Omaha daily bee., 1889-10-23
THE SIOUX REsERV ALTON.
Effect of It's Opening on Omaha a
Xlevs.d RY nCnrcnlnnndent- n

Effect OF It's Opening on Omaha as
Viewed BY n Correspondence.
VALENTINE, Neb., Oct 22.-To the Editor
of The BEE: To one acquainted with the
general land laws, their practical workings,
and the character of the people who avail
themselves of its possession, and who has
read the bill opening up part of the Sioux
reservation to settlement, the latter offers
no special inducements to home seekers. I'm
migration will be heavy on the opening of
that reservation, but will be made up of the
speculative and adventurous class who will
not stay long, and as for the settler, on ac-
count Of the special features of that "Sioux"
bill, he will look the land over and move on.
Let us make some comparisons:
ANY, one desiring to avail himself
OF his rights in this or any
other state where the general land laws pre-
vail can go into United States district land
Office and enter a pre-emption and tree claim
of 100 acres the same day. At the end of six
months residence he can pay Sl.25 per acre
or S20O and get q title to his pre-emptlon, and
then file his homestead right for 100 acres
more. With his homestead he has the option
of living on it five years and getting his
patent (at a total cost SO far as land Office
fees are concerned, not to eXcoed 500, or
paying fer 1t after SIX months residence at
the rate of 81. 25 per acre.
With prescription, homestead and tree
claim ho can be. within less than year, in
control of 4S0 acres of land. This IS desired
by most all land seekers, aud is great ad
vantage, certainly to stock growers.
The special act under which the reserva-
tion is opened to settlement does not recog-
nze the pre-emptiOn nor tree claim laws, and
only allow entries under the "fual'' or five
ear homestead law, and then charges
In other words, a settler must actually live
on his claim five years and pay 80 cents per
acre before acquiring title to bis land, and
can then only acquire l60 acres. With the
ODDS SO greatly in favor of the settler under
the old law, your correspondent expects to
see Nebraska get her full quota of home
seekers just the same as though no Indian
land had been opened to settlement.
However, the opening of this reservation
will have this effect: 1t will allow the Chi
cagO, Milwaukee & st. Paul road to build to
the Black Hills from Chamberlain and the
Chicago q Northwestern, if it thinks neces-
sary, from Pierre. 1t will place the terri.
tory northwest oil here, in which Omaha was
beginning to get n hold a little further from
Omaha ana nearer Chicago. If both roads
converge at Rapid City it will not be long be.
fore she Will be q jobbiug city, 20
Omahas detriment. The live stock that was
beginning to find its way to the South
Omaha yards will surely go by the ''long
haul" aud Chicago will get it, as hereto
fore. The tin and other minerals we read so
much about nowadays will find their way to
the Missouri river, several hundred miles
north of tho Gate City, and your corre-
spondent fails to find anything in the opening
of that reservation that bodies good to
Omahp, or in fact any part of Nebraska.
Another competitor soon for the traffic of
northern Nebraska, TO say nothing of the
Black Hills trade, is the Sioux City & Og-
den, which, nothing daunted by its recent
bridge trouble at Sioux City, is pushing
right ahead with Its work.
While one at a distance can see all this, he
does not feel like Offering any advice or
suggestions, but humbly places the facts
before the citizens OF an enterprising city,
doubling not the ability of its capitalists and
business men to successfully meet and over
come all obstacles that stand in the way of
the material growth and prosperity of their
pride, Omaha. X. X. X.