Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-05-01
CROWS WILL
BE WEALTHY
The Tribe Will Soon be in Possession
Of Plenty Of Hard Cash and
Good Land.
ALL DUE TO THE GOVERNMENT
Redskins Taught Habits Of Industry
and Self Observation-Disclosures
in Four Jears.

Billings, April 30-By reason OF the
watchful care of beneticent govern
lnent the tribe of Crows, located or
their reservation near this city, will
at no distant day become well-tixed
financially sound tribe.
at the present time and even after
the coded portion of their reservation
has been taken away from them, for
which they will be well paid, they
will still have a body of land larger
than the area of the states of Con-
necticut, Rhode Island. New Hamp-
shire and Vermont. combined. They
have about 100000 in their tribal
fund at Washington, D. c., at the
present time. and when there is add
ed to it the sum of more than 81 ,0O0.-
COO which they will receive for the
lands that are about to be thrown
open for settlement, the 500 families
Of the tribe will be in about as good
shape as any nation of Indians in the
United States. except perhaps, the
Osages, who are said to be the rich
est Indians in the world.
A great deal has been accomplish
ed during the four years that Major
Reynolds has been agent for the tribe,
and that gentleman says there is still
much more to do to bring the Indian
up 10 anything like a perfected state
OF civilization. Mr.. Reynolds has
worked hard in behalf of his charges
and at times he feels greatly encour-
aged with what has been accomplish
ed. And again there are occasions
that he is made to feel that all Of his
efforts have been in vain. This is
when some Indian practically destroys
his entire seasons work by distribut
ing his crops around among the Other
fellows who have been leading an indo
lent life.
They Are Socialists.
In this regard the Indians are the
greatest Socialists on earth Wha
belongs TO him belongs to every rela
tive or needy friend that he has anC
the inIolent Indian we'll knows tina
he will not suffer as long as his NOR,
Industrious brother has a stack of ha,
or hundred bushels of wheat left OF
his farm. This encourages idlenes
among those who prefer to be idle an,
brings encouragement to the hear
OF the hard working agent.
The Crows will not only have
goodly amount of cash on hand in
year or two, but there will be remain
ing on their reservation enough agri
cultural land to give every one of then
as good farm as there is in tn,
state of Montana or any other state
In the valley of the Big Horn alone
and under the st. Xavier irrigation
canal, there are $4,000 acres of a.
rich fertile lands as the Yellowstone
valley can show. This will be allot
ted in a short time, as we'll as the lane
in the beautiful valley of the Little
Horn, which is equally as productive
as that of the larger stream. There
is no more beautiful valley in thu
west than that of the Little Horn riv
er, and Grow Agency is in the very
heart of it,
When Major Reynolds took charge
OF the Indians they were conducting
their farming on the community plan
The Indian naturally loves company
and at that time they We're congre
gated in small villages on various por
lions OF the reservation, here, there
and everywhere. They spent theil
nights in dancing, for the most part