Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1895-11-15
OPENS NOVEMBER Is
Lacds Can Then Be Selected by
the Settlers.
A GREAT RUSH IS EXPECTED
Vast and Fertile Tracts for the Fa mer..
Rich Claims for the Hardy
prospectOr.

| Scores of intending settlers. who are
now encamped on the boundaries of
the Nez Perez reservation, with their
| families and all their stock and house
hold effects; hundreds of miners who
| have heard stories of marvellous finds in
| quartz and placer in the hills and can
yons of what has been the Indians ex-
elusive domain for thousands of years;
| and every merchant In the towns along
the confines of the rich tract of land
which the government finally induced
the red man to relinquish, will be graf
fled beyond measure to learn that the
lands will be thrown open to settlement
on the 18th of November of the present
year.
For a month past there has been
| stream of men travelling toward the
small towns which border on the re-
serve. There have been secret trips
onto the land to spy out the choice
tracts and to locate the mineral which
the earth is known to hide. When the
| gun Is fired to announce that the lands
| are open to location there will be
| small army rush forward and scatter
| in every direction of the compass in
hopes of finding choice bits of the best
land on Gods footstool," as 1t has been
called by those who know good land.
The Associated Press dispatches of
yesterday contained the following an
| nouncement:
Washington, Nov. 9.-The president
has signed the proclamation opening
the Nez Perez ceded lands to settle
ment on November IS. The proclama-
ton recites the provisions of the law
! atnl bot ln- .Io,ti
Issued by the secretary of the interior
the lands shall be opened to settlement
according to the terms of the treaty.
The price of the agricultural lands Is
fixed at 1915 and of the timbered lands
at 81. 1t is not anticipated that there
will be a great rush for the lands.
HISTORY OF THE PURCHASE.
July IL. 1895. Secretary Smith request
ed the treasury department to pay the
5000, 900 due to the Nez Perez Indians
in Idaho for their lands sold to the
government in Idaho. The payment
had been stopped on account of various
charges of fraud of various sorts. These
were proven unfounded, and there was
no further reason for delay. The tribe
comprises 1929 persons, each of whom
will receive little over $1,000.
Robert Schleicher, James Il. Allen
and Cyrus Beede, the commissioners,
concluded the agreement with the In
dams May /, 1893, and the principal
Ispoints of the treaty then signed is ap-
pended portions of which have hereto
fore been printed:
In all $1,626,222 is to be paid the In
dams. OF this, $626.222 is to be paid in
cash, and the million dollars Is to be
paid under the following conditions:
Hh,a ,.at, Ind .,fy afI .NfQ
222 shall be deposited in the treasury
OF the United States to the credit of
the Nez Perces of Idaho, and shall bear
interest at the rate of 8 per centum per
annum, which principal and interest
shall be paid to said Indians per capita
as follows, to-wit At the expiration of
one year from the date of the ratifica-
ton of this agreement the sum of $780,
900. and semi-annually thereafter the
sum of $l50.000, with the interest on the
uneXpended portion of the funds to be
derived from the cession of lands by
this agreement made, shall be diverted
or withheld from the disposition made
by this article on account of any depre-
dalton or other act committed by any
I Nez Perez Indian prior to the execution
Of this agreement. but the same shall
be actually paid to the Indians In cash.
|
in stipulated"
1t is agreed that the place known as
. | the BOOM" on the Clearwater river
near the mouth of Lapwai creek, shall
. be excepted from cession and reserved
! for the common use of the tribe, with
full right of access thereto, and that the
, tract OF land adjoining. now occupied
r | by James Moses, shall be allotted to
him In such manner as not to interfere
| with such right
} 1t Is stipulated that the United States
I VIII purchase for the use of Nez Perez
r Indians two portable steam sawmills
at a cost not exceeding 10000, and viii
provide for the Indians, for a period MOI
: exceeding two years, and cost not ex
ceeding $780, competent surveyor
6 for the purpose of fully informing saic
Indians to the correct locations of theil
: allotments and the corners and line.
y thereof.
a 1t is agreed that the lands by thi.
! agreement ceded, those retained, anc
(. those allotted to the said Nez Perez In
+, dams, shall be subject. for a period O.
25 years, to all the laws OF the Unite
4 States. prohibiting the introduction o.
I intoXicants into the Indian country, anC
y that the Nez Perez Indian allottees
whether under the care of an India,
agent or not. shall, for a like period
be subject to all the laws of the United
= States prohibiting the sale or other dis
4 position of intoxicants TO Indians.
: THE FIRST PAYMENT.
After a series of vexatious delays
: the first installment OF over 5000 900 wa.
4 sent to the Indian agent at Lapwai, OF
: the reservation. and all Indians VIII;
y had shadow of title to lands OF
|, the reservation received their share o.
the money apportioned. There wa.
much trouble in getting the tribes to
gether, as some malcontents refused tC
accept the terms at the last moment
{ but two months ago the final allotment
i had been sent to Washington and the
: lands were the property of the United
States. Settlers and miners then began
to move in the direction of the prom
: ised land, and the announcement of the
proclamation has been the all impor
tant news necessary to satisfy theil
longings.
| NtZ pEkCE LANDS GRAND UONAiS.