The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-12-06
INTERIOR DEpARTMEN T.
Secretary Teller's Report, Giving Full
Exhibit of the indians and
Public Lands.


Public Lands.
THE INDIAN QUESTION.
OF tho fifty. four pages OF Secretary Teller'a
annual report, 20 are devoted to Indians. 6 to
pubic lands, to patsn,s. each t. eluca-
ton and railr ads, and II miscellaneous y to
geological surveys. Alaska. Utah, Yellowstone
park. census. and government build ngs. Much
Of the m tier presented on the Iudian question
is threshed straw. It is interesting to note
that
The department has located an Indiru school q
Lawrence. K.ns., to be conducted on the plan Of
Carlisle. Hampton and Forest Grove. Tue clti2 rs
Of Lawrence donated to the government for the
the mms'iate vicinity OF the city. of the cash value
Of s"methina over $4,000. The buildings are
nov 10 course Of CONS ruction. and vhe" com.
is desirable to increase their capacity Ia
800 School buildings at Chilocca. Iud..
T.. and Genoa, Nebr.. are about ready for occnua-
I. is prop ,sel to establish boarding school. =;
DEVILS Lax. ,sebul. aud Sisseton, OAK; WASH
axle. Wyo:: Wichita. 1nd. T.: aud Sile:E. Greg.
Teller reminds the country hal. the Until S,ases
owes now. under existing treaties, 3,256.ObO foi
Indian education. which government ought. bu,
surplus Ut revenue, IL a good time to make an ap.
propriation. OF the Indian tribunals Of three
aead men at each agency no adequate report Ii
gwen: Crm.s on reservations are yet without the
necessary legislation from congress.
Inc commissioner Of lulIan aft ,irs again calls at
tention to the persistent attemUts made by Payne
and Others to invade the Indian Territory for the
purpose Of settlement, and recommends the enact
ment OF law adding imprisonment to the fine now
provided for. in which the secretary concurs. The
increase OF Indian agents salaries is recommended
bolt T men. The commss oher Of Indian affairs
recommends that fund be placed at he disposal
OF the depar m-nt 10 pay the fees Of homestead
entries by In!ians, in which tn .cre.ary concurs.
THE SIOUX RESERVATION.
After recounting the failure Ut the Sioux treaty
to meet the approval Of the senate, the secretary
continues:
whether the proposed payments are sufficient
must be determined from the value of the LIANT aud
the tenure under whc: 1t is held. 1t does not ap-
pear from an examination of the treaty of 1868 that
to recot MI. tho whole of that vast tract OF land
called the Sioux reservation the property OF t1e
Sioux alone, for it is provided that other Indians
might be settled on tn. reservation with he consent
OF the Indians thereon; no provision is
made for compensation for the land to
be taken for that purpose. 1t appears to
have been the purpose of the government in
Indian piece OF land for his personal benefit: for
it is provided that the head of fam ly should be
allowed to take not exceeding $40 acres, aud
OLueTs a IsaSS amount TIE reservation these
smaller pieces were to BE- carved. The amount Of
land stipulated to be given to the Indian is more
than double the amount that is allowed citizens Of
the United States to take under the settlement
laws Il is also provided in the treaty of 1868,
that if the tract reserved was not sufficient t.
cure the required amount OF land, other land
should be added There is also a provision
Of age, Of said tribes, may take q
homestead of 100 acres auywh re on public land
by residing on it for three years. 1t is further pro-
vlded in the act Of 1868 that. the selection Of
land as aforesaid. the government will give to par
ties selecting the sams Seeds agricul ura imple-
ments. &C. to tie value of 500 tue first year, and
S25 per yer Tor three years thereafter: aud that
each person engaging in farming should r. ceivo
So" per year. or $40 more Than if ne continued 10
roam over the reserva ion. The treaty of 1868
provides that schools shall be maintained at gov
ernment expense for every thirty scholars: also
that the United States would furnish to each family
that should commence farming one good American
COW and one good. well broken pair of American
government should erect comfortable houses for
such Of the Indians as should desire TO farm. 1t Is
very evident that the great object in making the
treaty was to induce the Indians to settle on farm,
made to comply with the conditions OF these
treaties on the part Of the government. I have
shown in another part OF this !epo:! that there Is
Of schools, 81 ADJ 6 10. The Indians have built
themselves on the reservation 2,5l9 HOUSES. The
government should have construct, these houses,
which the Indians have constructed substantially
without government aid"
CROOKS POLICY AssA1LED
The familiar facts Of the Apache outbreak are
stated, and Gen. Crooks policy is thus commented
Gen. Crook was given full charge of the police
of the reservation, for it was not thought to be
prudent to divide tho responsibility OF keeping
peace on the San Carlos reservation, and the de-
partmert was not willing to attempt to keep peace
with the prisoners Of war freed from military con-
troll The condition is an ananaIous one. aud one
that cannot long continue 1t is quite certain that
the presence of the prisoners among the agency
Indians has been very demoralIziag These H.
