Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1895-03-01
RESERT1TION M4TTERS.
1t Is COmfdenfiy Erpecfed That
the president Mn Issue the
Proclamation iH 1prI.

1t Is Confidently Erpecfed Jhat
the president Mn Issue the
Proclamation IN april.
Spokane Chronicle
The latest reports from the Nez
Perez Indian reservation are most
satisfactory to the thousands OF
people who hope to make them
selves homes in this beautiful land
The work of Col. John Lane, the
special agent of the department at
Washington, is nearing a close.
Miss Fletcher's arduous task of as
sisting the Indians to choose indi-
vidual tracts or farms out of the
hundreds of thousands of acres has
already been finished, and now
each Indian has farm of his own,
a piece of land sufficient to give
him abundant crops if he chooses
to till the soil.
Most of them will do this with IA
feeling of pride that they are farm
ers and have ranches" of their
own, like the white men. The
work which Miss Fletcher has done
in thus persuading and assisting
the Indians to obtain their indi-
vidual sections Of land has been
a very difficult one, which took
months of time, running indeed
into years, but now it is finished
and so well done and satisfactory
that the department is fervent in
its praise.
Then came the congressional APP
preparation, granting over 81 ,600,-
600 for payment for that part of
the reserve which is being sold by
the Indians to the government.
But this came readily, too, even
from a congress whose watchword
was retrenchment. The million
dollars will draw interest for the
benefit of the Indians and the six
hundred thousand already waiting
them will be paid the day the
white men cross the border.
Col. Lanes work has been max
ing a roll of the Indians for the
paymaster when he comes to con-
tribute the money of the govern
ment, sixty thousand golden eagles,
to these Indians. The latest word
from Lewiston announces that this
work is very nearly finished. Per-
haps less than two weeks the last
Indian will come and place his
name on the books and the last
difficult part of the work will be
finished. Col. Lane will then
hasten to Washington and soon
President Cleveland's proclamation
will announce that this beautiful
land, rich in a soil which is ready
to spring forth with all the good
things which satisfy the hunger of
will be ready for the
homestead applicant.
This may take place in six
weeks, or two months; perhaps in
n longer-perhaps in a shorter
time. But come it surely will and
that very soon, for the department
IS as anxious as any of the waiting
people to see the work ended.
Then the settler may come, fin
Iced he is not already on the bor-
Ter waiting with anxious heart the
moment the president says go"
Whether any such mad rush will
ollow as have resulted from the
opening of the Oklahoma and the
Dakota Indian reserves can not be
oretold. But this is evident. if it
toes come, there will be no such
disappointment as followed the
'pening of some of the other
The land is rich in productive
less and in response to even the
areless cultivator will yield rich
rops of wheat ,oats, barley rye, fax X,
lops, potatoes, vegetables of all
,inds, luscious berries, sweet APP
lies, peaches, pears, plums, prunes,
pricots and grapes. This is no
list for the beautiful or
hards of Lewiston and vicinity
nd the wonderful crops all about
he borders of this promised land,
how that all of these products not
My can be raised, but every year
hey are raised.
Up to date there are no indica-
ions of a mad rush of boomers and
but only of an immi-
ration of honest farmers who for
he sake of 160 acres of the finest
and are only too willing to pay in
he live years the small amount of
$40 per acre thereby securing to
themselves and their children a
lome of comfort for all time to
ONE.