The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-04-23
PoTTAwAToMIE LANDS.

Tho Committee on Indian Lands Reports
Favor.bly the Bin to Sell the Pottawato-
mie Lands in Kansas.
- WASHINGTON, April Congressman
Perkins, of Kansas, from the Committee on
Indian Affairs, has favOrab'y reported the
bill to provide for the sale of lands belong
Ing to the prairie band of Pottawatomie
Indians in Kansas. Tho committee I'm pre-
senting the case say: "These lands, situated
In Jackson County. KAN, contain 1887
acres. making a reservation eleven miles
square, mostly rolling upland with narrow
fertile valleys along three creeks and small
streams. There are about 40 of these
Indians living on this reservation, and in
addition there are about $50 of them living
with the WinnebagO Indians in Wis.,
cOnsin, but who would be entitled
to tribal benefits and to a,lotments, under
the provisions OF this bill should they re-
turn to the reservation. While many Of
these POttawatOmie Indians are reasonably
industrious in their present tribal organiza-
tiOn there Is but little encouragement for
individual effort and but slight incentive
to labor and economy. This reservation 10
surrounded by well improved and well
CultlNNttu IuIiitS anu ID 10 the experience Oh
your committee that this commune should
be broken up and fair proportion of tho
space allotted in severalty to the members.
of the tribe and the balance sold to white
settlers. These Indians have more land
than they require for their use
and in consequence leased to the T..
j. Anderson Company last March tract
for grazing purposes containing about
10000 acres for period of ten years, 10 re-
ceive rental of $1,000 per annam, to be
paid them semi-annGally, as per capita. In
its present condition the land can not be
sold by the Indians, or by the Government
and we find in one Of the pOpu!0us grow
ing counties of Kansas great reservation
of more than Il, 600 acres of land unneces-
sarily set apart for the home of a email
band of Indians, while Industrious and law
abiding citizens are without homes. and are.
asking that they may be permitted to pur-
chase at full value m0eiy of that SO I'M
necessarily reserved from public occupation
and sale. The reservation is an impeachment
to the growth and development of Jack
son County, and a burden to the tax
payers and public interests, and public in
terests and public opinion are in accord in
demanding that the Indian reservation shall
be broken up and the land allotted to the
Indians in severaIty, with proper restric-
tons upon alienation, and the surplus sold
or disposed of to the thousands seeking
homes upon the public domain. Large p0f-
tons of this reservation have been inclOsed
with wire fences by cattlemen and others,
exciting great opposition from the farmers
and others who are compelled to cross the
reservation in going to and returning from
their county seat and in some instances have
led to breach of the peace. Crimes commit
ted on the reservation by whites must be
prosecuted i'm the local courts, and at the
expense of the loca! taxpayers while no
taxes or revenues can be obtained from the
reservation to assist i'm meeting the burdens
imposed upon the people,