The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-07-06
VIII Be a Year Before the Reser-
vation Is Cpsn.
COLONEL JOHN LANE TALKS
Tells What Is Bet TO BE Done Before the
President Can Issue Proc
lamation.

Colonel John Lane, special agent of
the interior department has arrived in
Spokane from the Lapwai agency on the
Nez Perez reservation. Indian Trader
p. NJ. Davis came in with him.
when, in your judgment, will the
reservation be opened to settlement"
asked a Spokesman-R Review reporter of
Colonel Lane.
ITO date, 1909 allotments have been
made to Indians, and 60 or so more In
dams have established their rights and
will take allotments soon. A surveyor
has been appointed, a half-blood Nez
Perce, whose duty it is to re-trace the
lines of the old allotments, establish cor
ners and make these new allotments.
He has now been at work over a month.
There are many things to be done
before the reservation can be opened
to settlement by the whites. In the first
place, payment must be made to the In
dams; the allotments must be complet-
ed and all rights of the Indians firmly
established; two portable sawmihs must
be brought and set up for the Indians;
also the rights Of the Langford heirs to
the old Spalding claim at Lapwai, given
for missionary purposes must be extin
guished. / can not see how all this can
be done in less than a year. AS to the
first payment, l know no more about
that than you; have no information
whatever.
THE NEW AGENT
"Our new agent, S. G. Fisher, is a man
selected for his special fitness for deal
! ing with the Indians. In my opinion
he can not be bought nor influenced to
do what is not just right and right He
established his reputation as an Indian
man in the Nez Perez war with Joseph,
when he was in command of the Ban
mock scouts; and afterward as Indian
agent at Fort Hall, Idaho. l predict he
will make one of the very best agents
ever had on the reservation"
Colonel Lane will start tonight to San
Francisco to take charge of the pur-
chasing bureau there. He will lease a
warehouse, and bids will be opened July
for supplies for the Indians of Califor-
mia, Oregon, Washington and Idaho.
The goods will be gathered in at this
warehouse, inspected and distributed
over the west. Mr.. Lane will be occu-
pied in this work for about three
months.
1 NATURE OF THE RESERVATION
Answering a question as to the char
acter of the reservation, Colonel Lane
said:
II think a good deal of valuable land
will be thrown open for settlement. The
reservation has a great deal of rich
wheat lands. some fine fruit lands on
the creek bottoms, but the most of it is
more suitable for grazing. The reser-
walton, altogether, l think, is the most
delightful 1 ever visited. The climate
and country are attractive, and the In
dams are easily managed and very in
telligent. James Reuben, in particular
is a man of learning and ability"
Colonel Lane went to the reservation
January 1 to assist Agent Robinson in
preparing the rolls for the payment OF
the money to the Indians. Shortly after
that the agent was taken sick and died
the 18th of February, and Mr.. Lane has
since been in charge until relieved yes
terday
The agency is about 10 miles from the
Spokane & Palouse at Genesee. The
place includes the agency building, ar
office, three warehouses, barns, stables
and carpenter and blacksmith shops
The old agency school building is oc
cupied by some of the employees The
Presbyterian church has a mission there
and four other churches at different
points on the reservation. There is one
Catholic mission IA miles above tn,
agency.
INDIAN TRADER.
Mr.. Davis, who accompanied Colone
Lane to Spokane, has been Indian trader
at Lapwai for a year and a half. H,
lived at Lewiston for "a years, anC
knows all the Indians. He is licensed
trader, and there is another at Kamial
and still another at North Fork H,
gives $4,000 bonds and is not required
TO pay for the privilege of trading will
the Indians. OF the new agent Mr.. Da
Wis said:
"A few days acquaintance impressed
me most favorably. He seems thorough
ly to understand his business, and tn,
appointment came TO him entirely un
solicited"
The Indians will have a great Fourtl
Of July celebration at Lapwai this year
and Mr.. Davis says it will be wortl
seeing.