Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1886-01-08
A pRoFITLEss EXPERIMENT.

The most promising solution of the In
dian question now apparent is to give the
Indians a patent for their lands in sever.
atty. and make citizens OF them as fast as
they are ready for it, The trouble with
the remedy-or rather with the immedi.
ate application Of its that most OF
them are not ready for it yet.
A correspondent Of the Boston Tran
script, visiting from Fast Saginaw, tells
an interesting story OF the operation in
Michigan of a law giving Indians lands in
severalty. 1t was the first time that the
measure had been tried, and the outcome
Of it ought to be known, and should serve
rs a warning to legislators against the
hasty passage Of similar laws for other
Indians.
In 1855 the Michigan Indians celed
their lands to the United States anl re-
ceived in exchange l35, 033 acres Of wild
land in Isabella county. and $3.50 to
boot. Each Inlian head. of a family
could select for himself 50 acres, and
each other Indian 40. II they wanted
more land, they could buy it at 81 % an
acre.
The reservation was covered with a
fine growth Of pine. Il was not long be-
fore the lnmbermsn cast covesous eyes
upon it. They employed two unscfapn-
lous half-breeds, who bought for them
l6, 900 acres Of the land at 81 25 az acre.
Other lumbermeu heard of their game,
and the case was brought to the knowl-
edge OF the Secretary Of the interior, who
refused TO issue a patent. The transac-
tion was at last iega'ized By Congress by
an Act ~smuggled through in the last hours
OF a session; but on being brought b3iore
the Supreme Court the sale was declared
invalid.
Then the lumbefnen got up a new
scheme. They appeared as advocates Of
the Indians rights, demanded that pat
eats be issned to them for their lands in
ssveralty, enlisted on their side the
agents, the missionaries, the Indian
teachers, the philanthropists. Finally
they got the treaty amended so that pat
ents were issued in severalty to all In
dams examined by the agent and pro-
nounced competent. Those pronounced
not 50 competent were to hold their lands,
but not under an absolute title.
X iudicious use Of $40 bills caused the
agents to pronounce nearly all the III.
dians competent. and the lands were
given to them absolutely. Before they
got their patents, most of them had been
induced to sell their lands, or the timber
on them, for a mere song-sometimes for
q bottle of whisky or q gan. The Indians
signed deeds without knowing at all
what they were doing.
In 1870 over Ice patents were issued
to Indians over 81 years of age. To-day
only 600 Indians are left. and they arc
nearly all paupers. The men who dc.
frauded them are rolling in wealth.
1t is not at all impossible that the same
thing might happen if the Indian Terri
tory were parcelled out absolutely among
the Indians there. The cattlomen who
want the lands could get them from the
Indians with very little trouble, and then
the nation would have either . new In.
dian war on its hands or a large body of
unmanaaaah:e psapsra to take care Of,
aud no p.sos 10 teko care OF them.
This is not a question that can be
solved at once and o6,.hand by any pat.
ent remedy. The Indians must remain
the nations wards 3 good while longer
some of them, at least-before they are
capable OF taking care OF themselves.
AA.