Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1894-08-31
RESER TION MATTERS.
Items of General Interest on a"
An U,,D0rtdnt Matter.


All portamt Matter.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 22.-The bill
ratifying the Nez Perez INDIAN
treaty and providing for the open
ING of the reservation which passed
the conference committee OF the
two houses of congress some days
ago has now become a law.
The bill carries with it an APP
propriation 81 ,62G,222 of which
s626. 222 is to be paid as soon as
the department can arrange the
necessary details. This work
according to Representative Sweet
who has had several interviews
with department officials, is pro
crossing rapidly. The division on
accounts is preparing list ofthose
entitled to payments under the
agreement. The land will be open
ed for settlement by proclamation
of the president in ample time.
gricultural land will be sold at
1915 per acre; mineral, stone ana
timber land at $500 per acre.
The Nez Perez reservation lying
south of I4atah county, Idaho, ana
between the Snake river on the
west and the south fork of the
Clearwater river on the east, COM
prises about 100000 acres of the
finest agricultural, mineral, stone
and timber in the northwest
In the neighborhood of 100000
acres are subject to cultivation and
from point of view of productivity
are not surpassed by the famous
lands of the Palouse. The treaty
entered into with the Nez Perez
Indians and the act of congress
carrying it into effect provides for
the REIMBURSEMENT and conveyance
to the United States of all their
claim, right and title to the lands
within the reservation with the
exception of a few small tracts the
aggregate acreage of which is 80
O2O. This will leave to be thrown
open to settlement 1871 $3.50 acres,
less the lands taken up in severalty
by the Indians under the allott-
ment act of 1887.
The work of allotment conduct
ed by Miss Alice Fletcher has been
completed and it is the detail work
in connection with the same and
the per capita payments to be made
in accordance with the Indian GEN.
sus which has been taken and for
warded to Washington with which
the department is now occupied
Under the provisions of the treaty
the lands cannot, however, bt
thrown open to settlement unit
trust patents for the allotted lands
have been duly issued and recorded
and the first payment shall hav'
been made to said Indians.
Surveyor Edison Briggs, who hat
charge of the allotment survey OF
the reservation, has been instruct
ed to take the field at once ant
complete the work of sectionisini
and plating. The plats are need
ed at Washington to aid in makint
out the Indian patents, and to &c
the records of the General Lam
Office all straight before the rus
for homes commences.
The date of the opening of tn
Nez Perez reservation will be
great day for Idaho. 1t will wi
ness the planting Of some 300
families in the state and, in add
ion, thousands of others, constitu
ing the overflow from the gathere
crowd, will settle on other lands
this and adjoining counties.
Many people are going over Il
Nez Perez reservation looking ov,
the lands so soon 10 be opened
settlement. The old Pierce Gil
wagon road, which up to this yes
has been since the eos little be
ter than a series of Indian trail
is now well-traveled county roa
1t traverses the finest lands on q
reservation. Down towards LeN
iston considerable land has be,
leased from the Indians and is nc
in grain, and one can now S
fields of grain that cannot be e
celled even in the Palouse countI