The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1909-09-04
THE sioux RESERVATION
OPENING IN OCTOBER


est to thousands who have never used
their homestead entry as we'll as other
thousands who have made entries. and
who. under laws recently passed, are
entitled to make second entry, was the
bill which passed congress in May, 1908.
by which is opened approximately
1927. 600 acres embraced in the Stand
ing Rock and Cheyenne river reserva-
tions, extending from the Cannon Ball
river in North Dakota to the Cheyenne
river in South Dakota.
This opening. for which all arrange
ments are being made to take place in
October-registration point at Bismarck,
North Dakota, October to 25-has been
aptly described by well-known official
as THE last of the big ones... and the
biggest of them ALL" Within a short
time (almost period of months) free
homesteads will be thing of the past
Why. then, when such an opportunity as
this presents itself, should one hesitate?
Soil of the best, land well watered by
five rivers and countless small streams.
the general lay of the land most favor
able. railroad facilities now good and
soon to be much better. land on both
sides of the reservation we'll settled,
with land values substantial, will make
of this opening the most desirable to
intending homeste eaders of any held out
by the government in recent years.
In order to open this land treaty was
made with the tribes then holding the
lands embraced in the two reservations
by which they were to receive an aver
age price of ST. so per acre for the lands
given up. SO that while the lands will
be open to homestead entry and must
be lived on and improved, low valua-
tion has been placed on them. which
will be ridiculously low compared to
valuations of similar land on both sides
of the reservations.
The homesteads offered may be proved
up in two ways: by settling on the land.
improving same with a five-years' resi-
dence. and paying for the land as fol-
lows: One-fifth of the valuation down
and one-fifth of the balance each year
for five years to follow no interest or
taxes until patent is finally issued. OF
by the payment of one fifth of the valua-
tion down a residence and cultivation
over fourteen months and the payment
at the end of the time of the balance
due on the land. In the later case, as
well as in the former. no interest or
taxes are paid until the patent is
granted.
The land has been divided into several
classes and the value placed according
to the grade. Agricultural land has
been graded as 10 first and second
class-first class 81 to SIS an acre, Sec
ond class ST. so to So. IS an acre; then
grazing land SOC to 81. so an acre. This
will make five divisions. the divisions
being divided into tracts of 100 acres
each.
To gain an idea as to the extent of
the tract to be opened it is we'll to note
that the land extends in straight line
from the Cannon Ball river in Morton
county, North Dakota. to the Cheyenne
river in Armstrong county. South Da-
kota. That between these counties are
Schnasse, Boreman and Dewey counties,
South Dakota from north to south this
tract is 87'miles in length in width at
the narrowest point it is AZ miles, with
an 18 mile strip in the center which
is about "a miles wide.
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