New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-04
SHERIDAN'S INDIAN PLAN.
EXPLAINING HIS ANNUAL REPORT.
VAST AREA WOULD DE OPEN TO PURCHAsG-THE
NEED or APPROPRIATIONS OBvIATED.

| request for additional Information explanatory
of the recommendations Of his last annual report
In regard the Indian question, LieutenantGencrJ
| sheridan has written the following statement:
"In my annual report for 1855 1 recommended that
each Indian family given land located upon the $50
provided FOR thom by law In case OF actual
settlement that the Government then condemn the re-
mainder OF reservation and buy IL in at 81 20 per
acre. and with the proceeds purchase bonds
held in trust by tho Interior Department giving to
the Indians each year the interest GU the bonds for their
support. cited in illustration of what would be the
practical workings Of this suggestion, the case Of the
| Crows, the Cheyennes and Arapahoes and
| the Utes, but the limit OF my report
did not permit full calculation of the advantages that
would accrue to the Indian, allusOn to the
| large of land now lying Idle that would thereby
be opened to settlement and increase by so much the
material prosperity OF the Nation. When 1t is
| attempted deal with this subject moro in
! detail, difficulty at encountered, In
neither the actual of the various reservations
has been accurately determined, the population OF
| ihe Indians occupying them known within moro than
approximate limits IL WILL therefore, not be possible to
show the exact workings OF tho method proposed, but
only general summary covering tho cases OF the larger
reservations each territory, and the most populou OF
the different tribes Similar statistics for the smaller
reservations are, however, included In the accompany
! ing tables
snce appropriations for the support Of tho Indians
are every made specifically for those upon any
particular reservation. but rather collectively for those
nhabitiDg some Territory, in making conpar-
isous with the required for the subsistence OF
the Indians and the snnuty allowed thcm By treaty,
tho aggregate Territory for several Territories
has necessarily been considered rather than FOR each
tribe or reservation In Dakota the principal reserva-
ons the BerthOd and those inhabited by the
various bands OF Sioux. The Fort Berthod reservation
with an area Of 100000 acres, has population
800 people tbs others THE Crow Creek Old WHINE
bago ans SIOUX an OF nearly 2225O 700 and
population OF about 25s00. Carrying oct the pro-
posas my report would in the former afford an
annual of over $4,000 and In the latter case,
surplus unoccupied by the Indians Of over 20jO00OO
acres over $1,000 square mes an extent of territory
equal TO the combined OF the States OF Ncw-Ilamp-
shire Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut the
proceeds of which at per cent per would yield
an interest OF 81 100000. With two OF the smaller
rcservatlons-the Dcys Lake and South Mounail area
g1GISO acres, population over l,sUO-noary half the
land would required by tho Indians; in this ease,
then the income the surplus would be smaller, be-
ing a little less than $1,000 per anIum. In Montana
the Backfcet reservation contains over 2l'oOO.OOO
ncres and population OF less than 900 Indians. The
surplus iand equal to tho area Of the state OF Name
woad then return an income OF ~ 100000. Tho Crow
reservation, mentioned in my report could In sim
liar manner, DO made to produce an annual sum OF
S233OOO.
"Cousiderlng all the Indians and reservations In the
Territories OF Dakota and Montana. have aggre
cato area Of "a, 100000 acres and population OF
less than ., 900 The surplus area OF nearly $1,000
square miles almost equal 60 the entire state OF Kansas
would produce an annual interest OF over s2500,0Oo.
The appropriations Tor tho fiscal year ending on June
30 $50 for fulfilling treaties with these tribes and for
their and civilization and the pay OF the en-
poye. incident such undertakings, amount to about
500 900 less than this sum.
Ia wyoming the ehoshones are upon tho Wind River
resoryation. one hundred and seventeen thousand
a.
In Idaho the Fort Han reservation, occupied by tho
Hannock- and sho,hones. would 10 the way. pro
dice each year 10000; the Cmur d Aeuo rcserya-
ton 900 In these TWO Territories OF Wyoming and
Idaho OF the reservations II nearly JOOOOJO
acres, the total population nearly 5000. An area OF
nearly 200 square niles almost equ", 10 tils sla'e o.
NcwJrrsey. would not be required tol Inc ihdahs ana
income woud be yielded Of about e2Jo'OoO-a sum
more than 100000 IN excess OF the appropriation Tor
tho current year IN oregon inc most pnpuou' tocrya
lion il the klamath. with over lOOOOOO acres but less
5000 IN number occupy the reservation OF 100000
bear only S3O.OOC year. In this state and Territory
the reservations, with total population OF about
oue.third million more than would be required by
them under e pan prop Zoo GOO ,poTe a
Tie different bands OF Utes in Utah and Colorado
number $780, AMI their reservations Include over
i've million acres OF which the surplus portion would
produce yearly income OF about 100000. cor about
Sis 900 more than being this year for their
benefit In Ncw-Mexico tho Nayajos on tho reserya-
for a population OF $1,000 people Here the surplus
Land world yield over S33O.0OO year For the surplus
Of the Mescalero Apache reservation the Income
would be ncsrly $4,000. ,,.,..
In Arizona The principal reservation is tho NSlte
Mountain. with the agency ut san Carlos. 1t embraces
more than $500. 900 Considerable uncertainty
as 10 IT'S populationbu II IL probably ABOUT SoOO
5 600 In ALL who have removed into the hern part
and are engaged In farming and In efforts TO make
THEMSELVES selfsupportng Tue latter would. however
DO entitled all the benefits obtained by the
tie promotion OF their genera! prosperity. Carrying
ont the proposals. OF my report would leave balance Of
nv w
the plan advocated, about 81 900 per year.
" Considering collectively the Indians OF New.Mexco
and Arizona, have reservations embracing slIteea
md one.half million acres, Inhabited by nearly $4,000
people The surplus land would include about thirteen
tho Kentucky. which would yield according 10
the plan proposed nearly 100000, sum greater ny
for tie support OF these Indians In the Indian Terri
anche and tho Wachta embrace eight
million the population IA about =. % ana tho IN
come from tho surplus land tTj7j.0O0) would come
within SO 900 Of squaling the amount appropriated.
Considering all the Indians in this territory, we have
total OF nearly 10000 and an extent OF reservation OF
and one half millions OF acres excluding the
Oklahoma country which would produce an annual In
como OF about one aud one-third millions OF doHr9.
1.-THE Indian reservations OF the United states contain
100000 square milA their population Is about
100000. Twenty-six thousand square miles would
locate each family upon half section or land leaving
surplus OF about 10000 square miles which, accord
to the plan have proposed would produce annnalY
81 100000. This amount exceeds by about SobO.oOO
the entire sum appropriated for tho payment OF tner
annuites and for subsistence and civilization The
policy advocated In my report would be most adVAb.
tageousy applied gradually the general government OF
the Indians being continued according TO tnr mehous
now IN vogue such Improvement Of them n time ana
The snggesed policy would, tho Indians advance In
civilization and Intelligence result In the return to them
which, untf such measures were authorized by Act
of Congress would DO held al trust for their benefit
and the income applied to their support
THE CuAIRNANsHIP OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
WAsHINGrox, Jan 3 (Speciab.-Govcrnor
har, nig IIc said he