The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-21

Special Dispatch to the Post-IntelIigencer.
SPOKANE. March 2o.-"Win the south
half OF the CoiviIle Indian reservation be
thrown open to mineral locations by the
present congress or not?"
That is a question of absorbing interest
TO every prospector or mining man in
Eastern Washington. in Idaho and in
British Columbia 1t is no exaggeration
10 state that thousands of people are In
tenselv concerned TO the probable ac-
tion OF congress on this matter. and daily
the press dispatches from Washington
are eagerly scanned for the announce
ment that the conference committee of
the senate and house have agreed to the
rider 10 the Indian appropriation bill
which provides for such action.
To Senator John l.. Wilson is due the
credit for the amendment being tackled
to the Indian bill, and TO both Senators
Wilson and Turner is due the credit of
It's passage through the senate. With the
return of the bill to the house Senator
Wilson's amendment was met with seri-
Gus opposition. and Notwithstanding Con-
6tFrSiitt JViltS anu Lew nave pSt0
flooded with kilograms from their con-
sti,uents from this section Of the state
10 exert all their influence for the passage
OF the amendment. ii sfiI hangs in the
balance.
= Apparently she msin source Of the op~s
position emanates from the Indian Rights
Association which IL about as conversant
with the consequent results and benefits
to he derived by the Indians on the
reservation by its being thrown open for
the purpose stated as the monarch of the
Fiji islands The same oppos.tien was
met two years ago when the north half
Of the reservation was opened to mineral
location. Witness the result. In less than
two years time what promises 10 be one
OF the richest mining districts in the
world has been opened up. With it that
hitherto trackiess forest is rapidly max
ing way to civilization. Mining camps
have sprung up a. various points on the
reserve, and thus creating a valuable
market for the products Of the hundreds
Of Indian farmers who own and till farms
in the valleys adjacent to the mines now
being opened up. True. there were In
dians. of the class to be found in evers
;ribe--too lazy and shift'ess TO work
who view the encroachment on their do
main with disfavor, but the Industrious
members. and they form large rropor-
tion of the tribes on the reservation who
are receiving direct benefits from the in
coming OF the miners are lending their
aid 10 secure the opening OF The entire
reserve 10 miners
When It was first proposed TO open the
north half the extent and quality OF the
mineral - be found thereon was purely
preblematical. Subsequent developments
demonstrated that the extent ana rich
ness OF the mineral hedges already dis
covered exceeded the most sanSuine ex-
pectattons. and as the p-ospector peue-
tratcd further south the richer the leads
became Eureka camp. o. az 4 now
called Republic which has already be
come IL nous because Of is rich pros
poets was discovered six miles north OF
the dividing line between the north and
south half This tendency of the region
70 become richer as discoveries progressed
further south Ia - a clainor for the
opening % The south half. and il Was IN
response % this clamor THAI Senator VII
son fntre>'lcn3 surh a measure a. the
last session 90 congress. ana when that
failed Of passage ne again az the pres
err SESSION. introduced q rider to the In-
dian appropriation hui in the hopes il
might pas@ with the original bill
The ARA e. tae south haIC OF the reser-
walton embraces six townships deep and
eleven wide or abont l25o o,0 acres. ex-
tending thirty miles north and south ard
sixty miles east and west 0n .ha east
and soath :. is bordeyed by the Columbia
river. ara on the west by .he Okanosan
river. IL character rs south half resem-
h'cs the north half. beins mostly mountain
Gus ard heavily timbered Or the million
ard a quarter acres. about - 90 sores con-
s,St< of sae hay and agricultural lands.
This Hes mostly along the valleys CT the
Sans Poll and Nespilen river ana creeks
sntpvin3 INTO the Columbia Tar-e mount
aia r4uge~. extending north and south.
form many hg divides across the entire
reserve, IL the Valleys y found ihe arri-
cultural land and IN tbs noun aims o
soana Ne gi9a mineral aroer.axs- SAr AAA