The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-05-25
THE BLACKFEET RESERVATION.
Rich Mineral Country That is
Likely to BE Opened.

Likely TO Be Opened.
There is now pending in congress
bill in which the Blackfeet Indians,
for the consideration of 81, 500, 900, agree
to sell the western third of their reser-
walton in northwestern Montana to the
government, says the Helena Herald.
The Indians have agreed to the stipu-
lations in this bill; in fact, are anxious,
for the section spoken of is of no use
to them. and they never enter it, for
they superstitiously believe that the
whole mountainous region is overrun
with demons and spirits.
This treaty has been amended sew
eral times, but it is now tackled on to
the appropriation bill, and those in
terested hope and say it will soon be
passed One of the amendments to the
original treaty was that the entire re-
serve be SOLD in large tracts. This was
the scheme of some of the admins
tration officials, who, upon adoption of
the amendment, meant to step in and
buy the whole of the coded portion.
Luckily this was knocked out, for had
it been passed with the BILL two or
more eastern syndicates could have
stepped in and bought the whole strip
with it's vas. mineral deposits
For the section of country, ex-
tending from the northern to the
from the main divide, its present west
ern boundary, from fifteen to twenty
miles eastward, covering an area of
about 600 square miles, embraces one
of the richest mineral sections in the
United States. This the authorities
know, and several officials tried to buy
it from the government but their
amendment was defeated, and when
this section of the reserve is pur-
chased it VIII be open to all miners
and prospectors, and not to one or two
eastern syndicateS. .
Much has been written, and considI-
cradle more said about the richness of
the mineral deposits in this strip. AS
it is on an Indian reservation and the
Indian police make it their duty to keep
prospectors off their lands, but little
definite knowledge can be obtained
concerning the country. However,
some prospectors, who have been lucky
enough to elude the Indian police, and
who have explored some of the coun-
try, bring out wonderful stories of
lodges of gold, silver and copper, and
back up their statements by showing
rich specimens containing these met
ais.
Ross Cartee, the well-known civil en-
gineer, probably knows as much about
the Blackfeet reservation, the portion
of it to be sold to the government, and
the mineral deposits of that country,
as anyone A year ago last October
Mr.. Cartee secured the government
contract for surveying and running
several big canals and bitches where
by the Indians could irrigate their
crops. At odd times, when there was
no work for a few days, Mr.. Cartee
would take a trip into the mountains
and secure data on the country. While
employed on the canal and ditch work
he always treated the Indians well,
and by doing so gained the confidence
and good will of the Blackfeet, and
learned from them many stories of
the richness stored away in the goblin
lands, the mountains.
After he had finished his work on the
canals he was employed to survey the
line cutting off the mineral strip from
the rest OF the reservation. This he
did after three months work running
lines and collecting data, which added
to that he had already secured, enabled
him to make a map of the reservation.
A tracing of the map was sent Com
missioners Grunnell Pollock and Gle
ments the three men who were ap-
pointed to treat with the Indians.
Mr.. Cartee arrived in Helena last
March and since then he has been put
ting in his spare moments on map
of the reservation. He completed his
WOTh d lew Qdy dSOs callN oto LIE ISSull
of his labor has a map of the reserve,
the best and most correct ever made.
Every river and creek is shown, with
many lakes. The trend of the main
range in its many windings and twist
ings is shown correctly for the first
time in history. and many of the trails
across the reservation are given. This
last map was made for Joe Kipp, the
post trader at the reservation.
q no RI of
ton is thrown cpen,'' said Mr.. Cartee,
lone of the greatest mineral districts
in the country will be opened UP to
the miner and prospector. Not only is
it a rich mining country, but it will
be paradise for sportsmen and tour
lists. 1t is a region of mountains,
rivers and beautiful lakes. and game
and fish are to be had atsany time. The
Indians, being SuperStittiOus, will
never venture iYlto fha mountains h1rt