Missouri River, in the middle of the main channel thereof, to at point opposite the mouth of Milk River; thence up the middle of the main channel of Milk River to Porcupine Creek; thence up Porcupine Creek, in the middle of the main channel thereof, to a point forty miles due north in a direct line from the middle of the main channel of the Missouri River opposite the mouth of Milk River; thence due east to the middle of the main channel of Big Muddy Creek; thence down said creek in the middle of the main channel thereof, to the place of beginning. And said Indians shall have the right to take timber for building and fencing purposes and for fuel from the bottom lands on the right bank of the Missouri River opposite the reservation above described. Dated and signed at Fort Peck Agency, Montana, on the twentyeighth day of December, eighteen hundred and eighty-six. JOHN. V. WRight, CHAS. F. LARRABEE, SEAL. SEAL. SEAL. The foregoing articles having been fully explained to us, in open council, we, the undersigned chiefs, head-men and principal men of the several bands of Sioux and Assinnaboine Indians attached to and receiving rations at the Fort Peck Agency, in the territory of Montana, do hereby consent and agree to all the stipulations therein contained. Witness our hands and seals at Fort Peck Agency, Montana, this twenty-eighth day of December, eighteen hundred and eighty-six. [Signed by Sioux Indians and attested by] D. O. CowAN, United States Indian Agent. S. H. POPE, Superintendent Agency Boarding School. We hereby certify that the foregoing articles of agreement were carefully read and explained to the Indians, parties hereto, in open council, and were thoroughly understood by them before signing the same, and that the agreement was executed and signed by said Indians at the Fort Peck agency, in Montana, on the twenty-eighth day of December, eighteen hundred and eighty-six. Attest: D. O. CoWAN, JAMES MACDONALD, JOHN BRUGUIER, United States Special Interpreter. United States Agency Interpreter. United States Indian Agent. Industrial Teacher. Witness our hands and seals at Wolf Point sub-agency, Montana, this thirty-first day of December, eighteen hundred and eighty-six. (Assinniboine signatures.) Attest: D. O. COWAN, United States Indian Agent. GEORGE W. WOOD, Missionary Presbyterian Church. GEORGE H. WOOD. JAMES MACDONALD. We hereby certify that the foregoing articles of agreement were carefully read and explained to the Indians above named in open council, and were thoroughly understood by them, before signing the same, and that the agreement was executed and signed by said Indians, at Wolf Point subagency, Montana, on the the thirty-first day of December, eighteen hundred and eighty-six. Attest: JOHN BRUGUIER, Special Interpreter. HENRY ARCHDALE, United States Indian Agency Interpreter. D. O. COWAN, United States Indian Agent. It is hereby agreed that the separate reservation for the Indians now attached to and receiving rations at the Fort Belknap agency shall be bounded as follows, to-wit: Beginning at a point in the main channel of the the Milk river, opposite the mouth of Snake creek; thence due south to a point due west of the western extremity of the Little Rocky mountains; thence due east to the crest of said mountains at their western extremity, and thence following the southern crest of said mountains to the eastern extremity thereof; thence in a northerly direction in a direct line to a point in the middle of the main channel of Milk river opposite the mouth of Peoples creek, thence up Milk river, in the middle of the main channel thereof, to the place of beginning: Provided, That the secretary of the interior may, in his discretion, set apart a tract of land, within said reservation, not to exceed one hundred and sixty acres in extent, for the establishment and maintenance of an Indian mission and industrial school, under the auspices of the Society of Jesus, to include the site of their present mission buildings; but such privilege shall not debar or exclude other religious societies from establishing Indian missions and schools within said reservation, under direction of the secretary of the interior. Dated and signed at Fort Belknap agency, Montana, on the twenty-first day of January, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven. The foregoing articles of agreement having been fully explained to us, in open council, we, the undersigned chiefs, headmen, and principal men of the Gros Ventre and Assinniboine bands of Indians attached to and receiving rations at the Fort Belknap agency, in the territory of Montana, do hereby consent and agree to all the stipulations therein contained. Witness our hands and seals at Fort Belknap agency, Montana, this twenty-first day of January, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven. Gros Ventre signatures.) Attest: Agency Farmer. FRED'K EBESCHWEILER, S. J. Missionary. We hereby certify that the foregoing articles were carefully read and explained to the Indians above named in open council, and were thoroughly understood by them before signing the same, and that the agreement was executed and signed by said Indians at Fort Belknap Agency, Montana territory, on the twenty-first day of January, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven. WM. BENT. Special Interpreter. Attest: CHAS. G. FISH. It