The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-29
Contracts Have Been Let for Five and
Half Million Pounds for
Montana.
A Decided Advance in the Price
Over Last Years
Figures.
Appropriations for Rivers and Earbors in
Washington-To Improve the Missouri
River Above Great Fails.

WASHINGTON, May S.-[Special. - The
government is just now letting its contracts
for supplies FOR Indians on the reservations
for the coming year. It is a big Job, in
volving the expenditure of many millions
OF dollars. Large sums are of course to be
expended at the Indian schools of the va
| rlous places throughout the east and in
| some instances the material purchased is
IN open market, but the greater proportion
OF the cash goes for supplies, rations, ag-
ricultural implements, blankets and the
like for the reservations. After two or
three days devoted to the examination of
these the contracts were to-day awarded
for the beef, which, under the law and
treaties is to be divided among the Indians
the coming year. The total gross quantity
purchased is 34,5O5, 600 pounds at an ag-
gregate cost of $685. or at the rate of
$2.57}9 per hundred on the hoof. This is
an increase over the average price of last
year by 91 per cent. The increase is due,
not to the high price in the market for beef
on the hoof, but to additional conditions
imposed on purchasers by the government
In an effort to protect the Indian from get
ting swindled out of part of his treaty
rights. Five million six hundred and fifty
thousand and fifty pounds of this beef goes
to Montana reservations, of which the
Blackfeet agency gets 1,25O,OOO pounds,
Fort Belknap, 100000, the Grow agency
l,5OO,O5O, Fort Peck agency 1.5OO,O0O and
Tongue river 100000.
Besides what was originally provided for
Washington in the river and harbor sur
veys, Representative Wilson had the bill
amended to-day by adding the following:
Authorizing the secretary of war to cause
an examination and survey to be made of
the bar in the Columbia river below the CITY
OF Vancouver; that the secretary of war
is hereby authorized and directed to
cause survey to be made of Olympia har-
Dor from deep water to Budd's inlet to the
Fourth street bridde in the city of Olympia,
and separately from said bridge to the
mouth Of the Deschutes river at Tumwater,
and to direct the engineer making the sur
vey to report as to the most practical con-
venient channel and the most feasible,
economical and suitable plan for providing
the same for navigation by the class of yes
sells employed on Puget sound.
The river and harbor bill provides for
survey of the Missouri river above Great
Falls, Mont. 1t is believed that by expend-
ing from two to three thousand dollars
many miles of the river can be made navi-
gable. Tongue river will also be surveyed.
Secretary Noble to day decided the case
of the Northern Pacific railroad company
against Hiram Fish, involving land in sec
ton l, township3 range l., of the Bozeman
district. The land was within the limits of
the company grants. No entry has ever
been made by the settler but prior to the
filing of the map of definite location of the
road it was occupied and had some improve
ments under the rule of the department.
The secretary orders the company's selec-
tion cancelled for this reason.