The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-22
by FnEDERIo ). HAsl<IN.
Spokane.

l y / .
Foot by foot the American Indian
has been driven back by the over
whelming. all-conquering tide OF su-
pcrior civilizations. Lie by HE ne
| has yielded up his place as one OF
the great FAMILIES OF the human race,
until to -day he has but one acre, wnele
The used to have a hundred thousand
To-day there Is only one OF him %here
there used TO be a hundred. FROM
1.-The Atlantic westward. and from the
ton have been forcing him back Just
i now the United States government Is
preparing to take some more OF MS
land and present II to those white
be conauerors of the wild. This time
liz. is the lands OF the Occur d'Alene
Indian reservation that are to be d.
vided There are more than nah
dians Uncle Sam is going to give each
Indian a quarter-section. and the rest
Inc vii! present to some OF his iortu-
mate white nieces and nepheWs,
Ipretty well. The average American
lcitizen who possesses 100 acres OF Up.
top farming land considers nimssn
rather we'll off. Each Indian on inc
Reservation will be allowed TO pick
,lauar ter section before his palefaee
brethren get single chance. There
fore the indians Will get the cream
OF the reservation II they choose Wis WIS.,.
81
a which Will be set aside for other pur-
poses, will take some 10000 acres;
lit Is probable that the Indians VII,
choose farming land: and this WI,
among white i,omeseeaders. 100000 OF
which will be agricultural land. me
other 100000 acres are mountainous
and covered with valuable tim a no
fore the reservation can be thrown
open for settlement. The law PROVIDES
that there shall be three appraisers,
and that each one OF them must VISIT
J every forty-ac section on the reser-
vatton There are 1850 of these sub
divisions The valuators Will prob
ably drive stake in the centre OF !
HIT and the law wiz have been com
piled with. The Indians will be given
their selections, which must be APP
proved by the Secretary Of the IN,
. terror, and then the remainder VII
be classified appraised and turned
over to the white homesteaders Ihls.
!, the law provides. shall be thrown open
: for homestead settlement at sucn SiNIs
and in such manner as the president
! may designate. This such manner
Will be the new form OF land lottery.
E a lottery in which every ticket draws
a prize until the prizes are exnaustsd;
; In the long run the timbered land WI
probably prove more valuable than tia I
J which is cleared. and II Is likely TO
. meet with equal favor with the otner.
On the reservation tne so , - o =,
has sawmill capable OF cutting 10000
! feet of logs day. with planer and
t shingle plant; also srist mill OF thir-
y-five barrels capacity These were
established years ago and; and have e, n fs,.
proving their lands. The Indians are
required to take the logs to the saw
Until. where they are cut into luin-
skilled labor, but the indians, must
! bring the logs to the mill and take
y the lumber away. In this way they
. thave secured much Of the lumber for
Z Icept the labor OF securing the logs and
= hauling the lumber. No charge is made
!, for grinding their grain. -.
The reservation Is bounded on the
g, line. which it follows forty-two mile.
south Its northern extremity is al
3 most due east Of Rockford. Washing
g ton. Its upper boundary runs east
= few miles and then turns to the south
g east, crossing Occur d'Alene Lake ant
IS running to the southeast OF the tow
:. OF Harrison, Idaho, seven miles. IN
le reservation comes almost to pom
10 there, and Its southeastern boundar!
= runs In a southwestern direction unti
m it strikes the State line again soutl
Of Pennington At its greatest width !
is twenty-eight miles y vide Ihe siiroa
e IS building It's line through the reserya 2
= tton from the St. Joe River, on u
~ southeast boundary, through TO IeKoe
IS company's line from Tekoa to Wallace
m Idaho, crosses the reserve from ives
OF to east The St. Joe River and Coeu
d'Alene Lake furnish water transpor
er tation through Its greatest lensth lIol
y. north to south.
he Peter Mocktilma is head chief an
ce Peter Jarper Is second, chief. There ar
r, two government poilcemenn, !, L - ~
d. ia tha 7reipninr spower; but he Is sub
or ject to the rules and regulations g
the. government as inserp ,.et,,.1 ny IN n
Indian agent, Chief. M !3sa,s "a, IS ~, =
tlce without regard t. representative, II
son, Bartholomew Mocktilma. age
twenty two years, is a FREQUENT vl ). y
at oalty ef in ob aan s sufficient liquor
IS; produce intoXication bordering Q
|helplessness. The Indian police TAX
I'M him to the mission where he Is ordel
es falls from grace the chiefs son r.
caves the same treatment rs othe
Ite Indians who get drum liz
Most OF the Indians speak Epslls
= sa II. fairly Well educated. They r
cei i their education in the Cathol
!; school at Desmet Mission, twelve mills
southeast Of Tssoa; tn tbs = S fbepe
the sisters OF charity the form!
teaching the boys and the latter II
un girls. Many OF the indian girls hay
~ been taught music and there are dozel
"a Of pianos owned by Indians. Most
the indians are Industrious and hal
er workers. Some Of them have becon
wealthy from cultivatlng large trac
10. Of land and reaping enormous crops 4
= grain, Oatssis one OF the tavorite cro
On the reservation and yields lars
profit.
~ Indian farmers. He cultivates 10
acres, and has we'll kept home.
err has large sums Of money loaned at !
terest, and has fine teams and mashi
,ra cry. Indian Daniel has 900 acres
cultivation on Rock Greek, In
vver northern part OF the reseryat ton.
dian Campbell cultiyates 100 acres. a
y az Spotted SLoui e Eha Is a 81 90 house on Il
u. fari11 8 oue IichitaS has 600 acres u