is hereby agreed that the separate reservation for the Indians now attached to and drawing rations at the Blackfeet Agency, shall be bounded as follows, to-wit: Beginning at a point in the middle of the main channel of the Marias River opposite the mouth of Cut Bank Creek; thence up Cut Bank Creek, in the middle of the main channel thereof, twenty miles, following the meanderings of the creek; thence due north to the northern boundary of Montana; thence west along said boundary to the summit of the main chain of the Rocky Mountains; thence in a southerly direction along the summit of said mountains to a point due west from the source of the North Fork of Birch Creek; thence due east to the source of said North Fork; thence down said North Fork to the main stream of Birch Creek; thence down Birch Creek, in the middle of the main channel thereof, to the Marias River; thence down the Marias River, in the middle of the main channel thereof, to the place of beginning. 'Dated and signed at the Blackfeet Agency, Montana, on the eleventh day of February, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven. JNO. V. WRIGHT. JARED W. DANIELS, The foregoing articles of agreement having been fully explained to us, in open council, the undersigned, chiefs, head-men, and principal men of Piegan, Blood, and Blackfeet Nation, attached to and receiving rations at the Blackfeet Agency, in the territory of Montana, do hereby consent and agree to all the stipulations therein contained. Witness our hands and seals at the Blackfeet Agency, Montana, this eleventh day of February, eighteen hundred and eighty We hereby certify that the foregoing articles of agreement were carefully read and explained to the Indians above named, in open council, and were thoroughly understood by them, before signing the same, and that the agreement was signed and executed by said Indians, at the Blackfeet agency in the territory of Montana, on the eleventh day of February, eighteen hundred and eighty Be it enacted by the senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That said agreement be, and the same is hereby, accepted, ratified, and confirmed. SEC. 2. That for the purpose of carrying out the terms of said agreement the sum of four hundred and thirty thousand dollar is i ated to be immediately available. SEC. 3. That lands to which the right of the Indians is extinguished under the foregoing agreement are a part of the public domain of the United States and are open to the operation of the laws regulating homestead entry, except section twenty-three hundred and one of the revised statutes, and to entry under the town site laws and the laws governing the disposal of coal lands, desert lands, and mineral lands; but are not open to entry under any other laws regulating the sale or disposal of the public domain. SEC. 4. The secretary of the interior is hereby athorized to appoint a commission, consisting of three persons, with authority to negotiate with the band of Ute Indians of southern Colorado for such modification of their treaty and other rights, and such exchange of their reservation, as may be deemed desirable by said Indians and the secretary of the Interior; and said commission is also authorized, if the result of such negotiations shall make it necessary, to negotiate with any other tribes of Indians for such portion of their reservation as may be necessary for said band of Ute Indians of southern Colorado if said Indians shall determine to remove from their present location; the report of said commission to be made to and subject to ratification by congress before taking effect; and for this purpose the sum of ten thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be neccessary, is hereby appropriated, which shall be immediately available. Approved May 1, 1888. CHAP. 344.—An act granting to the Billings, Clark's Fork and Cooke City Railroad Company the right of way through the Crow Indian Reservation. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the right of way is hereby granted, as hereinafter set forth, to the Billings, Clark's Fork and Cooke City railroad company, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the territory of Montana, for the extension of its railroad through the lands in Montana territory set apart for the use of the Crow Indians, commonly known as the Crow Indian reservation, beginning at a point on the northern line of said reserve at or near where Clark's Fork empties into the Yellowstone river, and thence following in a southerly direction to a point at or near where said Clark's Fork crosses the southern line of the said Crow reserve; also a branch line of railway to be constructed for a distance of ten miles up Bear creek, and commencing from the point where said Bear creek empties into said Clark's Fork; with the right to construct, use, and maintain tracks, turnouts, and sidings. SEC. 2. That the right of way hereby granted to said company shall be seventy-five feet in width on each side of the central line of said railroad as aforesaid; and said company shall also have the right to take from said lands ad, acent to the line of said road material, stone, earth, and timber necessary for the construction of said railroad; also ground adjacent to such right of way for stationbuildings, depots, machine-shops, side-tracks, turn-outs, and water |