Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1895-12-12
Reservation Matters!
FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR
ACHRISTMAS PRESENT.
Claims for rHOmeseekers
Three new Cities and Three Thousand new
Homes In Nez Perces County.-Fortu.
nate Indians, Happy Merchants.

Col. NJ. ID. Shelby special agent of
the treasury department, Is at Lapwai
preparing the rolls for the first interest
payment to the Indians in the sum of
with less tormaiity than attended the
former one. The rolls will be COM
pleted to comply with the present con-
ditions relative to deaths and births
and checks will be issued upon the
various government repositories; the
cash in hand proposition not beng
held to apply to this interest payment.
The estimate is that it will take three
weeks to complete the routine office
work and the money will be handed
over about New Year day.
Another payment of $175, 900 will fol-
low on February 18th next. The In
dians are kept busy these times collect
ing their cash. They are as fortunate
as the man with q government pOsi>
ton, who had no harder work to do
than to draw his salary. The red men.
may 1t be said in their praise, are pos
sessed of conservative ideas on ques.
t,ons Of finance. They are using their
money wisely as rule. There are ex-
ceptions, but so few are the spend
thrifts, that a comparison would shame
an equal number of white men that
might share equal fortune with them.
The Indians are liberal buyers but they
have not been extravagantly profligate.
N1ni ir h n IL corn1,
as to be of the greatest possible good to
the trades people OF the country.
Surveyor Molagne, who has practl-
cal knowledge of all subdivisions of the
reservation lands came in this week,
and gave much valuable information
to The TELLER. He estimates tpat
25OO agricultural selections will be
made by hOmesteaders, and that only
fifteen hundred of those have been Sc
cured. About six hundred filings have
been made and nine hundred home
steaders are holding their claims still
10y actual settlement. There are many
good locations which have been held
by mere location notices. Many of
these are posted by hOmesteaders who
passed on in search of other lands. In
some cases the original lOcatOrs have
no claim upon the land, having aban-
iOned it tor other selections.
That section of the reservation be.
tween the Cold Springs country and
Big Holes is the most thickly settled
portion of the new district. This re.
giOn was the central point of the great
rush. The new town of NeZ Perces
City will draw Its support from this
| thickly settled section. There are two
other town sites that promises perma-
OenCV Peck C.tv at the mouth of Rig
Canyon and town site across Orc
Elmo Creek, promoted by Moscow cit.
liens, with c. c. Fuller as prominent
figure IN the organization. The agri-
cultural land alone upon the reserva.
tion is more extensive than Latah
cOudty and lust as rich in natural re.
sources as the f;,ined PalOuse soil.
There is quite an extensive area OF
placer ground on the reservation, not
exceedingly rich but good dullar-and
a-half-day diggings. This class o
wealth is confined to the Clearwater
bottoms and much of it has beer
located and some of it Is being worked
by the rocker process.
The Indians are Indifferent in tho
matter Of their changed condition. Ht
never heard an expression from then
and it is not the nature of an Indian Il
give such matters much attention a
least after the condition Is an assured
fact.
In NeZ Perces City there il but on;
business structure-a small store, bu
Others are contemplating building il
the spring. There il probably u foot o
snow all over the Cold Springs and hi.
Hole districts now.