The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-12-08

| justified in mourning the constant risk OF at
| tack was question which WAS left 20 his own
sense Of prudence. but his title to his farm
was perfectly good though 1t may have COW
| cred the site of an Indian village and its sur
rounding gardens.
The property rights of the Indians became
| fixed when carefully defined reservations
we're allotted to them by the authorities OF
the United States These reservations, as IS
well known. constituted with hardly an ex-
ception the most desirable lands in the gen.
eral section OF country which was occupied
by the Indian tribes. As tho surrounding
territory was taken up by white settlers and
grew in population and also in wealth. the
lands included in the Indian reservations rose
in value and if they could have been sold OIL
in seyeralty would have commanded the
highest price of any lands in the country
For very long time the Government did not
permit the Indian tribes to grant even for q
fair consideration any portion OF their re-
spective domains, and so jealous was il in its
attention to the property rights Of the In
dians that it frequently insisted upon the re-
moval Of cattle which the Indians for q fair
remuneration allowed the white ranchmen OF
neighboring States TO place upon their terri
tory.
As might have been anticipated the set
tiers who have established their homes in the
sections Of country adjacent 10 the reserya-
tons have looked with coyetous eyes upon
thelfertile hills and valleys which the Indians
only used as a hunting reserve. and which re-
manned precisely as nature had shaped them.
TO this spirit of encroachment the government
has recently SO far yielded "a to permit the
Indians to ALLEVIATE a large part of their ter
ritory. The grants have always been directly
to the Government, which has afterwards
thrown open the area of these grants to per-
manent settlement by the whites.
The extent of the Indian grants Of land is
very much larger than is generally known.
II we include tho Cherokee strip, the sale
Of which is now under negotiation, the whole
amount OF land which the Government dur
ing the last three years has bought from the
Indians with a view 10 its division into home
stesds is 81 900 acres. OF this vast area
1.SS5,S0l acres were acquired from the Creeks
and Seminoles. and this now constitutes the
Territory OF Oklahoma. Thirteen million
acres were purchased from the Sioux and
Chippewas, 4, 100000 from the Crows and
Cheyennes, ga. 900 from the Wichitas, 391, 1875
from the Sacs and Foxes, 2i9. i46 from the
Iowas, 2SS 1892 from the Pottawattomies. 1s0.-
4i6 from the Kickapoos. 100000 from the
Sissetons and Wahpetons. 1896 from the
Coeur D'Alenes 15OO.O from the Colviles
and 600. 900 from the Fort Berthold Indians.
1t will be seen from this enumeration. which
is only partial that the purchases of lands
have been made from all the leading tribes
of the West, and all. therefore, have shared
in the handsome pecuniary returns. These
returns are estimated to amount to at least
$50. 100000. which the Government has So
cured in the form Of bonds held by itself,
but upon which it pays into the hands of the
Indians the ordinary Government rate of in
terest
Taking it all in oil. the condition Of the In
dian tribes is decidedly an easy one They
have still vast territory of the most attrac-
tive character; ratons are periodically dis
tributed among them, and in addition the
interest on the ESQ 600 600 worth Of lands pur-
chased from them provides them with large
amount OF ready cash.