St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-09-29
The FRAUDS EXISTED.
REORGANIZATION Of Chippewa
Pine Lands Was War;
panted.
WORK PROCEEDS SLOWLY.
1t Will Take Five Years to
Fully Complete the Es-
timating.
REDS NEED THE MONEY.
Efforts Being Made to Get
Permission to Sell Lands
Already Est. mlted.

WASHINGTON, Sept. ga complete
discrimination of the pine lands Of the
Chippewa reservation in Minnesota is
now being conducted by the interior
department, and the returns received
show many discrepancies which oc-
cured in the first examination. More
than five years ago a law was passed for
the disposition of the last great Body of
pine land in Minnesota. All of the
other great tracts i'll that state, and
Michigan and Wisconsin as we'll, have
passed inlo the hands of private indi-
viduals or numbering corporations. In
Northern Minnesota there was large
tract of pine owned by the Chippewa
Indians. A bill was passed to sell the
lands, and it provided for the examina-
ton Of the lands by appraisers, who
were to estimate the amount OF pine on
each tract. Considerable time has
been consumed in surveying the
lands. Since then an eXamina
ton was ordered. Charges were
made that the first examination was not
accurate. Secretary Smith discharged
the old examiners. and the new eXami-
nation is proceeding, showing that the
pine lands vary considerable, in their
Judgment, as to the amount of pine on
various tracts. After the second exam
inatiOn is completed there will still be
large amount of timber to be estimated.
The law provides that all preliminary
work must be done before any of the
pine can be solo. The money resulting
from the sale of the pine is to draw
interest for the benefit of the Chippe-
was, but at the rate of progress now
being made
1t VIII Be Five Years
before the sale can be commenced. An
effort is being made to have the lands
already examined sold, and bills have
been Introduced in congress for that
purpose. 1t is probable that the effort
will not be pressed now until the burned
pine i'll the Northwest is disposed of, as
that will have a tendency to Overstock
the market and result in small prices
for the land. Yet the officials of the
interior department recognize that the
final disposition of the land may be
long delayed, and that it may be neces-
Sary to sell SOME of the land soon.
There is commission operating among
the Chippewas endeavOring to concen-
trate them and all of the lands to them.
AS the entire expense that is being
incurred III the examination, re.eXaluI-
nation, and the commission comes out
of the proceeds to be- derived from the
sale of lands, the more Intelligent In
dians are becoming impatient and
alarmed, and feel that their money is
going very fast and that they are receiv-
ing no benefit from the sale OF the lands
made five years ago. There have been
protests of this kind made to the interior
department, and the officials have been
urged to make more progress. Already
Secretary Smith has given orders to the
commission to close up its business with
the least possible delay, as the impress
sion 10 that it can accomplish nothing
more. The attempt to sell the lands
meets with some opposition, because
the grant to Minnesota for the school
lands has not been settled. and the state
is entitled to indemnity of two sections
in each township OF all land included in
the reservation.