The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1885-01-14
THE CROW LANDS
nor LIKELY TO BE LEAsED THIS
YEAR
Nor Any Other Year According to Secretary
of the Interior Teller's Report Recently
Transmitted to the Senate


Transmitted to the Senate.
Secretary Teller has completed and
signed his report to the senate in regard
to Indian leases. and has transmitted it
to that body. It is shown that from The
quality OF the title Indians have to their
lands in Indian territory the Uniteo
States cannot prevent their making
leases The Crow lease about which 50
much has been said Of late is fully de
scribed, and a copy Of the lease accom-
panies the report. BY it'll. T. Blake of
salida, Cal, and ]. G. Wilson of Topeka,
Kansas, agree to pay the Crows $4,000
year for ten years for the use ofall that
part of the Crow reservation lying west
on line beginning at Pompes 5 Pillar
on the Yellowstone river, running
southerly TO point ten miles west Of
Fort c. F. Smith, and thence south to the
Wyoming boundary. The lands that
have been surveyed in the Yellowstone
bottom to be allotted severally to the
Crows foe agricultural purposes are ex-
cepted from the lease. The. lessees say
there are perhaps 100000 acres ia this
tract described in the lease, but that only
three-fourths of that can be called graz
ing land. Commissioner Prise says data
in his Office show that there are 100000
acres in the tract, and it is not so clear
that so much of it is barren land Coy
Crosby of Montana, now first assistant
postmaster general, says it is all good
grazing lands and that, in fact, there is
no better grazing land in Montana than
lust what Messrs. Blake and Wilson have
picked out OF the Crow reservation. This
lease was made at a council held at the
new Crow agency. October 10Th. Some
459 Crows, most of them chiefs signed
the bargain, claiming that they would
get the money in this way to buy cattle
to 60 to breeding and herding on their
own account rhey said the lessees
might come on any time before next
June, when the term of the lease was to
begin, and build their stables and cor
rails. and for that purpose they might
cut all the timber they wanted. The
lessees are also permitted to cut all the
timber thev may desire for building
fences The only thing wanting te make
the eases operative is Secretary Ieller's
signature approving the amount. Of
rental and the security. This Blake and
Wilson offer in their plant, buildings,
corrals, cattle, etc Secretary Teller says
to the senators that he has not approved
the terms of the lease, and that he shall
leave the whole matter open for their
action
Mr. Briggs, who it appears lesses 3lS,-
600 acres of Cheyenne and Arrapahoe
lands is believed to be interested with
Blake and Wilson in thes row lease, Two
years ago Briggs agents appeared in the
Crow>reservation near Saltwater, and by
frightening the individual Indians and
half-breeds by telling them they were
going to reduce the reservation unless
they came to their terms induced
the Indians and half breeds to sell
their cattle to them at ridicuously los
prices and to allow them range rights.
They had two years ago 100 bead Of cattle
on the Crow reservation. Later they
/, rove in from Kansas and Indian Terri
tory cattle enough to swell their herds
up into the thousands Last year Briggs
& Co. sold in Chicago more cattle than
they had ON the Grow reservation two
years ago. The settlers have protested,
but no notice has been taken Of them by
the government This is one OF the
things that is probably not fully treated
in secretary Teller's report.
The PiOneer-Press thinks it is doubtful
if anybody will get a lease Of the rich
herd lands of the Crows. Blake and
Wilson have telegraphed Secretary
Teller to know if he was going tosact on
their lease He has paid no attention to
their dispatch He viii not approve
their lease, if all signs are true. Indeed,
it is understood that Blake and Wilson
will ask to be allowed to withdraw their
lease. Before another can be obtained
from the Crows congress will take some
action toward throwing part of the
Crow land into the public domain. Les
sees would enter the Crow ranges subject
to whatever action the government might
take, and if deprived Of their lessee's
rights it is doubtful if they would have
any remedy against the Indians. al
they could do would be to draw of their /
rattle, let settlers flock in and their
enormous gains melt into thin air.
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