Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-12-16
LANDS OPENED TO SETTLERS.
Purchase of Indian Reserve During the
neutrality-suspicious. Pending.

The good work of reducing the larger Indian
reservations by allotments IN severalty to the
Indians, and the cession of the remaining lands
to the United States, for disposition under the
homestead law, has been prosecuted during the
year with energy and success In september
last was enabled to open to settlement in the
territory Of Okla homa $1,000 acres OF land. az
of which was taken up by settlers in a single
day. The rush for these lands was accompanied
by great deal of excitement but was happily
free from incidents Of violence.
1t was source of great regret that | was not
able to open at the same time the surplus lands
of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe reservation,
amounting to about 100000 acres. by reason OF
insuiiciency of the appropriation for making
the allotments. Deserving and impatient set
tiers are waiting to occupy these LANDS, ana
urgently recommend that special deficiency
appropriation be promptly made of the small
amount needed, so that the allOtments may be
completed and the surplus lands opened in time
to permit the settlers to get upon their home
steads in the early spring.
During the past summer the Cherokee Com
mission have completed arrangements with the
Wichita, Kickapoo, and TonkaWa tr1 bes, Where-
by if the agreements are ratified by Congress,
over 800, 600 additional acres Will be opened 10
settlement in oklahoma.
The negotiation for the release by the Chero-
KEGS Of their claim to the Cherokee strip has
made no substantial progress, so far as the de-
parunent is officially advised, but ii is still
hoped thatthe cession of this large and Yalua-
BILE tract may be secured. The price which the
commission authorized to oter-$l.20 per
acre-is, in my Judgment. when all the c1rcum-
lands are considered, fair and adequate one
and should have been accepted by the Indians.
Since March a, 1889. about 23, 1000 acres nave
been separated from Indian reservations ana
added to the public domain for the use or
those who desired to secure free homes under
our benifcent laws. 1t is difficult to estimate
the increase of wealth which will result from
the conversion of these waste lands into farms,
but it is more difficult to estimate the better
ment which will result to the families that have
found renewed hope and courage in the owner
ship of home and the assurance OF COM
Portable su bsiStence under free and healthtul
conditions. 1t is also gratifying to be able to
feel, as we may, that this work has proceeded
that he may now, if he will, secure to himself
the good influences of settled habitation the
fruits of industry and the security OF citizen
ship.
Early in the administration special effort
was begun to bring up the work of the general
land office. BY faithful work the arrearages
have been rapidly reduced. At the end of the
last fiscal year only 81, l72 final agricultural en-
tries remained undisposed of, and the commits
sioner reports that with the present force the
work can be fully brought up by the end of the
next fiscal year.
Your attention is called to the difficulty pre-
sented by the secretary of the interior as TO the
administration of the law of March s, 1891, eS-
ia blishing q court of private land claims The
small holdings intended to be protected by the
law are estimated 10 be more than $4,000 In
number. The claimants are most deserving
class, and their titles are supported by the
strongest equities. The difficulty grows out OF
the fact that the lands have largely been sur
veyed according to our methods, while the
holdings, many of which have been In the same
family for generations are laid out in narrow
strips few rods wide upon stream and run
ming back to the hills for pasturage aud timber,
Provision should be made for numbering these
tracts as lots and for patentinS them by such
numbers and without reference to section lines.