Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1892-08-01

III Vuo year AOoO, IOahO mad been Ad
mltted into the Union of States ane
Congress had made liberal appropri
atoms of lands for school, university
and other State institutions.
| will now quote from my report O
1890:
"The selections OF State lands TO,
school. university, aud other purpose.
is important aud will require liberia
appropriations. II the present polio,
of small appropriations is continued
the result will be the survey of a smal
tract each year, and the land will b.
occupied by settlers before the State
can have the opportunity to make
selections. With liberal appropria
tiors large tracts would be surveyed
giving the State the opportunity &c
make selections, thereby protecting
the institutions for which the lands
appropriated we're intended. | adj
dressed q communication to the sur
veyor-general of the State on this
subject and respectfully submit his
reply thereto:
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
OFFICE OF UNITED STATES SURVEYOR GENERAL
DISTRICT OF IDAHO. BOISE CITY. Oct IA, 80.
'SIR-ln answer to your communi.
cation OF the 18th instant, asking this
office for any information it might be
able to furnish relating to the unset.
tied and unsurveyed lands of the State
still open for selection as State lands
under various grants made for school.
university, and other purposes, l would
say there are large tracts of unsettled
and unsurveyed agricultural lands
still remaining in the State, principally
in the counties Of Bingham, Bea,
Lake, Oneida. Cassia, Owyhee, Logan
Gilmore. Ada, and Washington, in
South Idaho, and Nee Perez, Latah
Kootenai, and Shoshone, in North
Idaho.
There is now a bill pending in
Congress, which it is expected will
pass soon, for the purchase of large
part of the Occur d'Alene Indian
reservation in kootenai county
This tract is largely fine aericultural
land, needing no irrigation. II the
Department could be prevailed upon
to have this land surveyed before
throwing it open for settlement, the
State would then have an opportunity
10 make selections of valuable lands
that otherwise would undoubtedly be
taken by settlers before surveys could
be mad".
Anything l can do in my official
capacity to forward these selections
and assist the State will gladly be
done. Verv respectfully.
WILLIS H. PETIT,
u. S. Survevor>General for Idaho.
Hon. GEORGE /. SnoUr,
Governor Of Idaho"
The bill above referred to became a
law by act Of Congress on March 5. '9l,
whereby the Ceur d'Alene Indians
coded TO the Government a valuable
tract of agricultural land. These
lands are now being occupied by peo.
pie seeking homes, and should be sur
veyed at the earliest day possible.
| also quote from the report of the
register aud receiver of the United
States land Office at Blackfoot, Idaho:
The matter of extending the SUR
veys over the public lands is one that
should havs immediate attention by
Congress. A great deal of hardship is
every year by settlers upon
unsurvoyed lands, and vast amount
of useless litigation is the outgrowth
Of the failure of the Government to
execute surveys where they are ur-
gently needed and demanded.
'Congress some time since cut off
about 100000 acres of the southern
portion of the Fort Hall Indian Re-
upon which there has been
settlement for years.
The failure to appropriate the necess>
ary money for survey of this tract has
rendered the situation as complicated
Is ever, and a great deal of complaint
8 heard from the people, who are
deprived OF their titles,
after all these years. The question
IAN not be urged or pressed too
strongly by you in your recommends
ion to the honorable Secretary.
Mr.. President. | have called atten-
ion to the foregoing extracts en-
bodied in my reports as evidence that
or many years the pioneers who
ettled on the public lands have suf.
cred great Inconvenience and priva-
ions. Our farmers as rule, are in
elligent, the majority being Ameri-
ans. They are industrious, and their