The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-01-20
DATE IS SET
FOR OPENING
OF THE INDIAN RESERVATION
Frcsl bennett, General Land Com
missioner, Says That Step Will
BE Made i'm 1000.

Semi official announcement that
the Yakima Indian reservation will
be opened to settlement during 1909
has been made by Fred bennett. COM
missioner of the general land office
at Washington. d. c. In the same
announcement. forwarded to Frank
A. Twitchell, receiver of the Seattle
land office, is the statement that the
Lemhi. Occur dAlene and Spokane
reservations will also be opened this
year.
The land office in North Yakima
has received no advice on the subject,
although it has been anticipated for
some time that the reservation open
ing is not to be long postponed. The
change in management Of the res
ervation has been such as to promote
the early opening. The following
dispatch from Seattle gives the in
formation regarding the semi-offlcial
announcements:
According to report received
yesterday by Frank A. Twitchell. re-
ceiver of the local land office, from
general land office at Washington,
ID. c., nearly four million acres of
land will be thrown open for settle
ment and sale by the government by
the opening of several Indian reserva-
tons this year in the west, among
which are the Yakima, Spokane,
Occur d'Alene and Lemhi reserva-
tons of the northwest.
''While it is reasonably certain
that the land will be open for settle
ment this year. Commissioner Dem
metz declares that the question as to
the exact date of opening of certain
reservations will depend upon the
time it takes to make the necessary
preparations for a proclamation on
tho Part of the president. The Yaki--
Ina reservation, consisting of 49,
900 ceres, will probably be opened
this year. The surveys and allot-
ments to the Indians have been made,
but the classification of the remain
ing lands Is not complete. The Spo-
kane reservation, of 1853, 900 acres,
will probably be thrown open during
the year. An act of May 90. 1908,
provides for the allotment of lands
to indians and the classification as
agricultural and timber lands. AZ
ter tho allotments have been made the
remaining land will be open for set
Element.
1.-The other reservations that have
been watched closely by persons wish
ing to obtain land from the govern
ment are the Colville reservation, con-
sisting of 100000 acres, and the
4 -
vile reservation. in the northeast
ern part of Washington, consists of
valuable timber and agricultural
lands, while the Occur d'Alene has
some of the best wheat and timber
land in the northern part of Idaho.
The Yakima reservation is valua Bile
principally as agricultural land.
"The Colville reservation will not
be thrown open until 1910, but the
Occur d'Alene, Spokane and Yakima
reservations will be opened some time
this year. The allotments will first
be made to the Indians, after which
the remaining land will be classified
and opened to settlers.
ITO obtain the lands. one-fifth of
the purchase price must be paid at
the time of entry and the balance in
five equal annual installments
"Other reservations that will prob
ably be opened in the near future are
Blackfoot, Mont, 500 900 acres, prob
ably in 1910: Cheyenne River and
Standing Rock, North and South Da--
Kota, 2G0 900, probably 1910: Flat.
head, Mont, 100000 acres, proba-
bly, in 1909; Fort Peck, Mont, about
1,77G,000 acres. probably in 1910;
Kiowa. Comanche and Apache. Okla.
date of sale uncertain, but some time
in 1909; Lemhi Idaho, about GA. 600
acres, probably in 1909; Rosebud,
Trip county. South Dakota S3S, 900
acres, drawing took place at Dallas.
S. D., on October 10, 1908, and per
sons assigned numbers at the draw
ing, emitting them to make entry
on ana, will be allowed to do so
March !, 1909; Rosebud, Gregory
county, S. d.. $4,000 acres. to be sold
for cash, the sale to take place some
tine during the coming spring"