The daily sentinel., 1905-08-10
OF LANDS
ENVELoPED IN MYSTERY.

ENNELOPED IN MYSTERY.
The recent withdrawal of four
great tracts OF land in the Uintah
reservation from public entry has
caused much discussion and little in
formation regarding the action of the
government can be obtained
General Land Commissioner Rich
ards, when approached at Provo on
Tuesday and asked for what purpose
the land was reserved and as to what
area was embraced, he stated that he
did not know
The following dispatch from Wash
ington regarding the matter ap-
peared in the Salt Lake Herald:
Washington. Aug. -Considera-
BILE mystery surrounds the recent seq
regation OF r-tracts OF land on the
Uintah Indian reservation, Utah,
which We're supposed at the time to
have been Withheld from entry with
view to their irrigation by the fed
eral government.
Two things are certain. however.
These lands, heretofore enumerated
in these dispatches, are not to be
subject to entry by persons who have
7
Grand Junction, nor will they be sub
ject to entry by anyone else under
any other laws. Secondly, the area
of these four tracts of land. instead
of being $4,000 acres, as first esti-
mated by the land office, embrace eN-
actly COOS acres. OF this total
l5O,O9S acres were withdrawn for
reservoir purposes" and 50,440
acres for agricultural purposes"
AT the time these lands were set
apart and Withdrawn from the reach
of entrymen who will 90 upon the
Uintah reservation, it was stated by
the reclamation service that these
tracts had been examined by repre-
sentatives of the geological survey
and that the men making the exam
nation had asked for the Withdrawal
of all lands specified. without assign
ing reasons II was then assumed
that the government would fOrmu-
late project for the irrigation OF
all four tracts.
Inquiry today, however, disclosed
a different state of affairs. The gov
ernment has no project on hand and
none in contemplation for the recla-
nation of these four tracts. Nor has
II any other plan for their disposal
The lands stand apart, not subject
TO entry. but not withheld for any
specific purposes.
As near as can be figured out. and
no official speaks of this matter with
entire frankness or candOr the land
Office discovered that the law open
ing the reservation authorized the
president to set apart such lands on
the reservation as might be deemed
necessary for reservoir or agricul-
tural purposes. This provision OF the
I.,rs ,tf1e FuIIaI ia tho attention nj
the reclamation service, and by IT
referred to men who had for five
years been making stream measure
ments and irrigation studies on the
Uintah reservation at the request of
the Indian office. These men, names
unknown, requested that the 200
600 acres in question be set apart
and not thrown open open to entry,
and this was done, the action being
approved by the president.
Neither the land office, the recla-
nation service or the acting secre-
tary of the interior can tell what is
to he done with this land, whether
30 is to be irrigated by private cap
itaI or by the government, whether
10 is eventually to be opened to set
Element. whether ir will be perma-
nently reserved, or what disposal VIII
be made of it. Nor does there ap-
near TO be any record on ME deSCrlD-
ing this land or indicating why It is
withheld from entry.
Acting Land Commissioner Fimple
saws the land Is mostly mountainous
and embraces the headwaters OF
streams arising on the Uintah reser-
vation. and it is his understanding
that these lands are Withheld from
entry solely to protect these head
waters and prevent their falling into
the hands of private owners, as they
control large water rights or viii con
troll water rights of persons settling
on the lands further down on these
several streams, both Indians and
white men.
It is distinctly understood that they
are not Withdrawn under the nation
al reclamation act, but under the act
of March 9, 1905.
What meager Information is avail
able would seem to indicate that the
lands Withdrawn are not of them
selves valuable for agricultural pur-
noses. though they would be valua-
he to persons who might acquire
them and thereby control much Of
the flow of the four principal streams
on the reservation.