Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1895-03-14
YANKTON INDIAN RESERVE.
The 10000 Acres VIII Likely BE Quick.
ly Taken.

AhO AsOtVOV VAV ~ AIhAeAy OO XukcA"
ly Taken.
The announcement that the Yankton
Reservation will be thrown open to settle
ment on April l is attracting a great num-
Der of settlers who are anxious to take up
homesteads on this choice land. Being in
the heart of the South Dakota corn belt it
is not likely that it well be long before the
entire 10000 acres will be pre-empted.
Inquiries from hundreds of eastern farmers
indicate that the settlement of this; land
will be by IN excellent class of citizens.
The Yankton Indian reservation lies
within the borders OF Charles Nix
county. Outside the reservation the
county Is well settled, and contains
three thriving villages n q number OF
well cultivated farms. The land ceded
to the government by the treaty Of De-
cember 81, 1892, embraces 168, 900 acres
of choice farming land, which extends
parallel with the Missouri river, which
is Its western boundary. One reason
why this land Will be eagerly sought Is
that 1t lies within the well settled part
OF the state, and is within easy reach OF
good markets.
The Indians who have been allotted
land pom this reservation have made
considerable prOgress in civilization,
and a become citizens Of the United
States. n voted at the last general
election. One Of he greatest him
ORANGES to he progress Of these In
dams has been their tribal relations
and ownership of land in common, and
the issue Of food end clothing by the
government. The Indians who do not
wish to cultivate the land allotted t 0
them may lease it during a term OF
twenty-five years. or less. subject to
the approval Of the government Indian.
agent: thus a settler may own his
homestead and cultivate leased lane
adjoining his property al the same
time. Under h treaty with the Indians
intoxicating liquors are to be ex-
cluded from the ceded lands forever.
The agency Is located on the Missouri
river. near the southeastern corner OF
n reservation, INC it 10 here that
nearly all Of the Indians reside.
The soil Of the reservation Is a rich,
black alluviaa and vegetable mold,
slightly sandy, and from one to four
feet deep. The surface soil Is underlaid
by a calcareus mari subsoil, which has
a remarkable faculty Of holding mois-
ture n enables vegetation to with
stand droughts such as would ruin
crops dn a less favored locality. The
reservation is in the corn and stock
belt Of South Dakota, and will give the
homesteader some of the best land at
the governments disposal. On the
land in Charles Mix county, outside of
the reservation, the yield per acre Of
crops in 1893 was: Wheat. %: oats. Sc;
corn. s.: fax. IL; barley. 81; rye. 10: po-
tatoes. $50. Lake Andes and Red lake
are both permanent bodies of water.
Lake Andes is four miles from
the town of Armour. in Charles
Mix COUNTY; the nearest rail
long. by one mile wide. fed by numerous
springs. Upon the west bank Of this
lake a town site will probably be 10.
Gated. and 1t ID likely to become quite
a large town. At the present time this
lake is the favorite resort for sportsmen
hunting ducks and geese. Al they swarm
here in thousands in the spring and fall.
AZ yet no railroad penetrates the reser-
walton or the county in which It II To-
Gated, but the Chicago and Northwest
ern c~ontemplates extending q branch
from Yankton up the Missouri. through
Charles Mix county. this summer. This
will afford a direct route to all Of the
principal produce markets Of the coun-
try.
According to the terms Of the treaty
they shall be subject to dispoeal only
Of the United States excepting the
sixteenth and thirty-sixth sections in
each township. which shall be reserved
for common school purposes. provided
that each settler on said lands shall.
In addition to the fees provided by
law ($14), pay to the United States for
the land 30 taken by him the sum of
1915 per acre, Of which sun he shall
pay so cents per. acre at the time Of
making his original entry and the bal
ance before making final proof
and receiving certificate OF
final entry. At a fair valuation
this land is worth S. to So an acre, and
will eventually become more valuable.
The settler has one great advantage
in locating upon this land, viz: the
first payment IL small, and he has eight
years in which to pay the balance. dur
Ing which time he a no taxes to pay
upon the land, which IL no small item
to be considered. A great plumber OF
the Indians to whom hand has been
allotted will never cultivate their hold.
ings, and here IL another opportunity
for the white man, who may lease thil
land for q small sum annually for hay
or pasture land. while he plants hi
own land to agricultural products. Th(
growing qualities Of this soil has baseed
the experimental stage. - the Vuqaesl
Of the farmers In other paree Of CAG396l
MIX county viii oAmonptratA