The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-06-16

Map of South Dakota. showing loca ton
/ OF Rosebud Indian reservation.
reservation is purely a stock-raising
country. The lands have been allotted
to the Indians as grazing land and the
number of allpttments so far is 3,189.
The attempt to raise crops has been
made but has proved practically fail
ure and has for this reason been almost
entirely abandoned. The soil is of an
alkali nature, and the frequent and
long droughts make it almost impossi-
BILE to bring any kind of a crop to ma
turity. A few Indians plant small gar
den patches in the damp ground ada
cent to the streams, but the only thing
that proves profitable is stockraising.
The Indians possess about 10000
head of cattle. They supply the gov
eminent with a quantity of fresh beef
in one year it amounting to 1885, 900
pounds, valued at $44,0O In addition
they ship an average of about 1000
head of cattle to the eastern markets
each year. This brings in about $685.
900 more, and the other sources of
earnings of the Indians are from wood
contracts about $4,000, hay $4,000 and
freighting supplies more than $4,000.
The reservation has been more or
less troubled by the trespassing of
stock of the ranchmen in the country
adjacent to the reservation. In 1899
a special effort was made to rid the
Indians land of these depredating
herds, and about 5000 head of live
stock was driven out, but it is probable
that since that year it has all, and
more, drifted back.
There is a general tendency among
the Indians of the reservation to tu-
berculosis, but aside from this their
health is good. In view of the great
extent of the reservation and the large
population, the force of physicians is
small. The deaths Outnumber the
births, in one year the former being
154 and the latter 124.
The effort to educate the Indians is
indicated by the number of schools on
the reservation, there being 10 day
schools and three boarding schools.
one of which is maintained by the
government and the other two being
under control of missionary societies.
The boarding schools report an average
attendance of 1874 at the government
school, and 206 and 80 at the other
two schools. The average attendance
upon the day schools is "a, and 1893
scholars have attended the schools thus
far All these schools are doing good
work and greatly assisting in the prog
ress of the people to civilization.
In the presidents proclamation
throwing open these lands for settle
ment, the provision is made that the
lands shall be entered under the gen.
eral provisions of the homestead and
townsite laws, and all the entries I'M
der the homestead law are to be made
in person, except in the case Of ex-sol-
diers and ex-sailors, who may employ
an agent. The entries under the home
stead law will be permitted at the rate
of 100 per day from the day of open
ing. August 8. Persons desiring to es-
tabliSh townsites on the reservation
will be permitted to make application
at any time before the opening, and
their applications will be passed upon
by the commissioner of the general
land Office. 1t is hardly to be expect
ed that there will be the rush for the
lands of the Rosebud reservation as
there has been when other reservations
which were more valuable as agricul-
tural lands have been opened for set
themselves of the opportunity offered
by the opening of this reservation to
obtain free land is certain.