The semi-weekly miner., 1885-05-02
THE WTNNEBAGO RESERVATION.

Just now there is considerable
bowling over the action Of President
Cleveland in restoring to the public
domain that portion of the Winnie
bago Reservation situate eas: : / the
Missouri river. One of the last acts
of the outgoing administration
one very odorous for its land-job-
bing-was to throw these lands open
to settlement and this in the face of
specific treaties granting that coun-
try to the Sioux Indians. It was a
clean steal and the fine italian hand
of Secretary Teller was discernable
in it, The act was an outrage and
in direct violation of asolemn treaty.
The attention of President Cleveland
was drawn to the matter and after a
thorough investigation issued the
proclamation which has provoked so
much contention. 1t is claimed that
the lands in question are crowded
with actual settlers, who have made
valuable improvements, have their
families on the lands and have their
crops in for this season. That it will
be great hardship for these to re-
move and that they will not do so
unless compelled thereto by
the power of the Government.
The untruthfulness of these state
ments and the general unreliability of
the reports Of the c0mplainants
are thus exposed by correspondent
of the Minneapolis Tribune, writing
from Huron, Dakota: II see so much
in your paper and others about the
Winnebago Reservation, and the
thousands of honest settlers on the
same, with their families, which all
looks very foolish to one out here
looking at this matter as it really is.
Now as to settlers with their families,
I doubt if there are five settlers on
the Winnebago Reservation who
have their families actually with
them. doubt if there are five hum
dred actual settlers on this Reserva-
ton. There are of course many set
tiers in the common understanding
of that term, that is, those who 60
out to a claim and erect thereon q
dwelling house 7x9, which no civil
lized being could live in. OF those
there are plenty. And while the
President is looking over the ques-
ton, these same settlers are back
upon their farms in Dakota, (for the
most of them have farms In Dakota)
peacefully putting in their crops.
One of your late editions says
many of them have already put in
their seed. There is no land pre-
pared for seed. It would be folly to
say they broke the land last season
aud the season has not yet come for
breaking. Allthis talk from Dakota
about the matter comes from those
who hope to make some money by
locating settlers on these land, either
directly or Indirectly. Why dispose
of our public lands? Dakota has al
ready been overrun by spectators
who have taken the public lands only
to hold, and nearly four-fifths of Gen.
trail Dakota is now lying unculti-
waited, because of such course. These
stories about the Winnebago Reserva-
ton come from the professional
boomer, and are not founded on fact,
reason or common sense. Why should
we not reserve some of our
public domain for the rising
generation instead of flinging it a way
on foreign paupers who are shipped
here at the expense of their home
Government? President Cleveland
has done just right, and what second
sober thought in every disinterested
person conservent with the facts will
commend"