Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1891-06-18
LAND OFFICE NOTES
The Pierre Land Office Preparing for
the Near Approaching Time for
Filings.
Indian Allotments and the Work
Being Done by Special Agent
Mexican.
Gen. Pease's Duties in Adjusting the
Damages Causcdb by Clcveland's
Blundcr.
Additional Plats of Land West of the
River Received, Including an
Island.

That important ramfication of the
government, the United States land Office
in this city, is q busy place just now, in
itself and the several side issues that are
there located. Register Bailey and Re-
ceiver Eakin, with Chief Clerk Carter
and Miss BESSIE Rdenour, amanuensis,
are busy with the work OF the Office get
ting everything in shape for the rush that
will begin next Saturday, when the first
plats IF land west of the river will be
open to settlement After that date ad-
ditional plats, as heretofore announced,
will be ready for filing on the 25th and
3Oth. which plats cover a vast amount Of
territory across the river.
FORT pIERRE's FIGHT.
The township in which is located the
filing on the 3Oth, at which time there
will likely be music in the air-espccially
as relates to the portion of the tract lying
| south Of Bad river. There are a number
of adverse claims to this land, which ac-
cordng to the government survey con-
, tains l6l.2 acres. AS everybody is more
or less familiar with the status of the
matter it is not necessary to go into ex-
tended detail. 1t looks as though not
only the city of Fort Pierre will lay siege
to the land, but also the South Fort
Pierre Townsite company, which i'm
mortaliZed itself one winter morning by
invading the place, then held by old man
Traversec, before the cocks had COM
menced to crow. The Pontoon Bridge
company, it is alleged, will setsup a claim
to not less than forty acres Of the tract,
| under some provision OF the war depart
ment charter that allows for bridge ap-
proaches, while c. L. Millett, cashier of
the Stock Growers bank at Fort Pierre,
has succeeded Traversee as q homestead :
er on the tract, and will press his rights
| as such. 1t would take the acumen of u
Philadelphia lawyer, that traditional
| worthy noted for his smartncss, to figure
out the question and resolve it into some
tangibility. The land officials will soon
| be given the task, and from their decision
it is likely to go to the commissioner of
| the general land Office, from there to the
secretary Of the interior, and thence to
| the court of last resort. the United States
supreme bench.
INDIAN ALI.OTMENTS.
| &. A. Mexican, the special agent sent
here several months ago to allot lands to
the red men, their wives, children, rela-
| tion, friends, widows, orphans, etc.. in
company with his engineer, MIR. Flick
| hO /, I'M hn
business clo:ed up before the land is open
to settlement next Saturday, so that the
Indians claims will not be behind in the
general roundup. They returned last
Sunday from their Chantier creek camp,
with all the field work finished up in the
Pierre district, but with plenty OF office
work yet to do. After this is done they
will proceed next week to the White river
country in the Chamberlain district,
which has not yet been visited for this
purpose. Mr.. Flickinger states that the
last week they were out the work in al
lotting was phenomenal, for the reasons
| above stated, they having made as high
as $50 allotments in one day. Most of the
Indian settlers are along Bad river and
its tributaries ana Chantier creek, the
Cheyenne river contingent not going in
for the ceded lands very heavily.
AS the time for filing is so close at
hand, the land Office has on hand a letter
from r. V. Belt, assistant commissioner
of Indian affairs, which pretty ctfectually
defines the situation. AS certain portions
of this letter have been quoted in WASH
ington dispatches, but not fully, the FREE
PRESS gives herewith the most important
paragraphs, as affecting the much dis
puted rights of Indian and white settlers:
1.-The Indians were given one year in
which 70 elect whether they would re-
main upon the lands occupied by them
within the ceded territory or remove to
the reservation, and more recently (April
2S, 1917 the secretary of the interior de-
cided that If any Indian should satisfy the
allotting agent that he was residing on
the ceded lands at the date the act took
effect and has continuously lived thereon
since that time and has had no personal
notice Of his right, he should have allotted
TO him the lands where he has so contin-
ued to reside. provided there was no legal
adverse claim thereto, and if there should
be such adverse claim, that said Indian
might have allotted to him other lands y
After quoting authority to prove this,
Mr.. Belt continues: "Manifcstly, then,
u settler could not go upon the ccce
lands and claim tracts in occupation by
Indians, but where white man went
upon the ceded lands in good faith, in