Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1880-01-07
they would aot be pssmit.ed to disturb The
surveyed or public lauda.

they would not be permitted to disturb The
surveyed or public lands.
l have examined ~ q disinteres,ed party,
all the available evidence pro and con aud
see no proof Whatever that this baud had
any special, or reserved, or granted, rights
to that region. or any part of il. l think
those who induced them to return there
were partial and favorable in their view !;
were somewhat sanguine aud enthusiastic ~
champions failed to look fully at the other
side or did not care for it, and carried their
remedy for the supposed grievance quite
too far in method and amount.
The creation of another reservation in
that region is wholly unjustiiable. a grew
GUS wrong to settlers lawfully upon it and =
nearly equal wrong to the enterprise Of all
that country. This reservation Us a fact
answers all the requirements made in favor
of segregation Of the Indians which are
urged as a defense Of this bands removal to
a part Of that country. Those arguments
have no force in the premises. There is
much truth in the demand that Indians take
lands in severslty, but that is a wholly diff.
ferent thing. 1t might be permissible for
these Indians to take a quarter section for
each adult, in severalty, emitting that pre-
viously occupied by other settlers. Every
step beyond that vas q wrong, public and
general. 1t misapplied and violated the
theory urged in its defense and many of the
%"facts" believed to justify it are not facts at
all. Let these Indians take in severalty as
those do near TT. Sully and elsewhere; and
especially let every settler cling to the
claim he had settled upon within that reserve
before its declaration, confident that the
courts will protect HIM in his legal rights.
The "Sand Lake DAM is opened and
plenty of water flows in the Dakota to turn
the mills thereon. Years ago I publicly
argued and wrote Ito Delegate
Kidder among other) in favor
of a grant to the territory Of that lake and
all adjacent parts necessary, for the purpose
Of a dam and the formation of a great reser-
voir sixty miles long, for the river has no
fall and is quite wide for that distance
above, to furnish a permanent water supply
at all seasons to all mills tor 200 miles be-
low. 1t is a peculiarly favorable oppor-
tunity for such an enterprise. The public
did not care for it then. Would it not be
as we'll if private parties build the dam ?
The only trouble would be to control the
outflow in dry seasons but private parties
would doubtless run larger mills there than
below, go enough water would pass. That
reservoir would hold all the spring freshe,s
from above, modify them from below, and
make the river an excellent mill stresm
throughout the year. The dam was not
made early enough last spring. Hereafter
it can be made a great advantage if owners
are willing or the law compels. As to the
overflow Of large tracts Of land as reported,
I do not believe, and know it to be practi-
cally impossible. The lake is higher or
lower IN different years and has some
marshy or low borders. The dam would
cause them to be covered, which is no
harm. 1t is worth as a public improve.
ment fifty times the value Of land it will
cover. The reservoir need not be deep its
vast area makes up and evaporation will
not hurt it. The surface will only be a
little greater than now.
Yours truly.
W.. II. III. BEADLE.