The record-union., 1891-03-28
Special 10 the REcoRD-UN1oN.

WASHINGTON, March 27.-The Com
missioners appointed under the Act of
Congress to appraise the lands occupied
and improved by settlers ON the Round
Valley Indian Reservation. survey the
lands and reduce the reservation by offer
ing the surplus acres for sale 10 settlers,
has submitted its report, which says in
substance:
After surveying about 100000 acres of
land in all, among which was about 5000
acres of fertile valley land, they decided
that about 0,000 acres, including the val
ley land, should be reserved for the use
OF the Indians and the remainder opened
to settlement in quarter sections, instead
of in tracts of GAO acres.
They report that they have appraised
the settlers claims and allowed them an
average price of about $50 an acre for the
best lands which, with the improvements,
aggregated about $4,000. Other appraise-
ments to be made will swell this to con-
siderable more.
Twenty-Five thousand dollars was ap-
propriated when the Commission was
created, and latterly $4,000 more was ap-
proprlated, making the total amount
available about 100000. About $1,000
has been spent by the Commission in
salaries and expenses, etc.
The Commission represents that certain
wealthy settlers in that region of the
country are grasping and avaricious, and
are greatly angered over being deprived
OF certain valuable lands as contem-
plated. They have used these lands in
grazing cattle for SO long that they are
disposed to consider them as their own.
They are angry because the Indians are
to have the best of the land allotted to
them. Indignation meetings were held
when it became evident that they were to
be deprived of these valuable lands, and
Indian Agent Willsey, an efficient and
worthy officer, was burned in effigy.
They also induced the half-breeds to
drink liquor, and intiamed their minds
and melted them against the Commits
sion.
Commissioner III. G.. Hunt dissents
from this report. He thinks that about
twenty-five or thirty thousand acres
would be sufficient for the Indians now
there, and that 5000 acres of fertile valley
land would alone be sufficient for their
support. The whites are willing for the
Indians to have all the valley lands, and
also 10000 to 10000 acres of uplands for
timber and grazing purposes. The In
dians are anxious to secure the valley
lands in severalty.
Hunt says the majority of the Commits
sioIl di dctillS respect
to the common good, and in defense of
the unanimous wish of the whites, and
disregarding the Indians wishes. He
says the Indians are not successful stock
growers, and as it is not the policy of the
Government to encourage hunting and
fishing, species OF idleness, among res
ervation Indians, five thousand acres,
with the uplands above referred to. would
be amply sufficient for them.
He says by following his plan future
contention of the whites for the Indian
lands would be obviated, whereby if the
majority report is followed the whites
will never be satisfied till they get more.
In conversation with your correspond
ent Commissioner Hunt complained
that San Francisco paper treated him
unfairly in publishing only one side of
the controversy over this matter and
that the people of Lake and Mendocino
Counties were complaining of this treat
ment.
President Harrison has received a let
ter from the white settlers in that region
protesting against the reservation of such
a great quantity of land for the Indians,
and saying that the President must have
been imposed upon when he appointed
Commissioner Smith as a "disinterested
party" as the law required. Smith is an
employe OF the Interior Department.