Salt Lake Herald | 1891-10-23 | Page 4 | The Uintah Reservation

THE UINTAU RtSERVATlON i Tbe llarc of Heber City mentions the receipt of a specimen of coal from the Uiu tah reservation and expresses regret that that vast tract of country should be withheld with-held from settlement TilE HERALD has long regarded it as a shame that the imnisnso territory is held for the use and occupancy of n handful of Indians when so many white people are eager to find L homes and the opportunity to make themselves comfortable The Uintah reservation comprises a largo area of as rich land as any in the west and the country coun-try is perhaps ns well watered as any in Utah The valleys are capable of producing produc-ing grain and vegetables in profusion enough to support a population of many thousands The mountains are covered with timber the supply being sufficient to satisfy the local requirements for years It is also Known that within the borders of the prohibited territory there are unlimited fields of coal whilst iron lead and silver have been found although prsopecting for the minerals is forbidden it has tho appearance of pure cussedness to retain all that country for the Indians keeping enough land for the aborigines who occupy it to allow 3000 acres for every buck squaw and pappooso on the reserve It would be much better to sell the land and give the Indians the money II tho situation were laid before Congress we believe the reservation would be cut down reasonable limits and at least the western portion of the tract thrown open to homesteader and miners who would develop de-velop the natural resources which are now of so little benefit to anybody