Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1910-07-22
no FREE LAND THIS YEAR.
The Government Not Ready for
Lotteries Until 1911.

ened Tor the land hungry OF ALL
erica this year. This is assert
ed definitely now by authorities
of the land and Indian offices at
Washington, and is a blow to the
plans OF many who had hoped to
take part n government lotteries
for valuable reservation farms.
The outcome is unpleasant al
SO for several persons who have
been industriousE advertising tht
lands Of the Yakima reservation
IN the state of Washington, and
offering to sell information about
them. Activity Of this kind has
resulted in drastic action by the
federal land office. The inspect
.Or's division of the POstOffice De-
partment has been asked to keep
this class of advertising out OF
the mails, and to prosecute firms
engaged in misleading innocent
land seekers in connection with
the Yakima reservation opening.
It has been advertised that l
million acres would be open to en-
Try at Yakima. As a matter OF
fact the government has no lands
to sell there, and no other reser-
yatiOns ready to put upon the
market. 1t has eight valuable res
ervatiOns under process Of prep
-aratiOn, three of them under au-
thOrity of the Congress which has
Just adjourned. 1t has an assort-
ment of town lots in South Da-
kota and Idaho, which it will sell
to the highest bidder, and a val
liable tract fo farming land down
near LawtOn, OK, which 81 alone
to be auctiOned off in tracts Of
eighty acres.
But of the thrilling government
land lotteries, such as were held
In four states last year, there are
to be none until 1911. The Yak
ina reservation, near the southern
edge of the state of Washington,
was the only one in which pub
lie 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
L.eOme good enough farmers to
pick their lands with care, and
the ground they have left for the
white man is not worth chill OF
beans" according to the men whit
are appraising it and classifying
II for public disposal.
"There is nothing in this reser-
walton which would justify bring
ing the people here for the pur-
pose of registration says the
chairman of the Yakima apprais-
ing commission, in report to the
land office. AFTER the allOtmen'
shall have been made to the In
dians there will not be a quarter
section in the reservation open to
settlement on which person can
make a living, or that would be
suitable for any purpose but graz
ing"
None of the other reservations
will be opened this year. Con-
gress passed bills authorizing the
opening of the Fort BerthOld Res
ervation in North Dakota and the
Pine Ridge and Rosebud reserva'
tions of South Dakota. The gov
,ernment already had authority tt
open the Blackfeet and Fort Peel
reservations in Montana and the
COlville reservation in WashingtC
and work has been progressing
on all of them. In no case, how
ever can it be completed in time
for a public lottery this year.
The reservations now being pre-
pared for opening next year, wit
their approximate arSea are a.
follows:
Montana: Blackfeet, 959,Q0C
acres; Fort Peck, 1,776,OOO.
Washington; COlvlile, 1,3OOOO'
acres.
North Dakota: Fort Berthold
Sov,v00 acres.
South Dakota: Rosebud. $50
900 acres; Pine Ridge, 100000.
With deductions made frOr
these figures for allotments to II
Indians, it is expected that tn
amounts to be offered to the pull
lie in the respective areas will b
about as follows:
Blackfeet, 100000 acres; Fol
Peck l million; COlville, l millio
Fort BerthOld, 100000; ROsebut
Y million; Pine Ridge, practical
nothing.
The Pine Ridge reservation
.South Dakota. including much v