The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1913-12-19

atives in congress, from Hon.
Cato Sells, Commissioner of
Indian Affairs, in which it is
told how it all happened that
so much of the Flathead lands
were unclassiied and unap-
praised at the time of the open
ing of the reservation to home
stead entry. The commissioner
has his dates a little mixed,
especially when he says the res
ervation was opened to home
stead entry in 1909, as there are
too many of us still here who
know that it was in 1910 that the
actual opening took place. Aside
from this, and a few other dis
crepancies, it tells some things
which have been bothering a
large number Of people for quite
awhile. But if the general his
tory of the how and the why of
it is not any more accurate than
the things which we know have
become confused, there will be
great many people read the let
ter who will have a hesitancy in
taking it as being literally true.
The letter referred to reads:
Washington, Dec. II, 1913.
Hon. John M. Evans.
House of Representatives.
My dear Mr.. Evans:
Referring to your inquiry re-
garding the disposal of the sur
plus lands within the Flathead
Reservation, Montana. and par
ticularly the appraised value, as
shown by the schedule recently
approved by the Department, the
following is submitted:
After the completion of the
allotment work in the early of
1908 a commission was appointed
to aprraise the surplus lands
within the Flathead Reservation,
in accordance with the provisions
of the Act of April %, 1904, (33
Stats. L., 1922. This work was
completed in the latter part of
calendar year 1908. The lands
were not opened, however, until
the summer of 1909 and between
the completion of the appraise-
ment work and the opening of
the surplus lands to entry a large
number of Indian allotments
were changed, due to the fact
that Withdrawals had been made
for power and reservoir sites and
that number of Indians had
been allotted lands which they
claimed not to have selected.
When the original commission
was at work the lands allotted to
Indian, Of course, were not
appraised but changes in allot-
ments made after appraisement
work had been completed did
leave within the reservation
vacant unallotted, and unre-
served lands which had not been
classified and appraised.
Under authority Of Section %
of the Act of June Is, 1910, (36
Stats. L., 863), and of June 6,
1912 (37 Stats. L., 1859, a board
of appraisers, consisting of Fred
C. Morgon, Superintendent of
the Flathead Indian School, John
C. Van Hook, a representative
of the Surveyor Generals office
Of the State of Montana, and
Duncan Mcdonald, a represent
tative of the Flathead tribe, was
organized for the purpose Of
appraising the surplus lands
within the Flathead Reservation
not heretofore appraised, and re-
appraising those tracts shown to
have been enormously appraised
in the first instance.
Some time was consumed in
this work as the various tracts of
land to be viewed aggregated
10000 acres scattered over differ
ent parts of the entire reserva-
ton but the schedule submitted
by this board was approved by
the Department a few weeks
ago. Numerous complaints are
now being received that the price
fixed by this board is greatly in