Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1917-04-12
Prominent Indian Urqe
Immediate Land Sale
lgpatious lronroad Of Cannonball, Say,
Indians Favor Big Reservation In.
dian Land Sale Soon

Cadhonball, N. D. April 2, 1917.
Editor Sioux County Pioneer,
Fort Yates, North Dakota.
Dear Sir:
Your valuable paper just at hand,
and after carefully reading same, 1
have decided to ask space to express
an opinion which / deem appropri.
ate at this time.
The article headed mo Indian
Land Sale Until Sometime This
Fall". This article strikes me
with a feeling of awe"
First, the reason as set forth is
that the land must be re-appraised
and that it will take nearly the en-
tire summer to accomplish this
work, and then that they will put
up the whole sum Of 25 quarters
(this amount not to be exceeded)
at each sale, instead Of hundred
or more, as has been previously ad-
vertised when a sale of Indian land
was made. And the reason they
rive for this latter assertion being.
that impression had been created
that the government was anxious to
dispose Of the land, etc.
In our (I1dians) opinion there
should be no delay so far as an ap-
praisement is concerned. Particu-
larly, if they are only going to al
low 25 quarters to be sold.
Now, we are not going to find
fault, and then not offer a remedy.
We see no reason why a list of the
land to be advertised could not be
taken, and only those pieces ap-
praised.
Had the first appraisement been
made along the lines Of good busi-
ness, the Agency land office should
have field notes Of the first apprai-
semet1t, the same as did the North
ern Pacific Railway and other own
ers Of large tracts Of land. If the
field notes on land previously ap-
praised and advertised are available
there should be no necessity for
traverslng the entire reservation in
order to know what additional price
should he added to the land to be
sold.
We have had considerable to do
with the lands owned by the N. P.
Ry. Co.., and also the Washburn
lands, and many times have refer
red to the field notes which were
perfectly reliable, and it was not
necessary to spend time and money
to 30 over the land, each time there
was a fuctation in the price Of the
land.
Therefor we say emphaticaily that
there is no good reason for holding
back the sale of the Indian lands at
this time. Surely, with what con.
fronts our government to-day, there
is need that as much as possible Of
the farm lands held by the govern
nlent, corporations and individuals
should be made to produce, and not
held back on such a flimsy excuse
as stated.
Relative to the putting up of only
2S quarters at each sale, will say
that there will be little inducemen,
to people living In the eastern sta.
tes Of coming from d distance te
look at and bid on SO small ar
amount Of land. 1t would be al.
together too big a game of chance
and we are confident that the re-
suits will not be as great as they
have been In the past.
One Of the obstacles that ha.
done much to hinder the land sale
heretofore and will continue to dt
10 in the future, is the right give1
the Indian (and also the Indian of
fce) to cancel all bids even though
they were far in excess of thu
amount for which the land was ad
vertised. We have heard thi
brought up by the people who hav
come here and spent time and mo