East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-06-22
TO OPEN INDIAN
LANDS IN 1903
MONTANA RESERVATIONS
READY FOR SETTLERS THEN
One Contains Million AC1es-Usual
Procedure of Registration and
Drawing WIN Probably Prevail
Flathead and Fort Peck Are the
Two Reserves in Question.

Montana's two Indian reservations,
for which provision has been made,
will not be thrown open to settlers
until 1909, at the earliest. These res
ervations are the Flathead and the
Fort Peck, in northeastern and north
western Montana.
In the Flathead more than 1,000,-
600 acres Of land will be disposed Of
and the Indians of the reservation
have already been allowed their tracts
and the land that remains TO be dis
posed Of by the government is very
desirable. The fortunate ones in the
government drawing will secure some
of the finest homesteads in the coun-
try, and it is expected that thou
sands of homeseekers will flock to
western Montana and eastern Mon
tana when these reservations are
thrown open.
The land will be thrown open to
settlement in the customary manner.
There will be a proclamation from
the president which shall prescribe
the time for opening No one will be
permitted to settle upon or make en-
try Of the lands, except as provided
IN the proclamation, and judging from
the present this will be under the
provisions of the homestead law.
The price of the land shall be the
appraised value, as fixed by the COM
mission. Settlers under the home
stead law who shall reside upon and
cultivate the land for five years, as
required by the homestead laws, shall
pay one-third of the homestead value
in cash at the time of entry and the
remainder in i've equal installments,
10 be paid in one, two, three, four
and five years, respectively. after the
date Of entry.
II desired, commutation proof can
be made at the end of Il months
residence and cultivation, and the full
payment of the balance of the pur-
chase price at that time.
Mineral lands shall be disposed of
under the United States mining laws
the timber lands will be sold to the
highest bidder for cash at public auc-
tion.
W. F. Hubbart, one of the members
of the Flathead appraising commits
sion, says that it is his opinion that
the reservation can not be opened fol
settlement before next May despite
the fact that the work of the ap-
praisal is being pushed TO completion
with all possible rapidity. There are
l6 appraisers at work at present, and |
with this force it will take until some /
time in November to finish the esti-
mating.
The Fort Peck reservation is about |
so miles long, 40 miles wide en-
bracing 1,776.O0O acres of unallotted
land. This reservation is traversed
by the Great Northern railway, and
according 10 latest statistics there are
a little over 1900 Indians on it having
tribal rights.
The reclamation service. it is be.
lieved, will install an irrigation sys-
TEN near the Missouri river, embrace
ing something like 10000 acres of
land, Of a very fertile nature, and
which will probably be limited to so
acre tracts for settlers
The bill providing for the opening
Of this reservation carries an appro-
priation of 100000 for the purpose
OF constructing the irrigation system.
There are no mineral lands and but
very little timber of this reservation.
There are some tracts of Ignite
coal Of low grade in the vicinity of
the lands sought to be covered by
the irrigation project, which will fur
nish excellent fuel.
In the Fort Peck reservation it is
probable that with the exception of
the 10000 acres referred to that dry
land farming, so called, will probably
be utilized to a great extent. This
will also be tried on portions Of the
Flathead reservation, where the rain
fall is not great.
The Flathead reservation is also no.
ted for its fruits and orchards, and
between the two Montana's popula-
tion will be greatly increased by the
opening.