dians are guilty of murders and other crimes.
Mex:c where the crimes were committed. Gen.
Crook says that they were not promised immunity
for past offenses, but it is quite evident tina; they
returned with the idea that they would not be
punished for the crimes committed. 1t does not
appear to be the duty OF the department of the in
terror determine whether these offenders should
be punished or not At this time they are prison
crs of war, in the hands OF the war department. If
possible they III uld be removed from the agency
to some point where there Will be less danger Of
their escape, aud where their evil influences will
not he felt by the more peaceably disposed Of the
tribe
In regard to the valuable coal lands found IN Tho
San Carlos re- ervation. Secretary Teller says: 1t
is competent for the president by executive or Ser
to reduce the reservation, and thus throw the coal
fes out of the reservation: out it is not III ugnt
advisable to do so without compromising he IT,
dams for the land TAKEN tor, before stated. it
they are not be ng robbed. Some compcusa ion
ould therefore be provided before the land is sod
If the claims of the prospectors should b found to
be correct-,hat is. that they were iu ie, ance of
the boundaries of the reservation Uhe government
not having established bOundaries)--,hey ought TO
be allowed 10 derive some advantage from their
work, either by being allowed to purchase at re-.
duCed price or to lease for term OF years.
The recommendations for the Crow and Black.
feet reservations in Montana are as follows:
'Ths reserva ion is 81 ia ed in the Territory of
-
4,7l3.oOO acres of land. Aarge part Of thsi unfit
for cultivation. but the very best of grazing land.
Thess Indians should be loc ted on the Big Horn,
with a suitable reservation for agricultural and
pastoral purposes, and the balance sold. At least
3.UOU.UOO acres might thus be disposed of. leav.
ing the Indians sufficient agricultural lands TO be-
come self supporting. if they desire to become
5 t. stock. raisers. The 1.7iso acres ,hs;
would be left would give nearly, ii not quite, GOO
tribes. The number Of Crows has been estimated
at $500: but i: is quito certain that the numter is
much less, AMI probably not over $500 5000.
portion OF the money realized for sucn sale
and cared for b. the government until such time as
the Indians shall b. to accept aud care fos
their stock tn. mselves The proceeds, properly
used, would mako the Crows seli-supportipC in 4
few years at the farthest
BLACKFEET RESERVATION.
"The numb r # 1uiiaus On tuis reservation is
about $4,000. Until recently they have been able
to support thems lives largely by hunting, bu the
disappearance OF the buffaoes is likely to cause
great suffering among them during tho ming
viz G ;nd snfng # an additional appropriation
Inspector Howard reports from Fort Belknap,
on the l7th of October. 1888. that II the frat
time in the history Of the agency the buffalo has
failed to visit that region" retofore the buff .lo
mat and hes securel bv the 1n ans have been
ernment. to give them fair support II the Indians
10
certain &c t.: they will. there is great danger
starve unless they live off Of the ocS in the vicin-
i,y Of the agency. but not gu the reservation. Ii
the Indians are driven by hunger to xiii the cattle
on the ranges belonging TO herlers who are right
fully in hat section Of country. there will b. great
danger OF collision between the hertlers and the
Indians. and such collision does not occur there
VIII be great los Of properly, for the Inii ms will
countless destroy more than they use These In
dams have fue grazing country and some good
agricultural lands that car be utz d by irrigation.
A suitable approximation should b. made for their
immediate waits. and provisions made for stocking
the range with cattle, and they will become self
supporting from the growth of such herds
THE LAND OFFICE,