The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-08-15
A TREATY With TH1 CROWS
Is Made for the Cesson of Over One Million Acres
of Their Reservation Along the Yellow.
stone and Big Horn.
p GREAT THING FOR BILLINGS
Add Territory Yellowstone County Will
Open Fine Land for Settlement Good Work
Done by the Commission.
GREAT THING FOR BILLINGS

capita payment that they now receive
Thus 1t will be seen that the treaty IL
All excellent one for the Indians. They
will be paid for their lands and the
wise provision IL made that a portion Of
the proceeds OF the sale will 70 to bet.
ter their condition. They will still
have some 1900, 900 acres Of land left
oD the reservation, or about 200 acres
for every buck, squnw and child III the
tribe. Provision has been made IL the
treaty for all Indians holding allot.
ments or residing OH the ceded strip,
whereby they can remain IN possession
Of their land, Or can sell the improve.
ineDts at their option and remove to the
reservation proper, which ~ the course
that will no doubt be generally fol.
lowed:
This provision was necessary by rea.
son Of the treaty Of 1868, which
provides that no Indian Is 70 he depriv.
ed Of his home by reason OF any further
cession Of lands without bis consent.
The treaty, Of course, must DO rati.
fed BY congress, either by special act
or all amendment to the regular Indian
appropriation bill. The ratification
can be sooner accomplished by special
act, as the appropriation bills als gen
orally not passed until near the close Of
the session, which would delay Its up.
proval, but the ratification In sure tt
follow. as the Indians are perfectly sAt.
isfed with the treaty and the cession OF
the land is for the good OF everyone
concerned. Both the Northern Pacific
and Burlington railroads will be bene'
flted by reason Of their lines passing
through the ceded strip. while the city
Of Billings and this section Of the
country generally will feel the good
effects on account Of the settlement OF
the rich lands that have heretofore
been practically wasted.
The Cetled strip.
The land ceded BY the treaty, al
stated above, comprises about !, i0O, ,00Q
acres. The boundary line starts at the
northeast corner Of the military raser.
walton, which IL three miles north Of
FG-t Custer, and runs east to the
eastern boundary Of the reservation, or
the Custer county line; then, starting
from the southwest corner Of the mill
tary reservation, Or three miles south
Of Fort Custer, the line runs west
nearly to Pryor creek; thence north to
Huntley, the northern boundary beiDg
the base line that passes through Bill.
ings. This throws open all the valley
Of the Yellowstone and all that Of the
Big Horn river north OF Fort Custer,
adding to Yellowstone county the terri.
tory lying west Of the Big Horn.
II comprises several hundred thousand
acres Of as fine farming land as there
is in the United States, al easy to irri.
gate, and with all abundance Of water
in the Yellowstone and Big Horn to
cover the entire tract. 1ts eession IA
certainly a great thing for this city.
which will hail with delight the news
that the treaty has been made and i'm.
patiently await the day when " IL ratI.
fed BY congress and the land thrown
open to settlement