The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1894-12-01
AFTER MANY DAYS.
1svicted settlers FROM the WHINE
baxO and Crow Greek Lands
Receiving Indemnity.

Most readers OF tho GRAPHIC are
familiar with the opening of n portion
OF the Crow Creek and Winnebago rescr-
vations to settlement Feb q, 1885, by
proclamation OF President Arthur; how
large number of Brule county citizens
made a rush for tha choicest lands on
the Crow Creek reserve within an honr
after the proclamation was signed, built
rude shanties on their claims and pre-
pared to go6ble good chunk of Uncle
Sans domain; and how President Cleve-
land issued Hi order April II following
declaring said reservation to be not sub
ject to entry, and notifying all settlers
thereon to vacate within sixty days and
how we vacated. The Crow Creek
reservation extended into the northern
Border OF Brule county Mt that time, and
what are now Union and West Point
townships were wholly within the resel-
walton, including portion of Chamber
lain, Pukwana and Cleveland township.
All investigation committee headed by
Ex-President Harrison afterward s,is-
! tained Cleveland, and the disputed lands
were aFterward permanently opened to
settlement, but that didn't help those
who first entered their claims and were
| evicted. Many came long distances
t, get piece of land, and even those on
the border, such as our own citizens,
were put to considerable time. trouble
aud expense, all of which was lost.
Finally in October 1890, bill was
gotten through congress providing
for an appropriation to defray the expcn,
scs Of a special agent to investi gate the
losses sustained by the evicted settlers.
Gen. II. r. Pease of Watertown was ap.
pointed as the special agent, and lie
spent the greater part of two years i'll
gathering the necessary informationa-
was II large portion of The time passed at
Chamberlain. He took the testimony Of
944 settlers and turned in his report to
the Indian department Dec. %, 1899.
The total amount of damages claimed bv
the M4 eyicted settlers was $310, 0,26S.64
mended by him to be paid was $1!7,SS6.
63. The Indian Office went through his
report and in January last recommended
all appropriation OF sll6,199.l9 for the
reimbursement of the losses sustained
by the settlers and $1,000 additional, or
as much thereof as may be necessary, to
reimburse such OF the fifteen settlers
whose claims are held for further proof
as may be fonnd entitled. The appropri-
alton was made hy the last congress, a d
VIC "c ....ve nave Capt. Lucas word for it that
the settlers owe. their good luck to Con-
gresham Holman. better known as the
Democratic watchdog of the treasury"
who took an active interest in tie matter
and through whose kind offices the ap-
preparation got through.
We publish in this connection a par
tial list Of the settlers on the Crow Creek
lands, together with the amount of loss
each put in to Special Agent Pease and
the amount recommended by the Indian
department and afterward appropriated
by congress. In so doing we have con-
fined the list to present and former citi-
zens Of Brule county only and to few
others we'll known to our readers 1t was
impossible to give space to the entire
list. A large number have already re-
ceived their money. either direct from
Washington or through attorneys, and
drafts are arriving almost daily, and ,s
rapidly as Uncle Sam can examine the
necessary proof of identity-which must
be sent in and issne the checks on the
treasury.