Bisbee daily review., 1903-03-28
DELEGATE WILSON
 VISITS IN TUCSON

Hon. J. F. Wilson, delegate to con
 gress from Arizona arrived in Tucson
 this morning from Phoenix Mir. Will
 son is investigating the status of the
 old Mcdowell military reservation. in
 which at present there are grave com
 plications between white and Indian
 settlers
 Several years ago this reservation
 was abandoned by the military author ities and the and thrown open to settlement. The lands were surveyed
 but the plats were not filed with the land office. nor have they been filed yet. The whites entered the resrva-
 tion as soon as it bcame known that it
 was open to settlement. Some years
 later Indians from the San Carlos res eTyation. inspired. it is believed. by
 intermeGdling officials and white land
 grabbers. entered the reservation and began to lay claim to lands already located by white settlers.
 These lands are fertile, easily sus-
 ceptible to cultivation, and are located , in Maricopa county. Mir Wilson says
 that the white settlers have over 4,000
 acres fenced in, and upwards of 2.000 acres under cultivation. The whites were the first settlers, and the Indians who followed after claim that they have an assurance that the lands will be granted to them. The Indians are depredating on the stock of the whites. | and serious trouble is liable to ensue at any time. A few days ago a couple of Indians stole twenty sheep from the white settlers, and were ar rested for the theft and are nov in jail A white man who is employed to teach the Indians is generally ac- cused of stirring up the trouble. The 1 white settlers have time and again ap- 1 pealed to the government and com plained of the aggressions of the h. dians, but the white teacher has in- | variable entered a general denial of
 the charge on the part of his wards Delegate Wilson is going to get at | the bottom of the situation, and then
 proceed to Washington and endeavor ; to have matters strengthened out. i There seems to be no doubt that when
 the whites settled on the abandoned i reservation they had a right to do so. It is also fact that the whites were the first settlers. An afterthought of ! the interior department seems to be 1 responsible for the present complica- tions. Mir. Wilson found the follow ing documents on file in the United States land office in ths city:
 i Department of the Interior, Washing | ton. November r. 1901.
 The Commissioner of the General Land Office:
 Sir-I transmit herewith a copy of communication of November 2l. 1900, ! from the commissioner of Indian af- l fairs, relative to certain Mohave 1 Apache Indians from the San Carlos
 agency Arizona. living on the Camp
 McDoweli military reservation, and in
 the Verde valley. Arizona
 By the act of August 23. 1894. the Camp Mcdowell reservation is opened to settlement under the public and lave of -he TTrite5 States ax~ort sroh ! legal subdivisions as have government Improvements thereon, and except also such other parts as are now or may
 be reserved for some public use.
 It is shown by the commissioners letter that some two or three hundred acres covered by the old military
 ditch. and the land on which is located the buildings, including the parade
 grounds. the gardens. the water and all improvements, would support at least 15O Indians.
 F From the statements made by the commissioner, and the officers of the Indian service and Special Agent Hol singer of your office, submitted with |