Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-07-20
NO LAND OPENINGS
OCCUR THIS YEAR
Nothing Doing in the Line of Govern
ment Land Lotteries in
the West.

No AO SOV6FnA6nG CA6dSU10 UOA VI
public lands opened for the lard
hungry of America this year This is
asserted definitely now by authorities
of the Land and Indian Offices at
Washington. and is blow to the
schemes Of many who had hoped to
take part in government lotteries for
valuable reservation farms.
The outcome is unpleasant also for
several people who have been in
dustriousIy advertising the lands of
the Yakima Reservation, located in
the State of Washington. and offering
to sell informs tion about them.
Activity of this kind has resulted in
drastic action by the Federal Land
Office The inspectors division of
Post Office Department has been asked
to keep this class Of advertising out of
the mails and to prosecute firms en-
gagged in misleading innocent land
seekers in connection with the Yakima
Reservation opening.
It has been advertised that 1, ZOO, 600
acres would be open to entry at
Yakima. AS matter of fact, the
government has no lands to sell there,
and no other res ervations ready to put
upon the market. It has eight valu
able reservations under process of
preparation, three of them under
authority CT the Congress which has
just adjourned. It has a choice as
sortment of town lots in South
Dakota and Idaho. which it will sell
to the highest bidder, and valuable
parcel of farming. land down near
Lawton, Ok, which is also TO be
auctioned off in tracts of eighty acres.
But Of the thrilling government
lotteries, such as were held in four
states last year. there are to be none
until 1911. The Yakima Reservation.
near the southern edge of the State of
Washington, was the only one in
which public drawing was expected
this year 1t has been found now
that the claims selected by the indians
have exhausted all the good lands in
the reserve. The Indians have be-
come good enough farmers to pick
their lands with care; and the ground
they have left for the white man is
not worth hill of BEANS" accord
irg to the man who are appraising and
"a wi fhGa nh i'm
disposal.
There is nothing in this reserva-
tion which would justify bringing the
people here for the purpose of registra-
tion. says the chairman of the
Yakima Appraising Commission, in
report to the Land Office. After
the allotments shall have been made
to the Indians. there will not be a
quarter section in the reservation open
to settlement on which a person can
make living or that would be suit
able for any purpose but grazing
NO OTHERS THIS YEAR.
None of the other reservations will
be opened this year. Congress passed
bills authorizing the opening Of the
Fort Berthold reservation Ia North
Dakota. and the Pine Ridge and Rose
bud reservations in South Dakota.
The government already had authority
to open the Blackfeet and Fort Peck
reservations i'll Montana and the
Colville reservation in Washington,
and work has been progressing upon
all Of them. In no case, however,
can it be completed in time for d
public lottery this year.
The steps preparatory to the open
ing of an Indian reservation are tedi-
GUS and can not be hurried because of
the demand of land hungry public.
A treaty must first be negotiated with
the Indians of the reservation to be
opened. After it's approval by the
secretary Of the interior. Congress
must pass law authorizing the en-.
try Of the surplus lands in the tract
by homesteaders.
All lands are then classified accord
ing to their value for farming grazing.
forestry or mining and appraised as
to their relative cash values. The
Indians are next allotted permanent
homesteads from the lands, before
white settlers are permitted to choose
With the frequent openings of
Indian lands the Indians have be-
come expert bargainers, and have
forced the government to deal out a
larger parcel of land than formerly,
to each member of the tribe, and to
pay higher price for the lands set
aside as public school lands. The
Indians held up the treaties at Fott
Berthold and Pine Ridge until the
last session of Congress, because the
government did not offer them what
they believed to be satisfactory terms.
The ma i0ritV of the Indian treaties