Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1910-07-29
NOTHING DOING IN
GOVERNMENT LOTTERIES
No Government Reservations 10 BE
Opened This Year Says the
Interior Department.

tnat there will be no government
treasure box of public lands opened
for the land hungry of America this
year. This is asserted definitely by
the authorities of the land and In
dian offices at Washington, and is
a blow to the scheme of many who
had hoped to take part in govern
ment lotteries for valuable reserva-
tion farms.
The outcome is unpleasant also
for several people who have been in
dustriously advertising the lands of
the Yakima reservation, located in
the state Of Washington, and offer
ing to sell information about them.
Activity of this kind has resulted in
drastic action by the federal land Of
flee. The inspectors division of the
post office department has been ask
ed 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.
1t has been advertised that ,000,-
600 acres would be open to entry at
Yakima. As a matter of fact, the
government has no lands to sell
there, and no other reservations
ready to put on the market. 1t has
eight valuable reservations under
process of preparation, three of them
under authority of the congress
which has just adjourned. It has a
choice assortment Of town lots IN
South Dakota and Idaho, which It
VIII sell to the highest bidder, and a
valuable parcel Of farming land
down near Lawton, Okla, 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 a public drawing was expect
ed this year. 1t has been found now
that the claims selected by the In
dlans have exhausted all the good
lands in the reserve. The Indians
have become good enough farmers
to pick their lands with care; and
the ground they have left for the
white man Is not worth a "hill of
beans" according to the men who
are appraising and classifying the
property for public disposal.
There is nothing in this reserva-
tion which would justify bringing
the people here for the purpose Of
registration" says the chairman of
the Yakima Appraising commission,
in a report to the land office. After
the allottments shall have been made
TO the Indians, there will not be a
quarter section in the reservation
open to settlement on which a per-
son can make living or that would
be suitable for any purpose but
grazing"
No Others This Year.
None of the other reservations will!
be opened this year. Congress pass
ed bills authorizing the opening Of
the Fort Berthold reservation in
North Dakota, and the Pine Ridge
and Rosebud reservations in South
Dakota. The government already
had authority to open the Blackfeet
and Fort Peck reservations in Mon
tana and the Colville reservation in
Washington. and work has been pro-
crossing upon all Of them. In no
case. however. can It be completed
in time for a public lottery this
year
The steps preparatory to the open
ing of an Indian reservation are tedi-
ons and can not be hurried because
Of the demand of land-hungry pub
lie. A treaty must first be negoti-
ated with the Indians Of the reserya-
tion to be opened. After It's approval
by the secretary Of the interior, con-
Cress must pass a law authorizing
the entry OF the surplus lands in the
tract by homesteaders.
All lands are then classified ac-
cording 10 their value for farming,
grazing, forestry or mining and ap-
praised as 10 their relative cash
values The Indians are next allotted
permanent homesteads from the
lands before white settlers are per-
mitted 10 choose.
with the frequent one1ings Of In
dian lands the indians hive become
evnert bargainers. and have forced
the government ~ daei r.,' '.
marcel NJ land than formerly to each
member Of the tribe and 10 pav q