The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1885-05-07
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by Gov. Pierce Distribut-
IS cd Among the Settlers. u /.
(, "a Dispatch from Chamberlain says: Attor-
3ney General Rice is distributing copies Of the
following proclamation among the settlers on
the Winnebago and Grow Greek reservations;
The president has deemed it necessary to re-
woke the executive order Of Feb. "a, 1885, open
ing the above reservations to settlement Thie
action Is plainly inspired by the single purpose
Of maintaining what ID regarded as the plighted
faith of. the government and keeping inyiolate
the sacred terms of treaty.
realize the hardships to settlers involved
in this order, and am sure the president t.
not 6blivious to or unmindful of them But II
\ has been issued under what seemed to the gov
!; eminent q necessity, and it should be quietly
and peaoeably obeyed. Considerations OF
good citizenship, and considerations Of self
interest favor such action. ~,
THE president and congress- will not neglect
to see Justice done to those who have gone on
these lands under color Of right, and who sac
riice thor property and yield what they have
4 gained in order to obey the command OF the
executive. W - 8 y.
I earnestly trust therefore, both for the sake
Of law and order, and for the sake Of the set.
tiers themselves, that the proclamation Of the
president will be obeyed without compelling o
resort to, any show Of force whatever. Nothing
can be gained; much can be lost by failure to
voluntarily comply with the order. s5;7. ~ :
I suggest elso, that measures Of some kind
be taken by the settlers to preserve proof Of
their respective claims II books be opened
in each settlement, and . record be made Of
the facts in each case, describing lands set
Z tied upon, buildings erected and expense in
Cured, it may prove of much convenience and
possibly facilitate settlement of claims,
should the government consider it proper to
recognize and make provisions for them.
/ To assist in devlsing some method by which
this can be done, the attorney general of the
territory will visit the reservations and will
aid the settlers in any manner possible BY his
counsel and advice. q Il ~ 81 tE58 80
81 "A GILBERT A PIERCE, Governor.
The Attorney General was questioned and
said: Iwould not place the number Of claim-
ANTS Of less than two thousand, probably rep
rescuting about three to q family or six thous-
and In all actual settlerl I have found no
evidence that there are any spectators fgur;
ing with the lands or squatters. have not
found men holding. claims that have their
men go ont and take claims. Men who have
on the CLAIMS with them. That they
have endured great hardshipa is certain
They show all the evidence Of pioneers and
hard work, evidently trying to get . home l! Of Of
seeding. This portion Of Dakota is settled
thicker than most new countries probably from
the reasons that tits close to q railroad and
towns, and the fact that tree claims cannot be
filed and there is no way to get rights to the
land except by actual settlement Spectators
have been effectually barred out, there being
no way Of filing or making bogus entries
by land sharps. There seems to be q set
tier On every quarter section Of desirable land.
i passed through the five townships occupied
by the Indians, and still left to them. The
land for the Indians is as good as any have
seen in Dakota There only about. ], 100 In
dams, including woman and children, and
large tracts of many sections together are un.
occupied They corld Craze 10, 900 head Of
cattle if they had them. have heard, OF no
trouble between the whites and the Indians.
have no prochmati ion fromfsthe governor
but I have an address from him t.
tho settlers, advising them: TO peaeeablJ
obey the order OF the president and advising
them to form local organizations fol
the purpose Of making records of their i'm
proyements and the land they have located
upon, with the object of preserving evidence
OF their rights and the damages sustained
Should congress in the future grant them; re-
lief OF any kind, it can be used. do not fini
any disposition to resist the authorities b!
force, but an honest. determih ton to use al
legal means to project their rights, and the,
are bona lfde settlers. The governor feels
deep interest in the matter and is anxions Il
render the settlors any assistance In his power