Morris tribune., 1884-01-16
A Letter Concerning the Indian Reser-
walton.

yatiOn.
CRooKsToN, Mimi, Dec. 81, 1883.
Hon. D. M, SABIN, Washington, D: c..
Sir: During the last two years I
have been in communication with a
great many people with reference to-
the opening up of the Red Lake Indian
reservation, and during the last Session
of Congress, I had correspondence
with Senator Windon and the Hon.
w. D. Washburn on the subject, with
view to bringing about the reggtHiiilr;-
ed legislation at that time, but unfort-
unately the matter could not be
reached during that session. Since
that time I have been constantly re-
ceiving letters from settlers, all over
this land district, with reference to
opening up and disposing of the pine,
which is greatly needed on these west
ern prairies, and from parties in these
and other states who desire to settle
upon government agricultural lands,
all praying to devise some scheme
whereby the desired result could be
brought about. Deferring to the wish
es thus expressed, I drafted and dis
tributed petitions this fall at different
points through this land district and
so far have received and transmitted
to the Hon. X. Nelson, member of
Congress for this district, petitions in
favor of opening these lands contain
ing at least 5000 names. Within the
last few days I have observed that Mr..
Nelson has introduced bill for the
opening up of the said reservation
and on examination its provisions
seem to accord with the views of all
who have given the matter any
thought. There is only one trivial
change, that upon mature deliberation
q few of those who have examined the
bill, think ought to be adopted, and
that is to provide for surveying the re-
seryation in the usual way, instead of
subdividing it into 40 acre tracts; this
would cut down the cost of the survey
very materially, and would not in any
way change the result to be arrived at.
I have tried to procure information as
the Typography of the country and
with that end in view have interview
ed several reliable parties who have
prospected through the reservation in
various directions, and have arrived
at this conclusion: on the west side,
commencing a, short distance west of
Red Lake the country as q whole is
good agricultural land, and on the
south, east and north sides of the Lake
there is a large amount Of good pine
suitable for the wants of the commune
ity tributary thereto for q great many
years to come. The time has now ar
rived in the history of Minnesota
when nearly all of its available farm
ing lands has been taken up and occu-
pied BIZ Q thrifty class of settlers, and
Yet thousands are still looking for
homes within its borders. For an ex.-
ample, IL townships at one Time sus-
pended for indian purposes were open
for settlement July, 10 1873. and at this
writing, not to exceed $4,000 acres of
these townships remain unsettled.
On this and other Indian reservations,
are large tracts Of the best agricultural
lands within the state, neither occu-
pied nor improved by the handful of
Indians who roam through the coun-
try, and nrgentlyneeded for the want of
the white settlers and the develop
irident Of the state. These settlers who
have occupied the largeprairics in'thss|
west part Of this state and the east
part Of Dakota adjacent thereto are
/ realty in need ofthe lumber that this