The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-19
bitches ON CROW LAND.
The Work Being Done and in
Contemplation on the Big
Reservation.
Millions OF Acres Of Arid Land
That May Be Made
Fertile.

HEN .
Canals Completed and Others IN Coarse
Of Construction Walter II. Graves. the
Competent superintendent.
The ''Doubting Thomases'' Of the Indian
bureau look With incrsdulity upon the prop
osition TO irrigats The Grow reservation, for
which purpose 5000, 600 was set aside BY the
terms Of the treaty made With the Crows IN
1890. and TO which sum 100000 more was
added BY the recent council d the agency
Tor the purpose Of getting their consent TO
the immediate opening Of the reservation.
II 10 claimed that there ID not Z milo Of suo-
ceasful and permanent canal on any Indian
rsservstisn, and the conclusion 10 drawn
that there never will b. That their oon-
cluaion 10 is in fair way Of being
demonstrated On the empire Of the Crows
in the southeastern part of Montana. The
reservation formerly consisted of almost
6.OOO.O 600 acre., nearly 1000, 600 Of which were
given mp by the treaty OF 1880 for $946. 900,
in addition to certain Annuities and allow
ancss. This treaty set apart $500. 900. OF
which $500 0 can DO expended in any one
year, for irrigation In the valleys Of the Big
Horn. the Little Big Horn, on Pryor creek
and such other streams 40 the secretary Of
the interior may deem proper,
Upon the ratification Of this treaty the
secretary Of The interior wrote TO the gov
ernors Of the western states whore irriea-
ton works had been established. asking
tharo d ranrrnc ~ NM 49,, ron& - 10 ,nk ~
charge Of the important enterprise. But
two names wsrs recommended, to him, the
weight Of the recommendations being very
decidedly in favor Of Walter H. Graves.
formerly connected with the geological sur
vey for many years In Responsible posi-
tions, and he was urged by The secretary TO
undertake the work. Nj. Graves finally
consented. partly in a spirit Of professional
PRIDE being determined to convince the
Washington authorities that a successful
ditch could be built on an Indian reservs-
ton, and partly by reason of ths fact that
be believes Montana offers q bigger field
for the development Of irrigation systems
than any other state or territory in the
union. MI. Graves was the pioneer ditch
builder Of Colorado. and under his dirsc-
ton over $12.O 0 900 were expended in irri-
CATION enterprises in that state. He con-
structed the immense systems that re-
claimed the San Luis valley in the Csnten-
nial state. aud al told has built over 3,4OO
miles of canals in western, southern and
coast states. Every mile of his bitches il
carrying water to-day. His selection by
Secretary Noble would seem q happy one.
After his appointment Mr.. Graves came
west and begun the work Of preliminary
surveying with the idea of reporting in =
general way on the subjsot. The subject.
like the reservation, is a large one. but
finally the actual work Of building bitches
was begun nndsr the direction Of MI.
Graves. Before his coming 4 short ditch
had been taken out Of the Little Big Horn
about eight miles south Of the Grow agency.
1t watered in an indifferent way something
Ike 1000 acres Of valley land, and the
crops raised ON land under it were saoh as
to prove beyond doubt the fertility Of the
soil, and was prophet Of rich returns for
invested in Irrigation on tho reserva-
ton. Another small ditch ia in operation
in the western portion of the reserve,
The first of the bitches to be built by
Mr.. Graves il probably ready to carry water
BY this time. II Was taken from the Little
Big Horn a short distance south of the
agency and for a distance of about nine
miles follows the windings Of the western
boundary of the valley. 1t is calculated to
5000 acres Of very fertile land.
work of construction is necessarily
very slow, a. the superintendent can employ
only the unskilled labor Of the Grow In
on the reservation. Mr.. Graves is
n gang boss, and ono
clerk, who rare white. mon, and
il is not hard to imagine the difficulties he
to encounter in an enterprise requiring
much accuracy and skill. with only the aid
pf about 200 Of shs most unsk,llsd rsdmen.
Before winter sets in he expects to have
Two other ditohes Of about the same length,
40 the ono at the agency completed and
ready for operation, one ON Pryor creek
the third on Soap creek. Further
will depend on the cost of these
first ones. and the location Of the Indians.
In the nature Of the thing the first bitches
are more or less experimental, az il has
lsver been determined how economically
Itch can be built on which only In
lian labor il employed, and it 10 not known
long the srstwhile oh Of the for
st may consent to be a builder of ditohss
md : follower Of the pillow. Though greedy
or the coin of the Great Father, the earn
nR Of 1t by tho sweat Of his brow ia q COM
oAratively new departure for Lo. who,
hough he toll not, no spin, 10 YET clothed
y the government in ralment more COR
than that Of Solomon in his most
days. ,
All told there are now less than 2.4OO .
row Indians. or probably 600 families.
The death rate among them exceeds the
rate. and it 10 not probable that the
of the tribe will ever be larger
han at the present time. AllottinR each
Of the tribe, including the young
st children, a farm OF 16O acres, the total ,
and required for this purpose would DO {
bout 3S4.0 coo acres. SubtraotinR this :
from the 5000. OGO acres Of the
sservation and IL is seen that there are +
YER 3,bO0,OW acres of fine grazing and sR- +
eculturnl lands they can never hope to oc- /
upy, and which must be denied the citi- :
ems of the United States and the state OF
lontana SO long a. the reservation il main q
aimed intact, and the Crows are paid large
nnuities for roaming over it in idlepess.
he irrigation plans outlined by N. Graves /
his preliminary report to the secretary
I the interior, although involving more I
honey than IL now available for the pur-
ose. would provide water for several times
he amount of mi needed 10 give each
,ember OF tho tribe = quarter section Of
he richest kind of farming land, and leave Q
as much moro for grazing pur- b
oses, and there wonld still remain for set a
ement by thrifty white farmers an area Of