OCR Text |
Show Tae President opened" the lands August 28, 1905 and set aside 1,010,000 acres of Indian land to the Forest reserve. -.Indian allotments approximated 103,266 acres and restored, to public'domain'for.' Indians about 1,004,665 acres. .. •' .'Ov.y.>'-.;' ,,' •.-•''..-'-' .y.-'yO;:.':.3;..,',When'"the' reservation was thrcvn open the Indians had about 6,000 acres under cultivation and v-ere under the law of 1.905 entitled to have the water rights confirmed and land reserved to protect it, neither of which was done, but the agent filed applications under the State laws and Congress appropriated in 1906 $600,000 for irrigation, . reim-oursible from proceeds of sale of lands, but with a proviso which placed the system after construction under the state laws regarding appropriation of waoer. In 1911 the system had cost $654,926.83 with 87,000 acres under it, and about 11,000 owres under cultivation on which the Indians may acquire water rights according to the laws of Utah if they make final proof before 1914. The facts are that the Indians have put about |A00 ,000YYin-these7ditches-and'unless'.they make beneficial use • of the water so as to acquire their right3 under State laws by the present year, the junior apprcpriators. many cf whom are doubtless-the" thrifty farmers , interviewed by the Inspectors who are so interested, in the welfare of the Indians. |