The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-08-16
Farms for 10000 Families.


The S.oux Indians signed the cession
of the great paIL of their Dakota reser-
walton, according 10 one of theiT head
mea, on The idea if they did not agree TO
IL the government could and would take
their lands Tor nothing II Il wanted u.
This IS probably true. The day OF these
great reservations, whore The Indian
may maintain himself by hunting, has
passed. They are surrounded by cor
don Of white settlements, where thou
sands OF land hungry pioneers tarry in
the hope OF something turning up that
viii give them access and ownership OF
the fat lands set apart for the Indians.
II the somsthing dOssn'G turn up by
amicable arrangement bet ween the gov
srument aud It's wards the Wes;eTneT
has a faculty OF forcing the issue and
getting there ali the same. They are
vrTy much concerned. II their votes Sre
an index. about negro rights II the
South. but are generally ready 10 vote
starvation OF death 10 the red man il he
sets up such pTepIsfeTUus claim as an
original right ard title 70 the envied
domain. He has 10 get. Il is his share
Of manifest destiny.
The Sioux reservation in Dakota, re-
served 10 the Indians by treaties made
wears ago, is an enormous territory,
stretching from the Nebraskan bOunda-
ry beyond lhp dividing lire of the two
DakOias. and including all South DA-
kota lying west OF the Missouri river
excepting only eight Counties of the
Black Hills region and the country d.
rectiy north This mighty reserve has
an area OF 81 .125 square miles, or 2l,-
$40. 600 acres. The total numhes OF In
diAns occupying this country and cared
for 81 lis SIX agencies IS about 20 600.
giving an average Oi 9Od acres To every
buck, squaw and p4pOOse. But IL must
be borne IN mind that the agreement
just completed only provides for open
ing 10 settlement about 30 per cent. OF
this great reserve. Six smaller reserves
for Indian occupancy are carved out of
il, with an aggregate area of 20 600
square miles. They contain land suffi
cient TO give an average OF over 500
acres per capita TO the Indians entitled
to them. Under the law the President
is required, whenever he shall deem il
10 the best interests of any tribe, to
Cause It's reservation to be surveyed. and
To allOt the lands il sey-Tality,- giving
800 acres TO each head OF a family. 100
acres TO each single person over eighteen
years old, the same TO each orphan IN
der age and so acres TO each other per-
SOD. Lands remaining over and above
this allotment are to be acquired by pur-
chase only with the consent OF the In
dians, and the sums to be paid must be
held in treasury, bearing . per cent. i'll
terest, for the benefit of the Indians
themselves. The bill also makes fur
ther provision for the Indians, in sup
plying those who take up land in sever
ality with cattle seeds, farming outfits
and S5U cash in hand. Provision is also
made for their education. The govern
ment also pays S14, 600, 600 for the land
acquired, or at the rate of Sl.52 per
acre, and the wants of the Indians are
TO be provided for out of the per cent.
interes: on this perpetual trust fund in
the public treasury. ia is Tisking lit
tie to say" remarks the ST. Paul Pho
neer-PreSS on this feature, THAT the
great funds now being created, whose
income is to be devoted TO the uses OF
of The Iudisn, Will one day prove al
almost if not quite as greatly to detri-
ment as the free support of the reserva-
tiOn system, which We are Low ge.tin
rid of with infinite trOuble.''
However that may be South Dakota
under the arrangement acquires $1,000
square miles Of territory for settlement,
an area as large as the States
OF Massachusetts, Rhode Island and
Connecticut. THIS will give farms of
100 cres to 10000 families. OF the
quality of the land, reports are most
favorable. Three rivers run through
it. and the valleys are OF great fertility.
The soil is said to be for the most part
rich alluvial loan, with q clay sub
soil, inviting the raising of stock as
well as the cultivation OF cereals, and
favorable TO the production of fruits.
Il is SAID Of this country that ''tbe far
meT has but 10 plough aud SOW OF plant
his seed. II too lazy for that, hs can
turn his cattle upon the grass and grow
rich upon their increase. .'-PutSJUrq
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