Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-05-29
A CHANCE FOR HOMES.
THB GREAT SIOUX RESERVATION SOON TO
BB OPENED.
Eleven Million Acres to Be Claimed Prom Prairie
and Wildemess-A Land Flowing With
Mix aud Honey Choicest Farming
Section Of the Country.

PIERRE, S. D., May 2S.-Eleven mil
lion acres Of land to be thrown open TO
settlement under the Homestead law
that, in a nutshell, is what the Sioux
Commission is expected to accomplish. If,
as is confidently expected, the Commission
secures the signatures of two-thirds of the
adult Indians on the great Sioux ReservA-
walton this enormous tract of land will be
opened within three or four months, and a
rush of settlers may be looked for that
viii make the recent Oklahoma crszs seem
tame and insignificant affair.
Eleven million acres An empire in ex-
tent, yet only oue-hslf of the great Sioux
Reservation, which contains % Ol0.04
acres. The southern boundary of the
reservation is the NiObrara river in Ne
braska, it's eastern the Missouri, its north
ern the Cannon Ball, which flows q few
miles south of Bismarck, n. D., and its
western the 1O3d meridian, which runs
through the Black Hills. The reserva-
tion may be said, in general terms,
TO embrace an area averaging 325
miles in length but 14O in width. A bar
rier to civilization, this great reservation
stands between the people OF the East and
one of the richest mining sections of the
country. Save here and there at the agen-
cies no white man Is seen on the land, un-
less it be some traveller on his way to the
Black Hills. One may travel for DAYS in
fact, and never see an Indian, for the buf-
falO ore gone and little game is left to at
tract the red msn from mis- tepee
ANEW PROMISED LAND.
The strip from the Missouri to the Black
Hill is watered by three rivers rising IN
the Hills and emptying into the Missouri
Through the centre runs Bad River a mis-
nOmerl TO the Missouri opposite the city of
Pierre. The valley OF this river is several
miles in width, snd for two hundred miles
is the old stage trail from Pierre to Dead
wood. It is an ideal valley. Il Is covered
with a luxuriant growth of grass, Lot
as high a. it viii be in July, bat more at
tractive to the eve. It has besn resting
for ages, accumuiating a wealth OF soil
that will defy the prOdigslty of man.
Little creeks and springs feed Bad River
Up from the valley Of this riyer is high
land or rolling plateau, free from rocks,
covered with the richest grasses for sheep,
steer and horse, and about their roots
soil that will raise anything that will grow
on the richest farm.
OPENED N AUGUST.
Ii will take the Commissioners about
sixty days TO get through their work and
submit their report to the President. The
proclamation may be expected in August
and then the great immigration movement
can legally start Meantime there will be
a gathering on the east bank on the Mis-
souri,. It has already commenced While
I IL is true that settlers are not desirable at
this time upon the lands to be opened, it
I is also true that as soon IS two or three
tribes have signed, iccluding the Standing
Rock warriors, the announcement Of the
success Of the Commission will go ont, and
settlers will then move seross the Big
Muddy and begin their improvements.
Only extreme tenderfeet will wait until
I the President will issue his proclamation.