Opening of the Cheyenne River and Standing Rock Indian Lands

              INFORMATION RELATIVE TO CHEYENNE RIVER AND STANDING ROCK INDIAN LANDS
Department of the Interior, General Land Office,
Washington, D. C, August 21, 1909.
Deak Sir: You are informed that the President's proclamation issued August 19, 1909, direct that certain lands in the Cheyenne River and Standing Rock Indian Reservations in North Dakota and South Dakota be opened to settlement and entry under the general provisions of the homestead laws in the following manner.

1. The lands to be opened are bounded on the north by the Cannon Ball River, on the west by the 102d degree west longitude Missouri River forms a part of its eastern boundary. The tract is about ninety miles long and varies in width from east to west, from 30 to 84 miles. About 2,019,680 acres are in South Dakota, and about 217,360 in North Dakota, making a total of approximately 2,237,040 acres. Of this area about 124,314 acres are embraced in sections 16 and 36 which have been granted to the States for school purposes, and otherwise disposed of, and there will perhaps be something over 1,500,000 acres which will become subject to entry. 
Commissioners appointed by the President are now at work classifying the lands into agricultural land of the first class, agricultural land of the second class, grazing lands, timber lands and mineral lands. The agricultural, grazing and timber lands are being appraised at from 50 cents to $6 per acre. The mineral lands cannot be entered under the homestead laws. I cannot at this time furnish maps of these reservations of give any definite information as to the character of the lands, the kind or the quality of the soil, or the kind of crops to which they are best adapted, further than to say that they are generally prairie lands, and I am told that improved farms in that vicinity are selling at from $10.00 to $25.00 per acre. One line of railroad has been completed through the northern part of the reservation and at least two other lines will soon be constructed, one through the central and the other through the southern part. I cannot give any information as to the annual fall of rain and snow in that locality, or as ot the temperature of other climatic conditions further than is contained in the attached statement compiled by the United States weather bureau from records made by it, at its station nearest these lands. About March 1, 1910, I will furnish to each person to whom a date for making entry is assigned, a complete map showing the allotted lands, the school and reserved lands, and the classification and appraised value of each quarter section