Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-12-02
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
Synopsis Of the Annual Report or
Secretary Lamar.

Of Indian affairs Secretary Lamar urges the
passage of the bill introduced last whit pro-
yiding for a commission to visit and inveSti-
gate the condition of the various tribes Not
withstanding the failure of this measure to go
through the last session of Congress, the work
of locating the Indians on lands in seYeraity
has been and is now being pushed with com
mendable activity by the commissioner OF
Indian affairs. During the year about eight
hundred Indians have received title, as pre-
scribed by treaties, TO aliotments Of land for
in lydual occupancy. Quite number have
taken up homCsteads on the public domain
under the Indian homestead laws. A large
number have been located who have not yet
been furnished with title to their selections
The Industrial school near Salem, Oregon,
| and the Carlisle school are both in need OF
more land for the proper training Of Indian
pupils in agricultural industries. Congress
was requested, at its last session, to authorize
the purchase Of S4,92 acres for the first named
school at the total cost of 81 500, to b. paid In
| labor to be performed by the Ind an pupils at
'tending said school, and the grant of author
! ty, with the necessary appropriation, was also
requested for the purchase of l03 acres adioin-
ing the Carlisle school, at a cost of $500,
! These measures received the sanction OF the
senate, but failed to become laws
The whole number of Indian schools Is PA,
with an average attendance of 952S, costing
1881, SSL42.
1t has been held by the attorney general
that no general power is conferred by any
statute uIon the executive branch of the gov
ernment for making, authorizing or approving
leases OF any lands helrby Ind ans for graz
ing purposes. 1t is not believed that the her
ding of stock upon Indian lands by white men
will be conducive to the well being of the In
dams Many of the tribes hold Surplus lands,
and these lands produce yearly growth OF
grass which annually goes to waste. The In
dams have learn ID the value of this product
of their reservations, and many Of them are
.sirous of turning it to some probable &C
count for their own benefit. Requests lave
been made to this department by some Of the
tribes, through their agents, for the privilege
of takinr cattle from ncighbOring cattiemcn
to pasture on the surplus lands Of their rcser-
vations the Indians to herd and care for the
cattle, and to receive a fair compensation
therefor.
1t was asserted during the latter part OF
1884 an earlier part of 1885 that there were
no cattle in the Oklahoma country. Most
ros We representations of the same character
NCr1 maUe 10 me Wien dbSuluCu Cudl 90 VI
his department Soon after it was found
that large number of cattle were being
grazed upon these lands Means were at OlCe
set on foot for their removal, which was not,
however, fully accomplished before the sea
son was so far advanced that the driving OF
cattle long distances to grazing lands outside
of the territory would have caused great loss
OF property. As the cAttlemen were not
! -,ir. 70 ,ttI n
their immed ate expulsion was not considered
so necessary as to cause great destruction OF
the property to be made. The operations for
! the removal of the cattle were conducted with
these things in view.
The commissioner repeats his suggestions
. of last wear that the Indians in the Indian
territory occupying lands west of 90 longitude
be removed to the SUR rs and more fertile
r lands east thereof, and thus I'LL up the Un
t occupied Oklahoma country, and the lands
vacated, together with tie pubic land strip
be sold to actual settlers an be recommends
that Congress authorize the appointm mt of
/ commission to VS. the I1dtans an ascertain
8 their wishes in regard to the proposed re
t mQyal
I Tie records of tn, land office show that dur
r ing the fiscal year ended June 80 1886, 4,7S9,
! ole acres we're sold for cash, and that the
= homestead, md warrant, scrip, railroad, swamp
. ard State select o1s absorbed 1852, S07 acres
S more The cash receipts Of the Office were
n 50, o3l,O 84
/ Inc GQmmlsSlonSr's report upon the public
I ! surveys, though interesting, is a painful ex
hibit. 1t appears from this document that
e the available agricultural land in most Of the
u public land States and Territories has been
I largely returned as surveyed, and the surveys
paid for by the United States, but In many
6 instances the reported surveys are so defective
}, and erroneous as to b. without merit and mis-
e leading; and that in other cases no actual
n surveys were made, but FLATS were manufact-
r ured upon the basis of fictitious field notes.
4 The pro ortion of unsu.veyed lands is re-
ported substantially as follows in the States
Y and Territories named: In Arizona, one fifth
e in California, seven-sixtGcnths; in Colorado,
= seven-eighths; in Dakota Onc-half Of the Ter
ritory; in Florida, fvesjxths; in Idaho, one
fifth; Minnesota, ur-ffths; Nevada, one
c half; Montana, one ourth; New Mexico, two,
p ffths; Oregon, two-thrds; Washington, one.
5 half; Wyoming, three-fourths.
$ In California, Colorado, Minnesota Oregon,
Washington and Wyoming the unurveyed
areas are generally mountainous or heavily
timbered In FlOn the Jus rveyed lanls are
principally in the vicinity OF the everglades
and in islands and keys on the coast In Ari-
n iona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico
t and Wyoming the country is reported to be
5 largely occupied by cattle ranct es.
J. The commissioner makes statement,
It based upon the reports Of surveyors general,
o that in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Mon
: tana and Idaho the surveys, mostly returned
under the deposit system, embras NJ the great
er part of the agricultural aud grazing por-
lions Of those sections, appear to have been
e projected without regard to the necessities OF
e the country, and wholly beyond any IN nedl.
ate or prospective demand tor legitimate pur.
y poses, and that the returns appear TO have
!. been made In large measure without regard to
the existence Of actual surveys ia the field.
r. The surveyor general Of New Mexico recon-
mends a resuryey Of the great body OF survey.
J. ed lands in that territory. He a SO states that
there are strong reasons for beleR ng that
a considerable areas have been surveyed on pa
i per and paid for by the government without
any survey in fact ever having en- made.
S In Louisiana, New Mexico, Utah and Colo
RADIO the surveyor general Of each Of these ter
!, rItorles respectively reports the absence Of all
; marks or monuments or other means OF iden-
r tifying the subdivisions of sect rs oil