The National tribune., 1904-06-30

| ably the last for some time, will come
when the Sioux reservation in the Devils
| Lake region of North Dakota is thrown
| open for homesteading, Aug. 8, 1904. The
proclamation of the President just issued.
| gives full particulars of the opening, and
| the Secretary OF the Interior has pre-
| scribed all needful rules and regulations
necessary to carry into full effect the pro-
| visions of the law concerning the opening
Only $1,000 acres are thrown open. and
about 1000 acres more are reserved by the
| Government for park, mission and extra
allotment purposes. 1t is said to be pretty
good land. In the matter of filing, vet
Grams have the preference.
The proclamatio of the President is
as follows:
Presidential Proclamation.
"Whereas by an agreement between the
Sisseton, Wahpeton, and Cut-Head bands
of the Sioux tribe of Indians on the
Devils Lake Reservation, in the State OF
North Dakota, on the one part, and James
Mclaughlin, q United States Indian In
spectOr, on the other part, amended anu
ratified by act Of Congress approved April
q, 1904 public No. 179), the said bands
of the said Indian tribes ceded, conveyed,
transferred, relinquished, and surrendered.
forever and absolutely. without any reser-
| vatiOn whatsoever, expressed or implleQ.
unto the United States of America, all
| their claim, title. and interest OF every
| kind and character in and to the unallOtted
lands embraced in the following described
tract of country now in the State of North
Dakota, to wit:
"All that part of the Devils Lake In
| dian Reservation now remaining unallOt-
ted including the tract of land at present
| known as the Fort Totten Military Re-
serve, situated within the boundaries of
the said Devils Lake Indian Reservation
and being a part thereof; except 6.1GO
acres required for allotments to GO Indians
Of said reservation entitled to allOtments.
''The unallotted and unreserved land to
be disposed Of hereunder approximates
$4,000 acres.
| And, whereas, in pursuance Of said
act Of Congress ratifying the agreement
| named, the lands necessary for church,
mission, and agency purposes, and for the
| Fort TOtten Indian school, and for pub
| lie park, are by this proclamation, as here
| matter appears, reserved for such pur-
poses, respectively:
And whereas, in the act of Congress
ratifying the said agreement, it is pro-
vided:
'SEc. 4. That the lands ceded to the
United States under said agreement, in
Guiding the Fort Totten abandoned military
reservation, which are exclusive of 6,1GO
| acres which are required for allOtments,
excepting sections is and 36 or an equiv
alent of two sections in each Township,
and such tracts as may be reserved by the
| President as hereinafter provided, shall
be disposed of under the general prOvi-
sions of the homestead and townsite laws
i of the United States, and shall be opened
| to settlement and entry by proclamation
| Of the President, which proclamation shall
| prescribe the manner in which these lands
may be settled upon. occupied. and entered
| by persons entitled to make entry thereof,
and no person shall be permitted to settle
| upon, occupy, or enter any Of said lands,
| except as prescribed in such proclamation,
until after the expiration Of 90 days from
the time when the same are opened to set
tlement' and entry:
| VETERANS PREFERENCE.
Provided. That the rights Of honorably
discharged Union soldiers and sailors Of
| the late civil and the Spanish war, as de-
| fined and described in sections 23O4 and
1905 of the Revised Statutes. as amended
by the Act of March 1, 1901, shall not
be abridged: And provided further, That
the price OF said lands entered under the
provisions Of this Act shall be $3.50, pay
able as follows: $50 when the entry is
| made, and the remainder in annual INSTALL
ments Of so cents per acre until paid for:
| Provided further That in case any entry
man fails to make such payments, or any
| OF them, within the time stated, all rights
entry shall at once cease, and any pay
ments Heretofore made shall be forfeited
and the entry shall be Cancelled: And pro-
vided further, That the lands embraced
| within such Cancelled entry shall, after the
cancellation of such entry, be subject to
| stead law at $3.50 per acre up to and
until provision may be made for the dis
position Of said land by proclamation of
the President as hereinafter provided:
And provided further, That nothing in this
Act shall prevent homestead settlers from
committing their entries under section
23O1 Revised Statutes, by paying for the
land entered the price fixed herein, receiv-
ing credit for payments previously made.
In addition to the price to be paid for the
land, the entryman shall pay the same fees
and commissions at the time OF commute
ton or final entry, as now provided by
law, where the price OF. the land is $1.25
per acre: And provided further, That
aliens who have declared their intention
to become citizens Of the United States
may become purchasers under this Act
but before proving up and acquiring title
must take out their full naturalization pa
pers: And provided further. That when, il,
the Judgment of the President no more OF
the land herein ceded can be disposed OF
at said price, he may by proclamation, to
be repeated in his discretion, sell from time
to time the remaining lands subject to the
provisions OF the homestead law or other.
wise as he may deem most advantageous
at such price or prices, in such manner
upon such conditions, with such restrc.
tions, and upon such terms as he may
deem best for all interests concerned: And
provided further. That the President is
! hereby authorized to reserve. in his proc
lamation for the opening OF the said lands
SO much of the tracts heretofore reserved
for church, mission, and agency purposes
as he may deem necessary, not to exceed
300 acres and also not exceeding two and
one-half sections for the Fort Totten In.
dian School, and the United States stip.
! ulates and agrees to pay for said reserved
lands at the rate of 1926 per acre The
President is also authorized to reserve I
tract embracing Sully's Hill, in the north
eastern portion OF the abandoned military
reservation, about 960 acres, as a public
park.
SEC. 5. That sections 18 and &c az the
lands hereby acquired in each TOWNSHIP
shall not be subject to entry, but shall bt
reserved for the use Of the commor
schools and paid for by the United Statet
at $3.2 per acre, and the same are
hereby granted to the State OF North Da
kota for such purpose; and in case any OF
said sections. or parts thereof, OF the land
in the said Devils Lake Indian Reserya
tion or Fort TOtten abandoned militar,