Evening star., 1901-09-06
RICH GRAZING LAND
Contemplated Opening Of the Crow
Reservation.
WILL BE L GREAT RUSH FOR HOMES
Another Problem for the Interior
Department
THE EOKLAHOMAE EXPERIMENT

BILLINSIS, august ISUl.
The proposition to open a large portion
of the Crow Indian reservation to settle
ment has brought about an active discus
sion as to the merits of the plan adopted
with the opening of the Kowa reservation
in Indian territory. A treaty has been
made with the Grow Indians whereby they
agree to sell 1,1500OO acres Of their land to
the United States at 81 an acre. This
would still leave each Indian in the tribe
over 1000 acres of land, and while Con-
gress refused to act on the bill ratifyfng
this treaty at the last session Of Congress
there is little doubt that 1t will become
law during the coming year.
The land which 1t is proposed to open for
settlement Is more valuable in many re-
spects than that of the Kiowa reserve. al
though upon none of 1t can crops, other
than hay, be grown successfully without
irrigation. The soil is very rich and Is COW
cred with a heavy sod. making 1t an ideal
stock range. The country Is we'll watered
and has long been considered most desir-
able by cattle and sheep men as feeding
ground. The original Crow reservation in
cluded a large amount of land which Is now
thickly settled by prosperous farmers and
stockmen. and homeseekerS have viewed
with envious eyes the magnificent domain
occupied by the InuIans, who do not use
their limited farming operations.
Problem for Interior Department.
If this land is thrown open to settlement
there will be a tremendous rush Of people
to take advantage of the opportunity to
secure homes, and the Department of In
terror will face the same situation present
ed in Oklahoma few weeks ago. The
drawing on the Kiowa reserve was accom-
,,;+bo Ill
with a minimum Of resulting contests, but
1t is seriously questioned by many whether
Congress did not violate thereby the real
spirit which has animated this government
In the past In disposing Of the public do
main. 1t is held by some that when public
land ceases to be such in the sense that Ii
is worth more than the fixed prices charged
for such land 1t should be sold by the gov
ernment at auction to the highest bidder.
If a post office site, for instance, Is aban-
doned the government does not open that
site for public entry, but disposes of 1t at
public sale. Upon no ground can 1t be
argued that those who hled their home
stead rights adjacent to town sites in Okla
homa had any other idea than that of spec
uation in so doing. 1t Is believed that 1t
would have been a revelation as to the
comparative value Of the different 1GO-acre
farms In the K1Owa reservation had these
farms been put up at auction. 1t Is even
limited that 1t would have been extremely
difficult to have found bidders at any price
for some of the land. even allowing that the
terms were such as not to preclude settle
ment by those who had no ready money
Over 167 600 people filed applications for
homesteads in Oklahoma. very large
percentage of these were actuated entirely
by the spirit Of the gambler, and after they
found that they drew none of the capital
prizes paid no further attention to the
privilege they were accorded, even though
they came within the 1900 who could Sc
cure land upon that reservation. Another
question which arises now Is as to the
character Of those who were fortunate In
drawing desirable lots, whether or not they
were the kind of people the government Is
desirous Of giving its farm land to-
The problem presented Is an extremely
difficult one to handle. for never before in
the history Of the country were there so
many people desirous OF securing home
steads upon the public domain. considering
the amount Of that domain which Is really
available for settlement. The opening Of
the Crow reservation will present many
similar features to the kfowa opening.
New towns will be created, thousands of
people will come into the country and the
entire section will experience an awaken
ing which will result in adding very great
ly to the wealth Of the state of Montana.
Desire for Government Land.
1t is often asked why 1t Is there Is such
a rush for government land? This cannot
be explained entirely upon a practical ba-
sis. 1t Is an established fact that it costs
an average OF SO per acre to put a west
ern irrigated farm at a productive stage
and the men who make the improvements
pass over in their journey from the east
to the west many hundreds Of miles Of ex-
cellent farming land which can be bought
for less money, including the improvements
upon them.
In the first place there seems to be an i'm
preston that government lands can be had
cheaper than any other land, and that to
get something from the government under
all circumstances Is better than to get 1t
from private individuals. There Is real
tangible interest, however in the feeling of
security which the settler has in knowing
that he Is dealing directly with the govern
ment, that the government is behind him,
supporting and defending him and his
rights.
There seems no other way than that
Of chance to prevent the rush to new land,
such as took place in the Cherokee strip.
the echoes Of which still reverberate through
the offices Of the land department at Wash
ington. Hundreds Of land contests In the
Cherokee strip are still undecided, owing
to conflicting affidavits and testimony, and
in some of these cases the confusion Of
ownership arising from the stampede Is so
great as to preclude any settlement ever
being reached.
May Follow the ''Drawfng" Plan.
For this reason 1t is doubtful whether the
Interior Department would ever consent
or countenance another free-for-all race
for public lands which have been Increased
In value by being withheld from settle
ment. Some scheme will have to be de-
vised to make an orderly procedure, and If
no better one presents itself before the
Crow reservation Is opened, doubtless the
same plan will be followed prevailed re-
Gently In Oklahoma In the case of the
Crow reservation there will be an addi-
tional element Of discord, for while the land
without water Is worth but a few cents an
acre for grazing purposes. it Is worth from
SO to $50 an acre when supplied with suffi-
cient water for irrigation.
The rush for water rights on the streams
which flow through this land will be even
greater than for the land ITSELF and some
method OF equitable distribution will have
to be Incorporated in the measure throwing
the land open to homesteaders. It is now
acknowledged by all irrigation experts that
the title to water should go with the land,
and not be considered separate and
alienable property. Hence 1t may be pos
sibIe to reserve the water from "sooners'
and later on distribute 1t among the land
owners according to their needs for irri-
cation. These same questions will arise II
the government engages In any Of the
great reclamation projects which are now
up for consideration. II the government
should supply water for a limited area of
the fertile arid lands of the west the rush
for that land would be far greater than In