more recent discoveries of rich gold :,
uartz In Bear and Creyis mountains and =
he still richer and more extensive deposits :,
4 argentiferous galena ore In the vicinity :,
4 Soda Butte or what Is generally known a,
s tie Clark's Fork mines. Within the -
asst few years, considerable labor and no - :.
neonsiderable amount Of capital have =
cen expended in developing them under :,
he impression that they were situated just !,
cross our southern boundary and in the :
territory of Wyoming. The Government
urvey made during the past summer, !.
however, has demonstrated the fact that .
hey are all within Montana and situated :
N the Crow reserve. From present indi- :
ati0ns the mines at Soda Butte, Bear and !"
'revice will be quite extensively operated -
uring the coming season, and it will not ~ ~
e matter Of surprise to those well in :.
ormed in regard to present prospects and -
he actual condition Of things In that re- !"
ion Of country II within twelve months y
ON now there shall he at least five hun. ~
red miners and Others permanently To- y
ated there.
II 10 therefore In view OF this highly
robable condition Of things in the near
lture, and which must inevitably lead to 70
and difficulties between the u
hites and Crows that renders it absolute re
necessary that some steps should be "
ken, without further delay, looking
wards = peaceful, amicable and final ad-
lstment of the matter. vi
The Crows do not need the land and y
axe no nee Of II whatever. The whites m
, need 1t and can and will make good W
. oft. Negotiations could no doubt be d.
ode with the Crows 1t present for that r.
'rtion OF their reserve lying west Of tho OF
builder. or even Saltwater, on reasonable 10
rms: while. should the matter be post We