Arizona republican., 1903-10-24
MCDOWELL LANDS
Everybody Satisfied With Presidents Proclamation
The Settlers on the Reservation for the First Time Gile An Oppcrtun- ity to Perfect Their Titles.

Special Agent Frnk Mead. of the Indian bureau and Special Agent Forrest Mckinley. of the general land office, returned yesterday from Fort M'Dowell. where they have been en- gagged in adjusting matters between the Indians and settlers: or. rather, where MT. Mead has been prc1nuigat- ing the proclamation of the president throwing all of the abandoned mili- tary reservation, except some SJ0 acres, open tc homestead entry.
 A great deal of misinformatio1 re garding the erranH of MT. Mead at M'DCwell has appeared in the press of Phoenix. It was reported even by some who were supposed to be Cogniz- ant of the situation that action ad- verse to the settlers and in favor of the Indians was about to be taken by him under direction from the depart rnent IL was said that there had been c decision of the dispute which has been going on between the Indians and settlers at M'Dowen for the last two years or ever since theIndians who were there were permitted to leave the san Carlos reservation. The business of Mir. Mead had nothing whatever to do with that dispute and whatever action he took there is sat lsfactory to all parties concerned. In fact all Of them are in better shape than they ever were before.
 The proclamation cf the president is based upon chapter S14 of the T.. s. revised statutes authorizing the throwing open Of abandoned military or government reservations to settle ment. excepting those parts contain ing government improvements. That has been done in the case of the M'DOwelI reservation.
 On his arrival at M'Doweli Mir. Mead called a mass meeting of the settlers; it was held at the school house and 1t was attended by about sixty persons, representing nearly all the whites on the reservation. He read and explained the proclamation and invited expressions e opinicn re- guarding it. Without exception. and al- most every settler in attendance had something to say, they were pleased with it. They said they were glad that a decision had been reached and they were the more pleased that they
  titles to the lands they occupied.
 The reservation is four miles wide and ten miles iong The ground con- taining the government improvements embraces 300 acres. The improve ments consist of the buildings of the post, an irr;gating canal. the parade ground, etc. This part is set apart for the Apache and MOhave Indians bn haa1 irs l,a xyinfn mi nf 10 post and along the Verde valley fer the last three or four years.
 Eight or ten persons had settled upon this land They were regarded as trespsssers from the beginning and had been ordered off, once by the custodian and again by S. J. Holsin- ger. special agent of the interior de- partment. They had made many inn provements of considerable value. They will be permitted to move what ever is movable and though they are legally trespassers an effcrt will be pay them for such improvements as are not movable. Governor Brodie will take the matter up with the de- partment.
 MT. M'Kinley. whose headquarters 1lt dl IsdS NIutGS, N- M-. VIII tsldD- fish temporary headquarters at M'Dowcll next Monday and will re- ceive applications for homestead en- tries. Preference will be given to these settlers who were upon the land previous to September 15. the date of the presidential proclamation. The temporary headquarters viii save the settlers the trouble of going to Tucson, for the land lies in the Tucson district So in effect there will he in this territory until all the apPi- cations at M'Dowell are in, three land offices All the applications will be forwarded to Tucson.
 The adjustment Of this matter has been accomplished without the slight est friction. MT Mead left this morning for Washington.