The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-07-31

The high probability that the Uintah
and Uncompaghre reservation will soon
be thrown open to settlement seems to
have aroused no little interest in Colo
RADIO, and other adjoining states, and
there are many covetous eyes upon this
valuable '1and of promise" A recent
issue Of the Denver News has the fol-
lowing:
If the measure now pending in Con-
gress, which has for its object the open
ing for settlement of the Uintah and
Uncompahgre Indian reservations, be-
comes a law, it will rank among the
most important statutes affecting west
ern interests. The territory embraced
within the boundaries of the two re-
serves is of more than ordinary value.
Its valleys are composed Of the best
agricultural lands in Utah, or in the
west for that matter; it's uplands form
"a pasturage unexcelled; it's mountains
are rich in minerals, precious and other
wise, while its canyons are replete with
valuable timber The climate is superb,
the summers being delightful and the
winters mild. ADD TO this the fact that
the Creator of ALI seems to have eX-
pended more than ordinary painStaklng
in producing scenic effects, and one can
form a general idea of the multifarious
natural advantages of this region.
Specifically Described.
Specifically described, the reservations
increase in importance as each fact is
presented. They are situated in the
northeastern portion of Utah, bounded
on the north by the Uintah mountains,
on the east and south by the White
River range, on the west and southwest
by the Wasatch. The area of the Uin
tab is 3,1S6 square miles or 2,OS9,O4O
iacreS; the Uncompahgre, 3,021 square
miles or 1885, 440 acres, making a total
of 62O7 square miles or 1927, 4S0 acres.
Generally speaking, so per cent. of
this acreage is available for agricultural
purposes in the broad acceptation of
the term. This gives US 1883, 48S acres
which will be opened for occupancy mi
nus the allotment which will be be-
Slowed upon the 1000 Indians, who now
/ live in idleness. This at the ratio of 800
acres per Indian gives a total of $4,000
acres, leaving a balance of 1,743, 4SS
acres for white settlers, which would
permit the entry of 1896 homesteads.
According to the average ratio this
would mean that nearly $4,000 people
could be provided with homes in the
agricultural districts alone. AS has been
mentioned, these lands are of first-class
Iquality. The soil is a light or dark
loan according to locality and is ex-
iceedingly fertile The country is amply
Supplied with water, better. perhaps,
than any other section of that inter-
mountain region. The principal water
courses are Green river, Duchesne riV-
err Uintah river, Strawberry creek and
Rock creek, but they are by no means
the only source of supply. The country
lis replete with smaller streams which,
flowing down the small valleys, render
them pnu9l ~ vol Inc To 10
more extensive tracts.
| The nearest point to Salt Lake city is
Daniels pass, at the head of Straw
berry valley, 70 miles southeast. This
valley is worthy of an extended de-
scription, it being one of the most beau
tiful on earth. 1t is twelve miles in
length and from one to eight miles in
width. The stream is more than capa-
BILE of irrigating it, and as this valley is
considered the very best land inside the
lines it is very probable that the Straw
berry will be settled soon after the
opening. A survey for a railway trav-
erses this valley which road will doubt
/ less be built as soon as matters develop
! An immense tract nearly 467, 900 acres
in extent, is Watered by Currant creek
for about two miles, while Red Creek
between Currant and West Fork of the
IDuchesne, will irrigate an immense
! tract, and the Duchesne and Uintah
rivers and Rock creek combined will
water the whole reservat ton minus the
other streams, while Lake Fork and its
tributaries will render arabic about
| %, 900 acres.
! The best lands, exclusive of the
| strawberry valley, are in the neighbor-
hood of Fort Duchesne, where there
are eighty miles Of valley and bench
lands in a tract from one to eighteen
miles in width. East of Fort Duchesne
6irnnt1U cd low
tracts of good land, while north of the
! Duchesne river Is another large area of
similar character.
| The Uncompahgre is somewhat infer
| Tor to the Uintah as regards to agri-
cultural lands, but it is by no means
insignificant in this respect. South of
| Fort DucheSne, on the east bank of
Green river, is a considerable quanti-
ty of good farming lands, as also are
found some thousands of acres on the
west bank on the extreme north.
Lumber Territory and Mines.
| The uplands in both reservations are
excellent grazing, and stockmen will
doubtless rejoice when permitted to
turn their flocks and herds loose upon
the range. All the canyons upon all
streams flowing into Duchesne river
are heavily timbered, and when the
| hardy lumberman is permitted to be-
gin operations there will be millions
upon millions of feet of mill lumber put
on the market, besides countless thou
sands of railway ties. When the Utah
Central from Salt Lake to Park City
was constructed some years ago, the
survey was continued over toward the
! Colorado line to this timber country.
One tract alone was estimated to con-
sist of something over 100,000,000 Of
feet. This line will doubtless be the
| first one built from Salt Lake city east
ward, although the Rio Grande West
ern may appreciate the situation SOON
er than the public believes.
The mineral resources can scarcely
be estimated. Hitherto the prospector
for the precious metals has been fain
to content himself with recording his
! location and hoping for favorable legis-
lation. Gold and silver are both plenti-
! full. In the Uintah range several i'm
portant discoveries have been made
and at this writing great
many prospectors are engaged in
quietly searching for the vein. The
| White river mountains also contain
gold and silver and are being quite
| thoroughly investigated. Samples of
ore from the Uintah range exhibited
in Salt Lake city ran as high as 500
in gold, while silver rock carrying LOGO
ounces has been uncovered. One dis
covery of gold ore made about two
years ago prompted the prospector to
attempt to gain special permission from
the department of the interior to work
! the lead, but of course it was denied.
There are some good copper claims
existing in the Uintah range and some
Head ore, while the east slope of the
Wasatch range carries mineral of all
kinds and plenty of it. In addition tc
these metals. there are other mineral
advantages which are not to be over
looked. In the neighborhood of Fort
| Duchesne and in the southern part OF