Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-11-14

4
open the retired list TO the extent OF en-
| bracing officers now excluded from II foi
want OF vncar c'es. Gen Sheridan says
THIS would give 4 certain degree OF pro
} nc lon, and II we could get infantry regi'
/ npits Increased. 20 twelve companies,
as proposed by tho Henderson bill,
and an increase OF 5000 men re-.
ported fayorably by the senate mill
tary committee last winter, state
OF efficiency and usefr ness would be
reached which would en- lie as 10 credit
ably perform such service AZ the country
might demand. The report shows that
the instruction Of the army In the use OF
the rife or carbiDe with which the men
are armed has been thoroughly prose-
cuted during the year, and returns from
each department as wei as the results OF
regular competitions just closing, Xhibit
a decided advancement in the prom iency
OF the army IN rife firing The general
renews his TeComm notation ma 'e IN his
preceding report touching the allotment
OF land In seyeralty 10 the Indians, the
sale OF surplus lands and the creation OF
q trust fund from the money realized, the
Interest on which shall be turned over to
the Indians for their support. The re-
port says: "COusldering a the Indians
and the reservations in the territories Of
Dakota and Montana, we have an
aggregate area OF over 5i,b00,000
acres and population Of less than
40, 600, and the surplus area Of nearly
81, 900 square miles almost equal 10 the
entire state Of Kansas) would produce an
annual interest OF over S2,500,000. the
appropriations for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1856. for fulfilling treaties with
these tribes and for their subsistence and
civilization and the pay OF employees In
cident TO such an undertaking, amount
20 about 500 900 less than this sum- In
a like manner the result Of the applicR-
ton OF this plan in the different
Western states aud territories Is shown IN
detail, and the report concludes as fol-
lows: THE Indian reservations Of the
United States contain about 10000
square miles and their population 10 about
100000 Tweuty-six thousand square
NIL s would locate each family upon half
a section OF land, leaving u surplus OF
about 10000 square miles,
which according TO the plan
have proposed would produce annually
"a, $50 O00 This amount exceeds by
about $500 600 the entire sum approprl-
ated for the payment Of their annuities
aud for their subsistence and civilization
The policy advocated In my report would
be most pdyantageously applied gradually,
the general government OF the Indians
being continued according to methods In
vogue, or such Improvement OF
them as time and exp r ence
may suggest. The ultimate development
Of the suggested policy would, as the In.
dams advance In civilization and intelii-
gence, result IN the return TO them of the
principal derived from the sale OF their
lands, which, until such measures were
authorized by act OF congress, would be
held as trust for their benefit and the
income applied to their support
AN INDIAN LANDED ARIsToCRACY.
WASHINGTON, Nov. l3.-OLe Of the
most striking passages OF the annual re-
port OF indian Commissioner Atkins,
which has Just been printed, shows the
workings Of the Indian landed aTlstocracy
under the present tribal system OF holding
the reservations. ~ appears that the
chief cultivation Of tribal lands Is done by
a few rich aud enterprisng red men, who
pocket all the proceeds and pay
no rent to the tribe as whole.
OF course their plea is That II any other
me- .lhers OF the tribe choose 20 till their
lands they ARE at liberty to do so, but 1t
appears that In the Indian Territory,
whore some very large aggregate crops
are raised on lands held IN common by
the partly civilized tribes, the Weather
and more Influential Indians have mo-
nopollzed the best lands much more than
would be their share under an equal
division In scveIalty Commissioner
Atkins accordingly points out that the
present system Of land tenure among
the red men Is working very badly and
that the government ought 10 Intervene
and divide the land held IN tie Indian
Territory into lots OF 100 acres for each
head OF family and half as much for each
minor child The general impression de-
rived from Commissioner Atkins rep lrt
Is that the present system OF Indian land
holding Is very imperfect and unwlse, and
that congress should promptly substitute
one which would be better both for red
men and white
COTTON EXPORTED.
WASHINGTON, Nov lS.--The bureau OF
statistics reports G05,7l5 bales of cotton
exported during October against COZ ,09s
In October 1885.
CHIEF pUsnYuEAp's REPORT.
WASHINGTON, Nov 10 The interior
department. to-day received copy OF the
fourth annual message of Hon, ID. w.
Bushyhead, principal chief OF the Chero-
kee nation, Indian Territory, whose ma.
tional council Is sitting at Tahleqnah.
He says, among other things
81 deemit my dulyto invite your atten.
ton 60 the subject OF the proposed con
federation OF the tribes OF the Territory
with the hope that you win take some
action OF definite character
looking to the formation of
an International government cloihed with
such functions and powers as II may
deem proper to confer upon II. The Inn
po ltanee, not to say necessity, OF such
action Is suggested by tho fact that there
are ollls before congress providing
Tor the erection OF territory OF the
United States out OF the so-ealled tNo
Mans Land" with portions OF the In.
dian Territory as may be Included
by consent OF the tribes resld-
ing thereon. Thus an insldions scheme
for invading and dismemberlpp
the Territory is sought TO be carried out
which, In my opinion, could be do.
feated Ia advance by union Il
the Tribes in a conteders>
ton through which they would AGA
together on all questions involving
the Interests Of all. Such an organization
would not only conserve the inter.
ests OF the whole Territory, but
II would command the respect
of the people and government OF
the United STATES The danOd~ and