,181
IDAHO AND THE NEZ PEROE RESERVE,
NOTHING of greater importance to the welfare of
the northwest interior, not even the building of
the Northern Faoifio railroad, has ever occurred than
the recent action of the interior department in taking
the initial steps toward allotting the Nez Peroe In
dians lands in severalty, and throwing open the bal
ance of that great reservation to publio settlement
I append herewith a close estimate, compiled from
official sources, of facts and figures, as follows :
Indian population 1,500
: 0 heads of families, KtO acres each 48.000 acres.
00(i tingle adults, 8d acres each. 48,000 "
tiOO under age, 40 acres each 24,100 "
For pafture lands 30,000 "
Fur timber lands 1(0,000 "
Tutal allotment to Indians 180,000 acres.
Area of reserve 7411,(180 acres.
I V duct Indian allotments 1',000 "
Leaving a total of M,iW0 acres.
The opening of this reservation will thus render
more than half a million acres subject to settlement
by white people, making homes of one hundred and
sixty acres each for three thousand five hundred and
twenty-three heads of families. The process to be
pursued, as near as I can learn, is as follows: Miss
Fletcher, an expert from the Indian bureau, is al
ready on the reservation to allot the Indians their
lands, and so confident does the department feel that
this lady will be successful in her mission, that Mr.
Edaon Briggs, of Fomeroy, has been dotailed to sur
vey the allotments as fast as they are made. At the
conclusion of this work a commission will bo appoint
ed to treat with the Indians for the cession of tho re
maining area to the United States. The lands thus
secured by treaty will thereupon become a part of
the publio domain, subject, however, to no entry filing
exoept homestead. The commutation clauso of the
law does not apply to homestead entries made on
these lands. There must be five years of actual resi
donee thereon to secure title to a homestead of one
hundred and sixty acres of the finest land in the
United States. I have stated the law relating to the
disposal of these lands thus explicitly, so that none
may come but those who are prepared to live up to
its requirements, and for the further reason that noue
may say they were lured here under false pretoun1.
Within the last fow days fully one hun.lreJ in
tending settlers have arrived here, and during tho in
terra! of waiting for the opening of the reservation,
have located pre-emption claims on the beautiful prai
nes on Craig's mountain, which are cut in twain by
the reservation line. These poople are wiso in their
generation, for, instead of living in idlonosa daring
the year that must elapse before the authorities can
complete the allotment and treaty, they are securing
title to a quarter section of land as fine as ever a crow
flew over, and which is always valuable property, and
which, moreover, affords them a home oonvonieut to
the promised land, whore they can keep posted on the
development and progress of the work on tho reserve.
Whon the bars are let down, these people will be on
the spot to locate their homesteads on the most fruit
ful soil on the continent What these people are do
ing, others can do. The great prairies bordering Ma
son creek, Wilton creek and Lawyer's canyon afford
homes for hundreds more, homes where tho soil is
wonderfully prolific, well watered and timbered, aud
where the climate is so genial that stock pull through
the winter without feed.
Cut it is not alone in the opening of the five hun
dred thousand acres of surplus land on the reserva
tion, though that in itself is no small item, that the
beneficial ff act will be folt, for it must be nuderstond
that the boundary lines of the reservation are so lo
cated that they have practically kept under look aud
key the best part of Idaho Territory, by commanding
the outlet to the whole of the Clearwater basin and
the western slope of the Bitter Hoot mountains, a re
gion dowered with an influite variety and profusion
of nature's richest gifts. Commencing six miles above
L iwiston, the rcscrvaton has a water frout on both
side of the Clearwater river and its tributaries of
one hundred and twenty miles. The main river the
principal artery of access to tho back country for
two hundred miles -has boon olosod by the reserva
tion, and it has been practically sealed territory in the
possession of an Indian tribe. The tributary country
extends from Cuur d'Alene on the north to Salmon
river on the south, and is a region rich in prairie,
meadow and pasture lands. The western slope of tho
Bitter Itoot range contains tho largest and twst for
ests of timber in the northwest, while Indications of
the existence of great mineral sones have boon found.
It is all, however, a practical terra inroymtn, and
even the number and sources of the principal tribu
taries are not definitely known. With the open
ing of the reservation, wagon roads will be built and
the gradual development of this new country will re
veal souroes of wealth undreamed of in these prime
val solitude. It is a vut country. Take Idaho
county, in the heart of the territory. It (a two hun-
j dred miles from north to south, and an equal distance
I from east to west The main Clearwater flows along
! its northern boundary, whilo tho tortuous Salmon
river drains through its heart The waters of Snake
river wash its western base, and tho tall summits of
the Ditto Root divide, rearing their plno and oedar