Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-02
Rosebud Reservation Opening
Means Valuable Prize Pack
ages For the Lucky
eoNEsrEEL AS A BOOM TOWN
1t Will Be the Gateway to the Rosebud
Country, But it's Future Has Largely
Been Discounted by the Boomers -
Reservation Land Is Said to Be
Valuable.

! Is no longer flCli eHouSIl 70 give every
/ one farm, for there isn't land enough
to go round: but when. in this later
generation, he does start into the real
estate presentation business he does
| the handsome thing.
| Within few days before July l.
next, he will open the finest prize pack
age of lands he has ever presented to
his nephews and nieces. 1t will con-
sist of 10000 acres, constituting the
big Rosebud reservation in South Da-
l1ota. officers OF the general land of
flee declare that this is, in proportion to
that was ever thrown open for settle
ment
Uncle Sam doesn't believe in lot
teries, either; but he rs going to give
away in one drawing over sS,000,00o
when he opens these lands. And there
will be nobody to object to the plan.
Compared to the big reservations OF
Oklahoma, Indian Territory and the
southwest that have been opened in re-
cent years. the Rosebud tract is not
among the largest. Where it excels is
in value per acre. 1t has been held by
the Lower Brule Sioux Indians Tor
many years.
/ The bill for opening the Rosebud
lands passed congress and was signed
by the president only the other day. Mr..
Roosevelt had objected to 1t In the
original form, which proposed that 80
per acre should be paid by settlers for
the lands. He said the lands were
worth a great deal more, and ne was
right The real estate men were ad-
vertisinE them as worth SIS an acre.
and as matter of fact much OF the
reservation is worth up to $40 an acre,
aside from townsites. It is fair to say
that the entire reservation is worth the
s4 which. as result of the presidents
insistence, was finally fixed as the up
set price and then $50 more per acre.
The reservation lies along the west
bank of the Missouri. in southeastern
South Dakota. Nebraska being It's
southern border. It's boundaries are al
most the same as those OF Gregory
county. and take In tract thirty miles
north and south by twenty-five miles
east and west, except that the north
east corner Of the rectangle Is cut OFT
by the Missouri.
There will be 1000 farms of $50 acres
each. If there are not $4,000 applicants
for these, the land office officials and
the real estate men in the surrounding
country will be disappointed 1t is ex-
nected by everybody, In the adjacent
states to be the greatest land openins
every known in the country.
Bonesteel is the gateway to the res
eryation There is no other town In
America like Bonesteel today. There
have been others, but they are no
longer in existence. !,
Bonesteel is the terminus OF a rail-
road line seventy-five miles long Whaca
the Chicago & Northwestern system
built. three years ago. In ANTICIPATION
of the opening, which was then ex-
pected, to take place ait once. Ing
town grew within few weeks from
section of unbroken prairie TO q CITY ol
4. 900 people. The railroad coulu no
haul material fast enough to keep the
builders at work. Three banks were
started and built good brick blocks at
the various speculative main cor
rers" of the town. The rest OF the
town - stores, warehouses, residences,
hotels saloon, gambling establish
ments. dives - everything that makes
up the ensemble of a frontier mush-
room city, was of boards or tents. Cir
Gus tents were erected to serve as no
tels. and hundreds Of people lived Tor
months in them. The town was walt
ing for its chance at the prospective
settlers of the reservation.
But the reservation was not opened.
The Indians would not sign the neces-
sary contracts to dispose of their herit-
age and the plans failed. Bonesteet
lived for about three years on atmos-
phere and hopes. 1t had no business
EXCEPT brokerage in prospects. PEG.
ME deserted after congress had ad-
iourned. without passing the opening
act. almost as fast as they had come.
Then. after two years the Indians
gave their consent. The government
took over the lands. All that remained
was to pass a bill for their opening,
and this has taken year. But now "
;s law: Bonesteel has it's nerve, its
rrespects restored, and its population
is coming back by special trains.
The land office, thru which these
lands are handled. Is at Chamberlain
hut an order will be soon issued eS-
tablishing one at Bonesteei. Applicants
for lands will be permitted to register
probably from June Is to July |. The
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