The San Francisco call., 1906-11-26

and when it should be proclaimed by
the President that the relinquiShed
lands are open TO settlement. This
agreement was laid before the DEPART
ment on August IA, and the Presiden-
tial proclamation of September 26 de-
clared the lands opened on October 29
PYRAMID LAKE RESERVATION
Under section 26 of the act of April
~, 1904, any lands in the Pyramid
Lake reservation in Nevada made irri-
gaple py work prosecuted under the
reclamation act of June II, 1902, may
be reclaimed, utilized and disposed
OF OF py the Secretary Of the. Interior as
though they We're part of the public
domain; but it is stipulated that Ave
acres of irrigable fand shall be re-
served for and allotted to each Indian
belonging on the reservation. The re-
naming irrigable lands are to be dis
posed OF to settlers under the reclama-
tlon act, on certain terms and condi-
tlons. On March 10; 1906. the depart
from the Director of the Geological
Survey which said that the Pyramid
Lake lands would be irrigated from
the Truckee- Carson project and that a
census of the Indians should be taken
at an early date, as some of the irriga-
ton work was already under way.
On March 26 the superintendent in
charge of the Nevada Agency was in
structed TO have a complete census
made of all Indians belonging to the
reservation or entitled to receive al
lotments on 1t. This census has not
The condition of the Piute band OF
Indians, who have been allotted lands
in Carson Sink, Nevada, has been be-
attention was first called to them by
Special Agent William +. Casson on
October 8, 1903.
The 1876 allotments made to this
band cover approximately 10000 acres
within the area susceptible of irriga-
ton under the Truckee- Carson irrfga-
tion project. The soil is of the best,
put In It's present arid condition use-
It was recommended to the Congress
at its last session that these allot-
ments be cancelled and five sections be
reallotted to the Indians in areas OF
ten acres each, the remaining lands to
be disposed of under the provisions of
the reclamation act, but no action was
taken.
SETTLERS SEEK HOMES
With the prospect that the lands
will soon be brought under irrigation
many white settlers contemplate max
ing homes in that vicinity. AS the In
the lands, but without water the In
dians are unable to comply with the
law as to cultivation, no doubt at
tempts will be made to procure the
The newspapers of Nevada are e. ever, even
urging white settlers to go upon the
lands, take their choice, build homes
them that the reclamation service viii vi 4
supply them with water and the IN
dian Bureau must give way, and that
then no power on earth can remove
them.
The spreading of this doctrine,
though false, meant trouble for the
allottees; for here, as elsewhere, they
would be subjected to such indignitfes
protected by the Government, they
would relinquish their rights for
mere pittance and present another
problem to pc dealt si with by by the Gov
them from the operation and benefit
Of the reclamation project now near
ing completion would merely retard
riously interfere with the Truckee-
Carson project, while the cancellation
of the allotments because the lands
others, or because the Indians had
failed to comply with the law as to
cultivation of their allotment, when
such cultivation was an impossibility,
would be conspicuously unfair to the
On July 27, 1905. the Office submitted
to the department Plan to bring
these lands within a a reclamation pro-
walton Of seven and one fourth Sec
tions of lands embraced in the exist
ing allotments, to be realiotted to the
Indians in ten-aere tracts second for
from the Truckee- Carson Irrigation
project to all lands embraced in the
1876 allotments. and a grant to each
allottee and his heirs forever of wa
ter right sufficient TO reclaim his all
lotment; third, for the cancellation OF
the 1876 allotments and the disposition.
under the homes Aead laws, of ali the
lands covered by them except the
seven and one-fourth sections: fourth.
the annual appropriation of S12o64 for
ten years to repay to the reclamation
fund the cost of recaiming the lands
reserved to Tire Indians. provided that
pending such appropriation the cost
OF reclaiming the lands reserved to the
indians beytaxed against the Cancelled
allotments which would primarily be
disposed of SuhtDDt to such tax