St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-05-19
POINT FOR SETTLERS.
Already Coming to the Reser-
walton, Supposing 1t Is
Opened.
1t May Ee Two Years Before
Settlers Can File Their
Claims.
But Squatters Can Probably
Go On as Soon as the In
dians Sign.
Need Of Appropriations for
Surveys - Thousands On
Land Not Surveyed.
Snecial to the Globe.

CI lOl3 vi GlliS Clty 10 III VI
many letters of inquiry concerning the
opening of the Sioux reservation, and
by their reading one is led to believe
| that Eastern people have an idea that
since the president has signed the bill
nothing more remains to be done. but
| that everything is ready for settlers tt
| take up land, and many are coming I'd
| Dakota with this in mind, only to find
| that they have wrong idea OF the mat
ter, and forgotten never know-that
| the signature of the Indians on the res
ervation must be obtained to the pro-
| vision of the bill, and that the land mus
| be surveyed. Besides, congress hal
| made no appropriation for surveys il
| the reservation, and probably none wiz
be made at the present session. Ger
| tainly not unless it should be made tt
| appear that the opening of these landf
| is of very great Importance in a national
| sense.
WHEN THE INDIANS
have agreed to the provisions of the bin
by affiXing their signatures, which they
are not likely to do in time for the
| present session to make appropria
lions for moneys, the land will
be surveyed in severalty." To do
| this work will require one Ell.
tire summer. and then several months
more will be necessary for verifying
| and approving of the plats. At the
earliest it will
BE TWO YEARS
from this time before settlers can make
| filings on lands in the Sioux reservation
1t is not unlikely, however, that al
soon as the Indians put their mark ts
the necessary papers people will begiI
taking up land and wait till surveys art
made before presenting their filings.
SquatterS will be numerous.
SURVEY CONTRACTS.
A contract recently awarded Charles
Bates, of YanktOn, for running a survey
of the west boundary of the Sioux
reservation has been suspended pend
ing negotiations for the REIMBURSEMENT
of the reservation. The reason assigne ed
for the suspension is that, should the
law providing for the opening of the
| reservation become operative it will
change the boundary from the 1O3d ia
the 102d meridian, opening the country
between the two.
James Hartgering has been awarded
the contract for surveying eight town.
ships in Fall River county, in the Black
Hills.
III. c. Green has a contract for sur
veylng eight townships in the Turtle
mountain region.
Heinge Brothers will survey seven
townships in the vicinity of Fort Stew
enson and Mouse river. No other con-
tracts for new work have been let.
II. j. Austin, of VermilliOn, is COM
pleting surveys in the Lower Brule
reservation. These surveys were be-
gun last summer, and are southwest
from Chamberlain. They are for sew
crafty purposes. This is regarded as
one of the most important surveys now
under contract. Mr.. Austin hopes to
finish his contract by early fall and be
ready for more work when appropria-
lions are made. He is the oldest sur
veyOr that has run lines in Dakota, hav-
ing been in the business in this terri
tory continuously for the past twenty
eight years.
Heinge Brothers are surveying for
severalty purposes in the Devils Lake
reservation;
PATIENTLY WAITING.
1t is estimated that fully 5000 people
are now located on unsurveyed lands in
Dakota. The major part of this vast
number are in the Turtle Mountain
and Mouse River country. Many are in
the Black Hills, but they are few COM
pared with those in the other localities
named. Some have been living on their
land for five years and more and are
now anxious to make final proof and
get patents, but as there is no available
cash with which to pay for surveys the
unlucky set there must wait patiently
if they can-till the powers that be are
willing to provide means to make the
surveys and let the settler know where
he lives. Probably three-fourths of
for over three years, and it will
be at least two years longer
before the surveys are made. 1t will
not be surprising if a general howl is
not heard from this great army of set
tiers if, at the present session of con-
gress, a sufficient appropriation for sur
veys is not made to cover their needs.
The lack of funds for carrying on sur
veys in Dakota is working great in
jury to the development of these broad
and fertile prairies. The attention of
the government has been frequently
called to this fact, and the department
of the interior urged to press the matter
on the attention of congress, but that
body always takes occasion to reduce
the appropriation to so paltry a sum
that there is not enough to go around.
A PIONEER SURVEYOR.
Gen. Warner Lewis, whose death
occurred at Dubuque, To-, on May 4,
at the age of eighty-three years, was the
pIollCCl oulNCyOl ScHcIdl HdNlllS JuIlS-
diction in Dakota. and the first public
surveys in the territory were made
under his supervision. This was in
1860. John Bell, also of Dubuque,
now Dakota patriach, owning farm
near CavOur, was the deputy who ran
the initial lines, his surveys embracing
the land at present occupied by Yank-
ton, Elk Point and VermiiiOn. Among
those who assisted MIR. Ball in dragging
the chain and building the mounds
were III. j. Austin, of Vermilion. who
for the twenty-eight years since, has
been in continuous service as
surveyor of public lands in this territory.
William Miner, lately wholesale grocer,
at YanktOn, and Sam c. Tower, the
millionaire steamboat owner and cattle
king of Montana. Gen. Lewis district
at that time embraced Iowa, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Nebraska and Dakota. In
1861 Dakota was made separate sur
veying district, with George D. Hill, of
Michigan. as surveyor general, and
Newton Edmunds, afterwards governor
of the territory, as his chief clerk. The
first surveys under the new dispense
ton were executed by COrtez Fessenden,
recently the efficient surveyor general
of this district, he being the first deputy
surveyor commissioned in Dakota. His
work is said tn ne eXceDtiOnablV well