The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1907-10-10
another Government Land Lottery.

Homes for 5000 families will be pro-
vided in the northwest by Uncle Sam
during the next twelve months, when,
open to settlement 100000 acres of
timber, agricultural and mineral land
in eastern Washington, northern Idaho,
western Montana and South Dakota.
The occupation of these lands, situated
in eight Indian reservations, will mark
the most important period Of develop
ment since the first railroad invaded
the forests, valleys and sagebrush des-
means the oblileration of the frontier
with it's picturesque cowboys and the
vivid, adventurous heroic days, which
in this country. The lottery system
has been decided upon in the disposition
of these reserva tion lands, which are
located as follows:
Colville, eastern Washington, 1,000,-
600 acres; Yakima, central Washington,
1,145,000 acres; Occur d'Alene, northern
Idaho, $4,000 acres; Lemhi, central Ida
no, 100000 acres: Blackfeet, southern
Idaho, 100000 acres; Flathead, western
Montana, 100000 acres; Rosebud and
LoWef DFule, OOuUu DdhOld, Jl,OOU
acres.
The Lower Brule reserve, comprising
$1,000 acres, will be the first to be
opened. The land has been appraised
and the regulations issued for its dis
posal. Homeseekers have until Octo-
ber7 to file applications for lottery
tickets in the drawing which will take
place at Pierre the following week.
Each applicant must go to the Pierre
land district and make oath on his ticket
that he is entitled to take public land
under the homestead laws. If success
full in drawing homestead he must pay
the government the appraised value Of
the land, in annual installments. The
value is placed at from $1.25 to 81 per
acre.
| In the Occur d'Alene reservation,
land can be taken under the homestead
or mineral laws. The survey is being
made, and when completed the govern
ment will allot to the Indians their
share, and then classify and appraise
the surplus amounting to 10000 acres
and order the lottery. Settlers will
not be able to work their farms until
the spring of 1909, as it will require a
year to appraise the lands.
TRACT IN YAKIMA COUNTRY.
The most important tract to be open
ed is in the Yakima country, where
1,145,000 acres of land will be disposed
of in various ways. The government is
constructing an irrigation plant to
cover 100000 acres of land. The irrigat-
ed tract will be divided into 40-acre
plats. The settlers will be required
to pay in 10 yearly installments the
amount of money the government put
into the project. This will make the
land cost the settlers $40 an acre. 1t
will be used chiefly for sugar beet and
alfalfa culture. The timber land on the
Yakima reservation will be sold under
the sealed bids. All other land, except
mineral, will be awarded under the
homestead act. The allotments and
schedule of reserved lands have been
approved and the land commissioner is
ready to open the reservation just as
soon as the reclamation project is COM
pleted. This will be in time for cultiva-
ton of crops next year.
! The work of making the allotments
to the Indians will begin this fall, and
officials say the opening may be delayed
until the spring of 1909.
Most of the Indians on the Flathead
reserve have been allotted their land
and the Indian commissioner soon will
appoint appraisers to fix the value OF
the million acres of surplus land. 1t is
the intention to classify this land into
, first and second class agricultural,
timber, mineral and grazing land. The
survey is practically completed, and it
is expected to open next year to enable
the settlers to put in crop. However,
the opening may be delayed until fall if
| the work is not completed this winter.
Nine months more will be required to
complete the allotment of the Rosebud
land to Indian children, but as soon as
the work is completed the $4,000 acres
of surplus land can be opened to settle
ment. Several townsites are to be
located by the government on this
reservation.