The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-08-09
SOME MYSTERY
IN THE SCHEME
Over 100000 Acres of Uintah Land
Is Not Subject to Entry.
FOUR TRACTS SEGREGATED
OFFICIALS CAN GIVE LITTLE IN
FORMATION.
Especial TO The Herald)


cent segregation Of four tracts
of land on the Uintah Indian reser-
walton, Utah, which were supposed at
the time TO have been withheld from
entry with a view TO their irrigation
by the federal government. Two things
are certain, however. These lands
heretofore enumerated in these dis
patches are not to be subject to entry
by persons who have registered at Pro-
| 70, Price. NernaI or Grand Junction,
nor will they be subject to entry by
! any one else under any other laws
| Secondly, the area of these four
| tracts, instead OF being $4,000 acres. as
/ first estimated by the land office. en-
total 150,0sS acres were Withdrawn for
| reservoir purposes and 30, 40 acres
| for agricultural purposes"
! No Reason Was Given.
| At the time these lands were set apart
tand Withdrawn from the reach of en-
| tIymen who viii go upon the Uintah
| reservation ii was stated by the re-
clamative service that these tracts had
! been examined by representatives of
the geological survey and that the men
making the examinations had asked for
! Withdrawal all lands specified without
/ assigning reasons. 1t was then assumed
that the government would formulate
a project for the irrigation Of all four
| tracts.
| Inquiry today. however, discIoses a
different state of affairs. The govern
ment has no project on hand and none
/ in contemplation for the reclamation
| Of these four tracts nor has it any
other plan for their use or disposal
/ The lands stand apart not subject to
| poses.
Officials Not Frank.
/ As near as can be figured out. and
no official Will talk of this matter with
entire frankness or candor, an officer
| discovered that the law opening the
reservation authorized the president to
! set apart such lands on the reserVa-
ton as might be deemed necessary for
\ forestry purposes or for reservoir or
| agricultural purposes. This provision
| of law was called to the attention of
| the reclamation service and by them
referred to the men who had for five
years been making stream measure
ments and irrigation studies on the
/ Utntah reservation at the request OF
the Indian Office
These men, whose names are ur-
| known. requested that the two hun
bred thousand acres in question be
set apart and not be thrown open to
/ entry and this was done. the action
1 having been approved by the presi-
| dent.
|
! Neither the land Office, reclamation
| service or acting secretary of the in
| terror can tell what is TO be done with
| this land whether it is to be irrigated
/ by private capital or by the govern
ment; whether IL is eventually to be
/ opened TO settlement; whether it Will
! be permanently reserved or what dis
| posal viii be made of il, nor does there
appear TO be any record or file deS-
! cribing this land or indicating why it
I is withheld from entry. Acting Land
! Commissioner Fimple says the land is
/ mostly mountainous and embraces the
| headwaters of streams rising on the
| Uintah reservation and it is his I'M
| derstanding that these lands are with
! held from entry simply and solely TO
| protect these headwaters and prevent
! their falling into hands of pri
vate owners, as they control large
| water rights. or viii control water
| rights, OF persons settling on lands
! further down on these streams, both
| Indians and white men.
| Withdrawn Under Act of March 8.
1t is distinctly stated that these
! lands are not withdrawn under the
national reclamation act, but under
the act of March 3.
What meager Information is avail
| able would seem to indicate that the
lands withdrawn are not of them
/ selves valuable for agricultural pUr-
poses, though they would be valua bic
! to persons who might acquire them
and thereby control much of the flow
of the four principal streams on the
reservation.
Some time in the dim and distant
/ future some plan Will be devised for
| utilizing controlling or disposing of
| these 200. 600 acres, but at this time no
\ man can say what viii be done.