Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1901-09-12
NORTH DAKOTA NEWS
SUES THE GOVERNMENT.

SUES THE GOVERNMENT.
Fort Totten. across Devils Lake, an in.
vestigation under charge OF General T..
c. Armstrong, special agent of the de-
partment of interior of Washington, has
been in progress. Attorney Chase, OF
Chase & Maxwell. of Washington. has
been looking after the Indian rights in
the matter while the government is repre-
scented by Attorney Anderson.
The Sisseton and Wahpeton tribes OF
the Sioux Indians, who comprise chiefly
the Indians on the reservation here, have
a claim against the government amount
ing to about $3,OOO,0OO. They are endeav-
oring to collect from the government the
annuities which were suspended after the
great Minnesota. massacre. In 1854 a
treaty was made with the Sioux Indians
in Minnesota whereby the United States
government purchased from the Indians
a large tract OF land west Of st. Paul
and paid them some cash. the balance.
according to the treaty was to be paid in
annuities. For nine years these annuities
were paid, but after the massacre at
New ulm in 1869 on account of the Ie-
sult1ng expenses, congress, by an act,
suspended these yearly payments.
Now the Sissetons and Wahpetons are
endeavoring to prove that they were not
participants, as tribes, in that noted
massacre.
IMPORTANT CASE.
A case will come up for trial at TIE
next term Of court in Mercer county, in
volving the legaN.y of the tax on a small
band of sheep seized b. Sheriff Kruken..
berg for unpaid taxes and incidentally
involving the law passed by the legis-
lature of 1881, changing the boundaries
of nine of the largest counties in the
western part Of the state. The case will
be one of the most important ever tried
in the state and will eventually so to the
supreme court for decision of the
legality of the much discussed 1891
boundary law.
If the upper court follows the same
reasoning as in the case of Schaffner VS..
Mercer county, recently decided, the 1881
law will probably be held invalid, and
this will restore the county boundaries
rs they existed prior to 1891 and will re-
suit in endless confusion to the counties
of Mercer. Mclean, Ward, Bott,neau,
McHenry and several other counties.
STATISTICS.
"EAC 4,1oV MISUNDERSTANDING 0SlCD-
]ishments reported for North Dakota.
with 1888 wage earners employed, who
received 81, 2222, 472 in wages. The product
was valued at s9,1s3,114 Compared with
the year 1890, there has been an increase
Of 60 per cent in the number OF wage
earners and an increase of 81 per cent in
the value of products.
Flour and grist milling, one Of the i'm
portant industries of the state, gave a
product valued at $4,134,O23 or As per cent
Of the value of the product Of all the
manufacturing Industries in the state
Wheat was the most important cereal
ground. Asp, Al bushels having been used
in this way during the census year.
In North Dakota's total population of
319.146 there were III, 49S males and al, g.:
females; 113,091 foreign born and 7,4s4
colored persons. OF the colored people,
6,9GS are Indians.
OIL.
Word has reached the city that great
excitement exists at Washburn over the
discovery of oil in a we'll being dug at
that place.
Several days ago 1t was Eoticcd that
the water brought to the surface con-
tanned a small quantity Of oil. and as the
work progressed the amount of oil in
creased rapidly. 1t is the firm belief OF
several from this city who have visited,
the scene that there is {: great quantity
of oil in that vicinity.
Already there is talk of organizing a
company for the purpose of boring much
deeper to thoroughly investigate the
matter. 90
A WARNING.
Prof. Wales notices that the annual
straw burning season has arrived again.
and sounds his note of warning that this
business of burning the straw will surely