St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-18
He Advises That Indian Reservations be
Opened Up, Allowing Each Indian
His 800 Acres.
The Remainder to be Sold, the Inter
est Being Used to Support
the Indians.
What Constitutes the United States
Army--Points About the State
Militia.
Gen. sheridan,s Reporf.

Improvement, enlargement or increase OF
armament of our Notifications. so that many
OF our large cities are still at the mercy Of
ironcladS of foreign countries in case of rup-
ture of our relations. But it is hoped public
sentiment will before long prevail on con-
gress for liberal appropriations in this re-
spect. The division of the Missouri has had
disturbances which have severely taxed the
troops and the supply department of the
government. First came the Oklahoma in
vaders.
THE sincerity of the leaders of the Okla
homa country, writes Gen. Sheridan, ''may
well be doubted, but they were bold in their
movements and carried their scheme to the
verge of bloodshed. The belief exists that
their intention was not actual settlement, but
to call the attention Of congress to the OPEN
ing up of the Indian Territory, land that money
was subscribed for their purposes by inter-
eSted corporations"
Following the Oklahoma invasion came
the Cheyenne and ArapahOe disturbances,
which threatened for time all the horrors
of an Indian war. In the northwestern
corner Of New Mexico many lives have been
lost by the invasion of small body of Chira-
cahua Apaches from Arizona. A large
number of troops are at present operating
in the district, with the view of its prOtec-
ton, and I am in hopes Of
AN EARLY SETTLEMENT
of the Apache difficulty in such manner
as will forever prevent a recurrence of the
raids of these Indians. In the Northwest,
Gen. Terry commanding the department of
Dakota, was obliged to keep large num-
Der of troops in the field on account of the
Riel rebellion. Gen. Howard, command
ing the department of the Platte, in addi-
ton to furnishing troops to the department
of the Missouri for the apprehended diff
culties with the Cheyennes, had, and now
has to provide troops on account of the
Chinese labor troubles at Rock Springs, in
Wyoming Territory, and other points on
the Union Pacific railroad. When we
come to estimate the duties performed by
the troops in the division of the Missouri,
it will be seen that they were most arduous
and responsible, requiring degree Of
activity far beyond anticipation, and often
occurring under trying disadvantages, in so
far as relates to means of field transporta-
ton. The department of Texas, he says,
has enjoyed unusual quiet, but has fur
nished aid in the New Mexico and Indian
Territory troubles. Of the division of the
Pacific, Gen, Sheridan says:
The situation in that part of the division Of
the Pacific, comprising the southeastern por-
llOu VI CHo uepdTbLucuG VI ATlZOud, Has Uoeu,
| regret to say, far from satisfactory. So
long as Gen. Crook had control of the Apaches
under agreement between the secretary of
war and secretary of the interior, matters
went on very well in Arizona; but when con-
tentions began under the divided authority
that existed year ago
DISTRESS AND TROUBLE
arose among the Indians and continued until
the outbreak of Chiracahua in May last.
The OlJthraalx patnlapt n without
and embraced only part Of the tribe, but the
element comprised the young and most vigor-
Gus. The conduct of the bands, not exceed
ing forty-two men and ninety-two squaws, was
tiendiSh in the extreme. Unprotected and
unarmed people were murdered whenever
met, and when pressed by the troops they
scattered like flock of quail and came to-
gether again at some designated point from
so to loo miles distant. They should all
be eXterminated or captured, and have the
greatest confidence in Gen. Crooks ability to
accomplish this purpose, though the diff
culties are very great. l beg the people in
that section to bear in mind that Gen. Crook
is the best man we have to deal with these
hostile Indians, and will accomplish in the
end more than perhaps any man in the army :.
He is familiar with Indians and the country,
and unfortunate as the people Of Arizona and
New Mexico have been, there is no other man
in the army who could do any better, or who
is more wrapped up in the welfare of the
people in that section as regards life, property
and business interests. In the pursuit of
hostile bands in Mexico, under the agreement,
our officers and men have been treated with
consideration and kindness, which it is my
duty to acknowledge. 1 take great pleasure
in commencing Gen. Crook for the admirable
disposition of his troops and his steady perse-
verence under diSheartening circumstances.
Of the Indian question Gen. Sheridan
says:
On account of the rapid growth of our
Western settlements the army is obliged in
some places to protect white people from In
dianS, while in other places it is protecting
the Indians in their persons and property
from the whites. The Indians are the richest
people in this country as communities Their
reservations include some of the best land,
and if divided among the heads of families
each family would have thousands of acres
If l may be permitted to suggest 1 would
recommend that each family be given and
located on 800 acres, now provided for them
by law in case of actual settlement The
government should then condemn all the bal
ance of each reservation, buy it in at 81 rs
per acre, and with the proceeds purchase
government bonds to be held in trust by
the interior department, only giving to the
Indians each year the interest on the
bonds for their support. Let this money, if
you please, be disbursed the same as the
money appropriated each year by congress-
The practical working would be about as fol-
lows: The Crow Indians, for instance have
nearly 4,S00, 900 acres of land. There are not
more than $500 of them, and counting five
persons to family, large estimate, they
could be settled separately on 800 acres for
each family and then have over 4, 500, 600 acres
left, which the government could buy of
them when condemned. If the proceeds were
invested in government bonds and the inter-
est used for their support, it would be more
money than is now appropriated by congress
for their yearly maintenance 1t would be
their own money, aud take the question of
annual appropriations for them out of con-
greSS. Take the Cheyenne aud Arapahoe In
dians as another example. They have nearly
1900, 600 acres. Two hundred thousand would
settle them in severalty, and the 4,100. 900
acres remaining, if purchased by the govern
ment in the manner described, would yield
AN ANNUAL INTEREST
sufficient for their support. TIL
Ute Indians have about 5,l0O,OOO acres.
which, if purchased in some way. would fur
nish revenue adequate for their support
The same plan could be extended to cover
most of the Indian reservations in the coun-
try. only propose that the government
should buy these lands for simplicity and
safety. Settlers and spectators would buy
them and take them at the average of 81 25
per acre. Some of them are now worth So or
$40 per acre. In this way the Indians would
have perpetual security in the principal un-
til congress chose to give it to them to be
used as they see fit. The government would
lose nothing and the Indians would only be
getting the value of their property fairly in
vested. The Indians are not poor. They are
only incompetent at the present time to take
care of their own property, and therefore re-
ouire looking after. The treaties we have
made with them might interfere with the
condemnation and purchase of these lands by
the government, but congress could devise
some means to overcome this difficulty. I
cannot agree with Gen. Miles in his recon-
mendations regarding the Indian territory. or
in his confidence IN the ability of the Indian
to make himself self-supporting in so short a