The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-09-14

ANTICIPATE BIG RUSH
Two Million Acres of Land to
Be Thrown Open 10 Set
Tiers March |.


Nernal. Sept S-The opening Of the
Cintah reservation, with its 100000 acres
1L iand. which is scheduled for March l.
~ peglnnng TO attract the people from
me surrounding states, and Vernal is be-
ginning TO fill up with homeseekers in an
tielpation of the event
FROM Nernal to the east side OF the
.siissfNauon IS only about twenty miles.
Which makes II the most convenient point
70 camp, pending the opening and il is
SNpecteo mat quite a colony will estab-
nsh themselves here in the next few
One advantage here is that the reserva-
ton is probably better known TO the peo-
PIE living in this county than anyone else
mere are dozens of men here who have
Deen over every part Of it and ore pretty
well acquainted with the topoghaphy1 OF
tine section generally.
1t IS the general belief that in the event
OF the opening there will be some exciting
chases for mineral locations as there is
no question but that a number of parties
nave claims spotted" that they have dis
covered while travelling over the country
and have kept the matter secret
II Is almost certain that a number of
claims OF gilsonite. elaterite and other
hydrocarbons exist within +he lines Of
the reserve that are not known 10 the
Florence Mining company which has
preferential rights to locate 100 claims.
In and around Vernal are living a num-
Der of men WHO have in the past been
employed in VariOus capacities on the res
erVation and have had splendid oppo--
tunities 10 get valuable informa ton and
have svailed themselves Of IT, That these
men viii be in on the ground floor is
certain. and they will no doubt get the
lions share OF the mineral ground worth
locating. one remarkable fact is the al
most total absence OF the usual wild tales
OF fabulousiy rich mines that get into cir
culatiOn before almost every opening. The
story OF the Rhodes gold mine is gener-
ally looked on as a myth by those who
are best acquainted with the reserve.
The majority Of those who have ar
rived here so far 10 await the opening
are those in search Of agricultural lands.
and an influx Of home-seekers from sur
rounding states has already set in.
The reservation is watered by several
fine streams. all OF which are easily di-
! vertcd. and the work OF constructing ca
mails viii be comparatively easy. The IN
dian alotments have been principally
made along the river bottoms so far.
which all western people understand Is
usually the poorest for agricultural pUr-
poses. bv reason OF the fact that when
the lands on the higher benches are
brought under cultivation the river bot
toms become so strongly impreEnated
with alkali as to become useless for
frops. The greater part Of the land along
| the streams is gFeasewood land. which
every Utah farmer has learned by hard
experience Is undesirable for farm lands.
| On the benches the land is generally or
! good quality and easily brought under
cultivation.
Between Fort Duchesne and White
/ Rocks Is a low bench that has been al
/ lotted to the Indians for a number OF
! wears and is really the only good bench
| land thus for taken by them. On this
! bench are some as fine farms as can be
I found anywhere In the west. There are n
/ number Of these farms of f60 acres each
! that are as even as dancing floor. but
! with just sufficient fall TO irriRate nicely.
| The government has erected good houses
on each one and constructed good canals
and fences. AS a rule these farms. are
! rented 10 white men by permission of the
agent. and large crops Of hay and grain
( Sre raised Formerly the grain and hay
/ Tor the fort and the two agencies came
from the Ashley valley, but of late years
/ these bench farms on the reservation have
/ met this demand and more too. What
| these bench farms are producing is fair
| indication of what hundreds of other
farms Will do that viii be taken up when
] the opening comes.
OF course ell those acquainted with the
west understand that out of the total of
? 0o 90 acres in the reservation n great
deal is mountainous and unfit for cult
I walton. but admitting this there is vet a
| great deal Of good land that will afford
! homes for thousands Of people. The
Cintah mountains or the north side form
a splendid grazing country and will fIr-
nish feed for thousands OF stock. The
Strawberry valley in the west is an ideal
dairy ranch country and win be an attrac-
tive location for those with stock inter-
csts It is a safe prediction that inside Of
! five years after the reservation is opened
/ for entry all OF the water of the different
! streams running through it will be di-
verted and one OF the finest farming sec
| tiOns Of the state will have been so far
developed that It viii support a large
population.