The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1895-04-06
THE YAAkION RESERVATION
Description Of the Land to Be
Thrown Open.
About 10000 Acres of Land-ntstory OF
ths cesston of tho Territory to tho
Government Causes Of
the Delay.

SSsn'oH tne territory to the
Government Causes OF
the Delay.
Washington. March 2s.-Great interest
: manifested by the general public In the
forthcoming proclamation Of President
cleveland opening up for settlement the
Indian reservation in South pa-
hota' This opening will be the most inn
poItant one since that OF the Cherokee
strip IN territory. The Yankton
Is situated in the southwestern
part OF South Dakota, on the boundary
me between that state and the state OF
Nebraska.
me Ike reservation was created by
the first article of the treaty of April 10.
1898, by which the Yankton Sioux coded to
the United States all the lands then owned
possessed n claimed by them. excepting
100000 acres described as follows: "At the
mouth of the Choteau river and EXTEND
ing up the Missouri river thirty miles,
thence due north to a point, thence east
erly to another point on the Choteau
river; thence down the river to the place
OF beginning, SO. as to include the said
quantity of 100000 acres" AS actually
surveyed 1t contains 430, 405 acres. There
has been allowed and patented to the In
dams some 167. 325 acres under the act of
February s. 1881. 1t is estimated that the
lands allotted undo the act of February
"a, 1891. Will include about $1,000 acres,
leaving a surplus of some 16S. 600 acres.
These 16s,000 acres of surplus land are
those which are to be opened soon. The
report of the Yankton commission states
that the price at which the land around the
reservation sold led the Indians to believe
That they should receive at least Sc per
acre for their surplus lands. Everything
seemed to conspire to fix in the minds of
the Indians that their lands We're very
valuable and that Sc per acre was the
smallest price they should think of. This
made 1t very difficult to convince them
that their surplus lands of 16S, 5000 acres,
scattered through the reservation. mixed
up with the Indian lands which will pay
no taxes until the indian get their pat
ents from the government, were worth
much less than similar lands outside of the
reservation, where the and are cultivated
by white men, and that the price offered
by the commission was LIBERAL. Under
these conditions the price became a very
serious question,
Their reservation contains good lands, at
least the full average OF South Dakota
lands, II not better, but all things consid-
cred, what the government paid them is
all they are worth in their present condi-
ton and a liberal price for the Indians.
On December 81, 1892. an agreement was
negotiated between the chiefs and mead
men of the Yankton tribe and j. c. Adams
of Webster, S. D., John Cole of st. Louis,
Mo-, and 1. w. French of Nebraska.
whereby the ndian coded to the govern
ment these 16S. coo acres that they might be
ODeneI for settlement Rv an articla oY
the agreement the United States stipu-
lated to pay the Indians for these lands
$500, 600. $100,0 600 OF which was to be paid
six months after the ratification of the
agreement by congres and the remain
ing $500, 900 was to be placed in the treas
ury as a trust und for the benefit of the
Indians. upon which. the government
agreed to pay interest at the rate of S
per cent. By a provision in the Indian
appropriation bill approved August Is,
1894, this agreement with the Indians was
accepted, ratified and confirmed by con-
gress and the necessary sum of 5000. 600
was appropriated for the purpose of car
rying out the provisions of the act. An
additional sum of $40, 900 was set aside to
comply with article VII of the agreement,
which stipulated that to each adult mem
Der of the tribe past the age of IS should
be paid $40 III one double eagle, struck In
the year 1892, as q memorial OF the agree
ment.
There was also in the indian act for the
year 1894 a provision that these 16s, 900 acres
of land coded to the United States should.
proclamation by the president. he
opened to settlement. and should be sub
jeet to disposal only under the homestead
and townsite laws of the United States.
excepting the sixteenth and thirty-sixth
section in each township, which should be
reserved for common school purposes and
should be subject to the laws of the state
of South kota 1t was provided that
each settler on the lands should, in addI-
ton to the fees provided by law, pay to
the United States, for the land so taken
by him, the sum Of S3.75 per acre, of which
sum he should pay so cents per acre at
the time of making his original entry, and
the balance before making his final proof
and receiving a certificate of final entry.
A provision was also included in the act
to the effect that every person who should
sell or give away any Intoxicating liquors
upon any of the coded lands should be
punishable by Imprisonment for not mora
than two years and by a fine of not more
than $500.
Thu sum realized from the sale of the
lands to the settlers at the rate Of s3.75
per acre will reimburse the government
for the amount paid to the Indians in ac-
cordance with the provisions of the agree
ment.
Much delay has been caused In the prep
aration of the regulations attending the
proclamation, and the official issuance
has thus been also delayed. There are al
ways a number of plans and plats which
v to be drawn, and these have been the
means of delay, as several trivial errors
nave been found by the officials Of the
land office In the surveys which nave been
made. AS soon as the regulations leave
the general land office they will be sent to
the secretary of the interior for approval.
They will be first referred to the assistant
attorney general, who acts as legal adviser
for the interior department, and upon the
decision of that official will rest the opin-
ion of the secretary of thesecretarymo,s st
ion of the secretary of the interior. The
utmost secrecy has been observed by all
the officials connected with the work, as
II Is the policy to give out no advance In
formation on the subject to the public,
Ahe intention being to let no one know of
%he exact date upon which the proclama,
ton will be issued. The object Of this strict
secrecy is to prevent as far as possible
the '.sooners" and boomers" from learn
Ing of the opening and thereby taking ad-
vantage of the homeseeking settlers
A prediction can, however, be safely
made as to what will be the nature of the
proclamation of the president, as 1t is the
rule to adhere to q general form in pre-
pairing the paper. 1t Is expected that 1t
will, after reciting the salient features Of
the agreement entered into by the Indians
and the agents of the government on De-
cember 81, 1892, and after including a
number of "whereases," state that thirty
days after date the Yankton reservation
10 the state of South Dakota is opened
disposal n settlement under the
"a .4nestead laws OF the United States.
Aid for the A. r.. u. Leaders
Indianapolis, Ind, March 28.-Up to
this date Treasurer John B. Lennon of
the American Federation of Labor has
forwarded to Eugene v. Debs nearly $500
representing the contributions of varl-
Gus unions Connected with the federation
toward the expenses of the defense in
the past and forthcoming conspiracy