The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-03-14
A TERROR TO BOOMERS.
INSTRUCTIONS FROM LAND COMMITS
SIONER LEWIS A. CROFT.
Contemplated Impositions on the Indians
Frustrated-Land Office officials Notified
to Do All in Their Power for the Protec-
ton of the Nations Wards-Otller South
Dakota News,

Contemplated ImpOsitions ON the Indians
Frustratsd-Land ONCE Officials Notified
to Do All In Their Power for the Protec-
ton of the Nations Wards-Otller South
Dakota News.
Hon. James Mcdowell and Hon. o. w.
Bair, register and receiver of the United
States land Office for the Huron district,
have received the following letter of in
structions from Hon. Lewis A.. Croft,
commissioner of the general land Office at
Washington, which will terrorize boomers
and town site Adventures who propose to
grow fat" by trading with Indians for
their land possessions. The letter is dated
March 4, and is as follows:
Gentlemen-It has been represented to
this department that there are persons who
contemplated impositions on the Indians
now residing upon the coded lands of the
Sioux reservation. lying in your districts,
and entitled, at their option, to take allot-
ments Of the lands where they reside, under
section - of the act of March 2, 1889. 25
statutes, 1888, by inducing the Indians to
sell out to them and thereafter appropri-
ating to themselves the lands on which the
Indiansi reside as settlers thereon, under
the provisions of said act. I desire, there
fore, to call your attention to the matter,
and say to you that it is the duty and in
tention of the department to protect the
Indians, as fully as possible, from the
wrong or imposition by which they might
be deprived of the benefit intended to be
secured to them under the law, whether it
have the character Of open violence or some
form Of trlckery and fraud, in the spacious
guise of mutual agreement for exchange of
values. In pursuance of this purpose,
no purchase, by white persons, Of the
settlement or improvements Of the In
dians will be recognized as having any
of the lands on which they reside at thei,
option will be recognized and enforced
whenever claimed by them within the
period of one year prescribed in said sec.
tion ID, Notwithstanding any pretended
purchase Of their improvements that may
be set up against them, or any allegation
that may be made of their removal from
the land and abandonment thereof in favor
of white claimants. The department will
expect the careful, intelligent and efficient
cooperation of all its employees il
this purpose. You are to this end
directed to make yourselves acquainted
as far as possible, with the facts CON
nected with the residences of the In
dams on the lands IN question, and other.
wise prepare yourselves to extend protec.
tion " IueA, III tue ulscAhTSe OIL you!
duties, against any who may entertain de.
signs against them.
You will take all means within you
power to communicate the substance o
thess instructions to al! persons concerned
That none may DC In ignorance on the snb
ject. You will endeayor to prevent an
filings or entries being made in contra
vention of the rights Of the Indians, an
any filings Or entries that may be mad
will be tfeated qs subject to the India,
right to take allotments as ~hereinbefor
indicated. Very respectfully,
LEWIS A. GHOFF. Commissioner.