The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1909-07-09

-Four hundred and fifty thousand of
the 1,425,o00 acres Of valley and bench
lands contained in the Flathead Indian
reservation on the western slope Of the
Rocky mountains in northern Montana
will provide homes for 100000 persons
following the drawing under the direc-
ton of the United States government
at Occur d'Alene, Idaho, beginning the
morning of July 9. These lands have
been classified as first and second class
agricultural and grazing, and are ap-
praised at from $1.25 to 81 an acre.
Persons desiring to enter under the
homestead act must register in person
at either Kalispell, Mont, 26s miles
east of Spokane, or Missoula, Mont,
257 miles from Spokane, between July
Is and August S.
This reserve has within its bound
aries the south half of the Flathead
lake, the largest body of fresh water
west of Lake Michigan. The chief
fruit products are pears, peaches, apples,
cherries, plums and berries, also grain
and forage crops in abundance. Irri-
cation is not necessary. The reserva-
ton is crossed by numerous mountain
streams and is surrounded by belt of
timber, which is not subject to entry.
The reclamation service is preparing
a system of dams and bitches, costing
$250,000, to irrigate the lands in the
northwestern part of the reserve. Home
steaders will be required to pay the
pro rata share of this improvement,
also an annual maintenance fee. The
elevation is 1900 feet.
Kalispell, city of 1000, is the gate
way of the reservation. Three boats
ply daily between Kalispell and Poison,
a trading point at the south end of
Flathead lake, and in the heart of the
reservation. The Great Northern, the
only line in the valley, is building an
extension from Kalispell to the reser-
walton, and the Chicago, Milwaukee &
Puget Sound and the Canadian Pacific
railways have crews in the field seeking
an entrance into Kalispell.
The reservation was established at a
treaty made by Isaac I. Stevens, first
territorial governor of Washington and
ex-officio superintendent of Indian af-
fairs in the territory, and the chiefs and
head men Of the Flathead, Kootenay
and Upper Pend d'Oreille tribes, in
what was formerly known as Council
Grove, eight miles below Missoula, now
called Grass Valley, on July IA, 1855.
1t was ratified by the United States
senate on March 8, 1859. Five persons
who were present at the treaty are Haz-
zard Stevens, son of Governor Stevens,
living at Boston; W. H. Tappan, a resi-
dent Of central Massachusetts; Charlois,
chief of the Flathead tribe, and Fran
co.'s Eneas and Louis Vanderberg.
Eneas was assistant interpreter at the
council. The three Indians live on the
reservation.
Victor, who has long since joined his
forbears in "the happy hunting
ground" was chief Of the Indians at
the making of the treaty, after which
the Flatheads, Kootenays and Upper
Pend d 'Oreilles became known as the
Confederated Tribes Of the Flathead
Nation of Indians. The Indians suf
fered hardships and wrongs by reason
of compliance of the treaty stipu
lations and bad faith of the govern
ment. Though the treaty was made in
the summer of 1855, the first annuities
consisting of several hundred boxes OF
army bareback and bags of rice, did