The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1888-05-25

II substance already appeared In the
GRAPHIC and gone additional infor
The tract to be opened-if the Indians
cousent-compriees about 1,0S0, coo
acres of valuable agricultural land lying
of the &isso u.i river in South Da
kota. About half of the trsct-s little
nore than halt, perhaps-lies between
The Missouri river on the east, the Black
Hills on the west, The White river on the
south and the Cheyenne river on the
north. Comprising the counties of
Sterling, Ziebach, Nowlin, Pratt, Stan
ley and Prcsho. The remaining portion
is q strip OF land running north from the
end of the Black Hills and compris-
the counties of E~et.inger, Martin,
Wagner. Chotesu, Rinehar., Delano and
Scobey. In a few of the counties, how.
a portion of them Will still remain
in the reserve. The foregoing descrip-
ton will enable anyone by the eia of q
map of Dakota to trace the lines of the
land TO be opened very nearly correct.
The bill provides that before the act
can become a law the signatures of three
fourths of all the adult male Indians on
t1e big Sioux Reservation must be oh
tanned within one year from it's passage.
A commission is to he appointed by the
Interior department to obtain the nee
essary signatures. SIS, 600 has been APP
proprlsteG by congress to meet the ex-
.iebsss of said commission. In order to
induce the Indians to assent to the
opening of the land the bill provides:
That each Indian who is the head of a
family or single iadian over tie agc of
Is years, who shall take up land in sew
crafty, shall be provided with two mich
cows, one yoke of oxen, pillow, wagon,
harrow. hoe, axe. pitchfork and $50 IN
cash. They afe also to be furnished
seed for two years sufficient to crop five
acres of land. ST. 900 600 is appropri-
sted under the bill aud set apart for the
use of the Indians, the interest of which
at 8 per cent. is to be used half for cdu-
%cational purposes and the remainder to
ac il such cash payments per capita as
the secretary of Inc interior may from
time to time thinks best contributes to
the advancement OF the Indians in civil
1zatlon. Ihe Secretary of the interior is
also authorized to purchase breeding
COWS to the number OF %, 900 and bulls
to the number of LEGO for use of the
Irgians.
Right of way is given to the Dakots
Central railroad and the Chicago, Mil
waukee Il st. Paul. They are allowed
but 70 acres of land for station purposes
to every ten miles of road and SO much
land on the west side OF the nver as is
reasonably necessary for approaches,
side tracks. station, round house, etc.
There is to be no railroad towns te
schemes put up. The railroad compa
MES must definitely locate their lines of
road, including all station grounds, with
in nine months after the act takes effect.
The act takes eifees when the signatures
OF the Indians have been obtained and
the president has issued n proclamation
opening the lands TO settlement.
But 100 acres can be taken BY any one
settler, and tina. under the homestead
laws only. Settlers will be required to
reside on the land continuously for five
years and in addition to the regular fees
(sl4) be obliged to pay to the government
90 cents per acre for the land; but sol.
diers' rights ha before provided under
the homestead laws are not abridged
except as to the payment of the so cents
per acre.
The bill provides that settlers who
legally entered upon the Crow Creek
and Winnebaso reservations under Pres.
idcnt Arthur's proclamation in the
spring of 1885, prior to april II, will
have 80 days preference rigats to re.
enter. upon their claims and procure
title thereto under both ,h- pre- tmption
and homestead laws, provided, that pre-
emption claimants shall reside on their
lands the same length of time before
procuring title as those on homesteads.
When will the land be open for settle.
ment7 Nobody knows. There lie more
or lese doubt about the Indians signing
the agreement. but the chances are two
to one that they will. Some of the
leading ones, headed by Sitting Bull,
are already stirring up opposition. but
it ia highly probable thai what little dis
satisfaction arises will be overcome
when the commission gets to work. The
Indian Rights people assured the Dako-
Ia contingent that If the submission
clause was incorporated in the bill they
would meyer ask it again if the Indians
refused to assent to the measure. They
will undoubtedly exert their influence
toward inducing the Indian, to sign the
agreement as it now will be presented to
them. Recent dispatches from Wash.
ington state that the delay in appoint
ing'she commission arises from a rush
OF business in the interior department,
but that the president and the secretary
OF the interior are fAvorably impressed
I WLtA tuo Dill anu VIII rush Things
through atthe earliest possible moment.
The st Paul Globe correspondent init
mates as much but thinks nothing will
be done Until congress ~ndjourns and
other important matters are disposed of.
There are about 90. 900 Indians on the
reserve. The number Of adults is esti-
mated at about $500. To obtain the
signatures of three fourths OF .hem will
require anywhere from three to six
months time after the commission gets
to work; After the signatures are OBJ
tanned there will be the inevitable red
tape routine to go through with aad the
presidents proclamation. The lands
viii also have to be surveyed before fiji.
ings can be made. but it may be that
squatte1s will be allowed to go upon the
land. while the survey If being made. OF
one thing certain, no one will be al
1 1nxrnI 10 cnttfn ,,a,, aha ln,,J So, 49,