The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-04-06

the same plan and stated that the Sho-
shone Indians on the Wind River res
ervation, under this arrangement, would
have surplus land amounting to $780,
900 acres. If this were thrown open to
settlers, the Indians would derive, at
four per cent, an annual income of
$4,000 on the proceeds of the SALE"
Progress was being made toward the
idea of having the Indian reservations
opened for settlement. A meet
ing was held in Fort Benton in Janu-
airy, 1885, when the stockmen of that re-
gion passed resolutions similar to the
resolutions adopted at the Billings mass
meeting. In acknowledging receipt of a
copy Of the resolutions, Senator G. c..
Vest of Missouri, in a letter to Col.
Leaning of Fort Benton, under date Of
Feb. 6, 1885, said:
yours enclosing resolutions of a
mass meeting at Benton has been re-
ceived. 1t will afford me very great
pleasure to do all I can to secur the
objects named in the resolutions, as I
am heartily in sympathy with the idea
of diminishing Indian reservations, both
on account of the white settlers aid the
Indian. These immense reservations
are simply premiums on barbarism, so
far as the Indian is concerned, and they
should be made homes for the induStr-
ious white population of the country"
In the meantime it was learned that
a lease on the surplus lands of the Grow
reservation had been signed, on the
part of the Indians, through fear of
starvation. Having read in the Billings
Herald that he said that Secretary
Henry M. Teller of the interior depart
ment would sign the lease, Deputy
Marshal replied, in a succeeding edi-
ton of that newspaper, that he did not
hear the inspector say the lease would
be executed. He called attention to the
fact that the committee of the Billings
Board of Trade had been on the ground
taking evidence in the matter of the
lease. It was his belief that Secretary
Teller had not, nor would he approve
the lease, and it was his thought that
the thanks of the people Of Montana
were due to the secretary for his action
in turning it over to a senate commit
tee for investigation, "as it must now
be evident to him, as to every n else,
that the Indians only signed the lease
through fear of starvation" Discussing
the matter of rations for the Crows, Mr..
Quivey said:
and in view of the letter of the COM
missioner of Indian affairs notifying
the agent that no beef could be furnish
ed the Indians during the last three
months of the fiscal year, and from the
fact that the Indians have been living
on about half rations for the past year,
it would appear that Agent Armstrong
had good reason to fear a famine at his
agency, but from the fact that o at
ter the Indians signed the lease the
honorable commissioner relented and
concluded that the agent could increase
his beef supply Is per cent, it would ap-
pear that either Providence or Hon.
Hiram Price was very kind to Mr.. Blake.
CA Mr.. Blake had been sent to inves-
tigate the lease). And permit me to
say in conclusion that, in my opposition
to the lease I have been actuated by no
selfish motives; that I opposed it be-
cause I believed it would be an injury
to the Indians as well as to the white
people of the territory. If the COM
pensation named in the lease had been
adequate to the privileges conferred I
don't know that I could have advised
the Indians to revoke it, although I be-
lieved it to be wrong to lease the In
dian reservations in large tracts to
stock owners or corporations. For the
white people at the agency I have only
the kindest feeling, and am sorry they
were placed in a position where they
were compelled to aid and abet a scheme
injurious alike to whites and Indians"
The movement to secure the opening
80 Trl;oo 1eorvofiopc 70 coff1oy,onf
gained momentum in the early part of
1886 when the Indian land bill, intro
duced by Senator Dawes passed the
senate. The measure provided that in
all cases where any lands of tribes OF
Indians may be locked up ON a reserva-
ton created for their use, the president
is authorized to cause a patent to issue
for each of said reservations in favor
of the Indians occupying the same for a
period of 25 years, in trust, for the sole
use and benefit Of the tribes or bands
to which it issues. At the expiration of
that period the United States would
convey the lands by patent in fee and
free of all charge or incumbrance. The
president could withhold the issuance
of the patent as he might deem best for
the interest of the Indians. The trust
created in the original patent was to
remain in force until the patent in fee
was issued. Allotment specifications
were included in the bill in a.
specific manner, and provision was
made that any Indian not residing up
on a reservation, or for whose tribe no
reservation had been provided, might
make settlement. ON any u~nsurveyed
lands Of the United States not other
wise appropriated. If, in the opinion of
the president, it was deemed to be in