The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1907-02-08
Senator Dubois Bill

the Indian appropriation bill, carrying
an amendment providing for an appro-
priation of $3.50, 900 for the irrigation OF
Fort Hall lands owned by the whites
means much to the Gate City, says the
P~ocatello Tribune. The historyTof the
legislation leading up'to this matter is
interesting.
1t was on February %, 1889, that con-
gress passed 3 bill giving the Lemhl In
dams of Idaho the privilege of coming to
the Fort Hall reservation and sharing IN
those lands. Soon after the passage OF
this bill the Lemhis refused this option,
vet the matter remained unsettled, n
determination, positive. in its mature,
was essential before legislation ::looking
to added benefit to the lands of the Fort
Hall reservation would receive the san
ction of the department. year ago the
Lemhls were again invited to avail them
selves of the option Of joining the Ban.
nocks on the Fort Hall reserve, and they
accepted. This cleared the way for fur
Their and final legislation.
Senator Dubois thereupon offered an
amendment to the Indian appropriation
bill, providing for an appropriationsof SO
much ofS25, 900 as was necessarysto make
a comprehensive survey of the FortiHall
reservation to determine the feasibility
of an adequate water system for. the
lands of both Indians and whites. dur
ing the pas. summer representatives OF
the Indian bureau visited the reserva-
ton, and after an exhaustive eXamlna-
ton and survey, reported to congress, in
favor of the construction of a dam in the
Little Blackfoot river and the building
of a canal that would carry water to all
the Fort Hall lands and to the city of
Pocatello.
Upon receipt of this report Senator
Dubois introduced and had.adoptedsan jan
other amendment to the Indian appro-
priation bill, providing for the empower
ing of the secretary of the interior to
spend so much of $350,0OOI as maybe
necessary to obtain rights of wayland.to
build a canal for the watering of ..appox-
imately &c, 1000 acres of Fort..Hall lands,
belonging to Indians and whites,l at a
price Ito be paid by the white land own
ers) of not to exceed So per acre. In ad-
dition to this it is the plan of the amend
ment to furnish the city of Pocatello with
water at a price to be fixed by the Sec
rotary of the interior. This amount adj
ded to the $6 per acre for water to .sup-
ply the agricultural lands inl the big
tract north of town will more than re-
imburse the government for. the ..nec-
essary outlay.
Special Agent John j. Granville of
the interior department, who was shere
last summer and with a corps ssof ~~engl-
nsers made a survey of the proposed..sys-
ten, has made the following detailed
estimate of cost:
Estimated cost of dam completes $4,000
Lands to be ACQUIRED 10000
Fifty miles telephone line 10000
Ealarging and rebuilding. old
Idaho canal ON
Extending Idaho canal . from
present terminus.to Portneuf
river, east of Pocatello Y 09,4OO
Constructing main canal on
reservation to Fort HAL
bottoms ..... $4,000
Constructing laterals on reser-
walton $4,000
Incidentals, engineering, etc. at
10 per cent 29,14O
Total estimated cost .... $500 4O
That Senator Dubois amendment will
be finally adopted when the Indian bill
is passed is almost a certainty. He is
the ranking Democrat of the Indian
committee and is not only n of those
constituting a subcommittee of the SEN
ate committee. but he is also one of five
which constitutes a conference commit
tee which has the Indian bill in charge,
between the senate and the house.
The senator is taking a deep interest
in this matter and as it probably will be
the last thing he will ask of his collea-
gives in the senate after a long and dis
tinguished career in Congress, his re-
quest is almost sure to be granted
MornlngYPost.
81 was walking on Pennsylvania ave
Il in Washington one day at high
noon when a Niger loomed up on my
horizon coming rapidly toward me-
said a well-known negro comedian.
He was wearing the most ~outlandish
outfit | ever saw on a human being, on
or Off the stage. His trousers were
frayed and torn above his shoetopS.
He wore a mu~ck-colored wooden shirt,
a celluloid collar and a tattered sack