It is not probable that the bill
will be passed this year, so that no
one need look for final action for
two or three years.
The Long Prairie Claim.
Truth before Favor."
Purchase of Range Lands
BestBargainSince Dutch
Bought Manhattan Is
land.
One of the best real estate deals
since the Dutch bought Manhattan
island was transacted when the
United States acquired the North
western corner of Minnesota from
the Chippewa Indians. That was
the double transaction contained
in the treaty of LaPointe in 1854
and the treaty of Washington in
1855.
It was a good deal for the In
dians. For about two million dol
lars in cash and allowances, they
gave a sort of quit claim deed.
About all they had to sell was the
hunting and fishing rights, and as
they reserved the right to hunt
and fish anywhere it was not a bad
deal for them. The underlying
transaction was that the Indians
were being shoved aside by the
white men. Whatever they receiv
ed by the treaty was just that
much more than they would have
got if they had not made it. So it
was really quite decent of Uncle
Sam.
For the United States it was a
magnificent deal. The hunting and
fishing rights alonethough for a
long time they were a poor asset
White Earth, Becker County, Minnesota, Thursday, February I. 1917.
are worth ever so much more than
two million dollarscommercially,
that is. The pleasure ground from
the boundary waters to the sources
of the Mississippi will bring an an
nual revenue of millions. Oa a
non commercial basis, when we
took that country from the Indians
for two million dollars we ought
to have been ashamed of ourselves.
