The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-10
ALL0TT|NG |N0|AN LANDS
The Indian Bureau Completing
the Work of Division.
OTHER IMPORTANT MATTERS
The Irrigation Question on the South.
ern Ute Reservation-A Speedy
settlement of the Turtle Mountain
Difficulty Hoped For Land to Be
Opened for Settlement.

| The Indian Bureau has about completed
| the work OF allotting lands in several6y To
| such members of the Southern Ute tfIbe
| as agreed to the allotmenG proposition.
| The commission, whose duty it was to
attend to this matter Of anotments, was
| appointed under the provisions OF the act
of Congress, approved February 20, 1895.
Considerable difficulty was experienced,
and the first report of the commission
which was transnhtteito the Commissioner
OF Indian Affairs showed that allotmeifs
had been accepted by but 332 Indians, and
that the quantity of land so allotted was
60, 450.3 acres While these schedules
were before the Department of the In
terror, Agent Day, OF the Southern Ute
agency, who was also "a member OF the
commission, reported that the Indians who
had wanted their improvements appraised
and sold, with the intention OF removing
to the diminished reserve, to live in com
mon with those members OF the tribe who
had decided not To take allotments, had
reconsidered their determination and
wanted allotted to them the land upon
which their improvements We're. Agent
Day, in his capacity as commissioner, was
accordingly directed to prepare supple
mentary schedule, showing the additional
allotments.
He soon transmitted this supplementary
schedule, showing thirty-niDe allotnents,
aggregating 1860 acres. Other allotments
followed to those Indians who would accept
land in seyeralty, and the work is just
abou ut TO close.
a matter of much Importance to the al
lottees on the Southern Ute reservation is
that of irrigation The agent has han sur
veys and the necessary filings made forfive
bitches, and he has been directed TO sub
init estimates for putting In the head
gate for each Of the bitches and TO doing
limited amount OF additional work on
two OF them, the idea being TO prosecute
the work with due diligence rs required
under the laws of Colorado For the COM
plction OF the bitches special apprOpria-
ton was asked, the regular appropriation
of 100000 for irrigation generally on
Indian reservations being entirely too
small TO provide for payment OF the total
cost of irrigation for the Southern Utes
About $1,000 out of this regular APP
preparation was used to begin the work
aud more money is needed to compIeteit
The Indian Office will try TO accomplish
speedy settlement of the Turtle Noun
tain question, which has hung fire for
long time. The agreement concluded
October Do, 1892, with the Pembiua Cnippe
was, which it was thought, would bring
their affairs TO satisfactory termination,
has not yet been ratified by Congress,
been submitted with recommendation that
no no tlr,a
mitted December 8, 1895. with the state
ment that these Indians were in CON
tinued state of disquiet and unrest, as a
result CT the failure to rat!fy the agree
ment. 1t is said the Indians strongly favor
the ratification, though il is opposed by
a certain Canada half-breed faction which,
insugated by outside parties, has always
been more or less disturbing element ON
this reservation.
A number of Pem5inas were tried and
sent to Jail for the alleged offense Of
cutting timber on Government lands, in
the Turtle Mountain district. The Indians |
however, that the cutting was |
done on land which they have always |
claimed as their own that they have never |
ceded this land to the Government, except |
by the unratified agreement of 1892, and |
that the cutting and sale was done the /
winter before, to enable them to procure
'ood
A large slice of land in the southwest |
corner of Colorado, now part of the South
ern Ute reservation, will he opened to set
dement,, hy Presidential proclamation, prob
ably this summer. The land would have |
been declared open before this, but for
W hat is alleged to he a grave error in the
location OF the 10th meridian OF longi-
Jude. This question will have to he set
LED automatically, before the. proclama-
ion will issue.
The land is arid except along the streams
Rio Mancos, La Plata, Los Animas, Los
rinos, Piedra, San Juan, Florida and
Banco. On the table lands the soil is
inproductive, but with irrigation will be
fertile.
A few days ago, when the error of the
eastern boundary was called TO the atten-
ion Of the department, the Secretary Of
The Interior directed the Geological Survey
% establish the line, and this will be
lone as soon as spring opens The read
ustment of this meridian will affect more
han As, 700 acres of land, now GAINED
~ the State of Colorado