The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-01-05

Sheridan and the Indians y.l
-r.1irQO hfdzL9T JEe al
+. WtAsH1NGToN, January 3.rln response
ITO the request for additional informa-
ton explanatory Of the irecommenda-
ton in his last annual report, In regard
to the Indian question: Lieutenant
General Sheridan has written the fol-
lowing statement: - .. u, b,n ~ "a zre 2ioI
In.F In my annual report for 1885, rec
Commended that each Indian family bs
given and located upon $40 acres, now
provided Tor them By law in case of
actual settlement; that government
then condemn the remainder6ofl each
reservation, and buy it. IN at Sl.25. per
acre, and with the proceeds purchase
government bonds, TO be held in trust
by the Interior Department, giving to
the Indians each year the interest on
the bonds for their support. cited in
illustration of what would be the pfacl
teal workings. of this suggestion, in
the case of the Crows, ftheyenues
and LArapaboes,l and Utes, but the
limits CT my report did not permit full
calculation OF the advantages that
would accrue to the Indian. nor even
an allusion to the large amount. of land
now lying idle that would thereby be
o ,ened5 to settlement, and increase
50 much the mate rial prosperity of the
nation. When it is 'attempted to deal
with this subject more in, detail the
difficulty is at once encountered in that
neither the actual area of various re-
servations has been accurately de-
termined, nor the population of the
Indians occupying them known within
more than approximate limits. It will,
therefore, not be possible to lshowithe
exact workings of the method proposed,
but only a general summary covering
in each Territory and the most
populous of ! the different tribes.
Similar statist ics for smaller reserva-
tons are, however, included in the ac-
cempanying' tables. Since the appro-'
priations for the support of the Indians
are not in every case made specifically.
tor those upon any particular reserya.,,
ton. but rather collectively for those
making comparison with the sum now
for the subsistence of Indians,
and the annuitiesy allowed them by
the treaty aggregate tor Territory or
for several Territories has necessarily
been considered rather than. for each
tribe or reservation. -" To f79nf
I In Dakota the principal reservations
are Fort Berthold and those inhabited
by various bands of Sioux. Fort Berthold
reservation. with an area of over 1900
goo, acres has q population of 1900
people, the others an area of nearly %
250,t 900 acres, and a population of about
25,S00. Carrying out the proposals in
my report, would, in the former case,
afford an annual income of over $40, 4
900. and in the latter case surplus
anoceupied by Indians of over 20 $780,
Do0 acres, or an extent Of territory equal
TO the combined area OF the States of
New Hampshire Vermont, Massachu-
sets and Connecticut, the proceeds of
which. at ( per cent. per annum, would
Weld an interest of over $1,000, 600.
With two of the smaller reservations
-Devil's Lake and South Mountain.
an area Of 276, 4S0 acres and a population
Of over l, 500, nearly half the land would
be required by the Indians III this case;
the income from the surplus would be |
small, beng alittle less than 5000 per
annum. In Montana the Blackfoot
contains over 81, 500, GOO
acres and a population ofless than 1000
Indians. The Surplus land equals to
the. area of the State of Maine would |
then return an income of 81 900 Coo |
The Crow reservation mentioned in nv !
report, could in, similar manner be |
made to produce an annual sum OF !
s223, 600. Considering all the Indians |
and reservations in the Territories of
Dakota and Montana, we have an |
aggregate area of over 81, 10000 acres |
and population of less than 45, 900. "A |
surplus area of nearly $1,000 square |
miles would produce an annual interest !
Of over $21. 800 600. Appropriations for
he fiscal year ending June Both, 1884, |
or fulfilling treaties with these tribes |
and for their subsistence and ciyiliza-
ion and the pay of employees incident |
% such under taking, amounts to about |
100000 less than this sum. In Wy
)ming. the Shoshones are located upon |
Wind River, reservation; SLY 900 per
GEAR could be derived from their sur
olus land In Idaho, Fort Hall Re
;ervation, occupied by Bannocks and
would in the same wav pro- |
luce each year 5000; C@ur d'Alene, /
Us, 900. In these two territories- Wy
,ming and Idaho-the total area of re-
ervations is nearly 5,000.0O0 acres, the i
population 6,000y An area of nearly /
200 square miles, almost equal to. the
state of New Jersey, wonld not be re-
luired for the Indians, and an income
would be yielded of about $325, 900. a
um more than 500. 900 in excess of the
for the current year. :,
In Oregon, the most populous reser-
'ation is Klamath. with over COX, 900
Icres, but less than ZOO inhabitants. 1t
would yield $50, 600 year. G.-,-.q /
In Washington Territory, the Yak.
mis-, about 8, 200 in numb rs, occupy
he reservation 600, 900 acres) Of the
anne name. u Hereilthe surplus land
would bring $50. 900 a year. In this
State and Territory the reservations,
With a total population of 1900,
embrace Is, 100000 acres or about seven
md one-third million acres more thanf
would be required by them HndeFi
he plan proposed, which woult pro- +
luce per annum $4,000, OF. about
800, 900 more than is appropriated for
heSe Indians. The different bands OF I
Jtes in Utah and Colorado number
bout 3 $50 and their reservations in
lude over 5000, 600 acres of which :
he surplus portion would produce az
early income of about S240, GOO, or
bout S175 900 more than is being dis
= Il l.