McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1885-03-19
OPENING THE INDIAN REsERHATIon
A Grand R,ish for the Lands and Prospects
of Trouble ahead.

A Grand Rttsh for the Lands and Prospects
of Trouble ahead.
l. Dubuque Uowa) dispatch: Deputy United
States Marshal Hopkins and his assistant re.
turned to this city from the Winnebago and
Sioux reservation, whittier they went to look
up claims and hunt criminals. They relate a
remarkable experience with the rush of peo-
pie, who went there by the hundreds to claim
these lands as soon as President Arthur at.
tached his signature to the document which
opened said lands for settlement last Friday.
The reservation, he says, comprises the best
lands in Dakota, having been selected by the
Indian agents years ago. They are onthe east
side of the Missouri river, and those portions
north by Pierre, and on the south by Cham
berlain. The area of the district opened for
settlement includes twenty-six townships.
with thirty-siX miles to each township, and GAG
acres in a mile. According to the homestead
law, every head of family, whether an able
bodied man or servant girl. and every male
over q years of age, has a right TO pre-empt
16J acres of land. Five minutes after the time
on Friday afternoon, when President Arthur
signed the executive order opening the lands
to settlement, the fact was known in Cham.
reservation line with load of lumber thou
sands of others in waiting followed him. All
the hired girls in the hotels were in the front
ranks. Not barber shop was open. Nearly
all the business men, except the hotel and
saloon keepers were in the anxious and ex-
cited crowd: Teams and wagons were en-
advance. Those who preferred town lots en-
ployed lawyer, who laid out a town sit
opposite Chamberlain. During Friday nigh
o. oWe beng
ly built. Many of the houses are
already occupied by families. The
Shed will be the result Of the excitement.
The agent of the Chicago, Milwaukee and st.
Paul railroad filed warrants in the name of
his company to large portion of the land
contained in the reservations and now settled
upon. The Indians are unfriendly to the set
tiers and are encouraged by the Indian
agents, who, in many instances. drive settlers
away. Until registration office is open on
the reservation the settlers will not leave
their claims, fearing they would be jumped
if they did so. The Indian agents refuse to
from the government that the land has been
thrown open to settlement. In many cases
the settlers were unable to find the corners
of the sections. and when surveys were made
it was found, in many cases, that cabins some
distance apart were really on the same sec
ton. Then the question arose. Who settled
here first? and the man who displayed the
most formidable Winchester rifle or navy re-
volver generally induced the other fellow to
believe that he did. The work of erecting
shanties on the claims progresses night and
day. Several lawsuits have been entered
where more than one have taken possession
People from abroad did not seem to antici-
pate the rush. for those who arrived at Cham
berlain Wednesday found that every inch of
the land had been pre-empted. The trains
going to Chamberlain consisted of several
sleepers and passenger coaches, iammed full
of poor fellows who labored under the delu-
sion that they had only to visit the reserva-
ton and stay on it over night to acquire
possession of l60 acres. Agent Gassman re-
ceived orders, from the interior department
not to allow the Indians to Interfere with the
settlers, but there is bad blood existing and
trouble is feared at any time.