The sun., 1893-01-15
60 and 81 West 23d Street.
AMONG THE WESTERN INDIANS.
The Vast Tracts Which the Red Man Has
Sold nnd Those Which lie Retnins.

The Vast Tracts Witch the Red Man Has
Sold nnd Those Which He Retains.
WASHINGTON. Jan. lathe bill in Congress
for ratifying the purchase OF the Cherokee
Outlet will com plete one more in an extraordi-
nary series o! land sales made by the reserva-
tion Indians.
During the last four years great tracts have
been bought by the Government of the Sioux
In Dakota. the Chippewas In Minnesota. the
Crows in Montana. the Colvilles In Washing
ton. tho Fort Berthold Indians in North Da-
kota. the Sissetons and Wahpetons In South
Dakota and the C9ur d'Alenes in Idaho In
Indian Territory. meanwhile. other vast areas
have been acquired from the Greeks and Sem
inoles. the Cheyennes and Ararahoes, tho
Cherokees. the Choctaws and Chickasaws and
the Kiowas. Comanches and Apaches. besides
smaller ones from the Wcnitas. the Iowas.
the Kickapoos. the Tonkawas. the sacs and
Foxes the Pottawatomies. and the Absentee
Shawnees.
The land already finally parted with by the
Indians under these agreements exceeds ap-
parently 25.000.OOO acres. The agreements
executed. and only awaiting the approval OF
Congress. will apparently swell the total to
more than 33.O00.OOO acres. or fully $4,000
square miles First and last. including re-
leases OF rights possessed by various tribes OF
Indians. these sales may have brought to the
red men S30.00O.00O
There is a second matter involved in these
great real estate transactions not less inter-
e5ing and important. namely. the allotment
OF the retained lands in severalty to the In
dians. The severalty law expressly exempts
the Ave civilized tribes and few small Lands
from its operation. and it also does not force
its provisions upon any But in large num-
Der OF instances the agreements for the sale
OF surplus land have added stipulatons for
allotting the remainder. and few people who
have not look ed into the matter are aware to
how great an extent this system has already
been carried out.
During the last year reported upon by Com
missioner Morgan patents have been delivered
to 1877 Poncas. 100 Iowas. 242 Wyandottes. 157
Ottawas. tS Modocs. 2S4 Papagoes. 2G5 Grande
Ronde Indians. and one Miami-1.393 allot-
ments. Patents were prepared for issue to
1921 Cheyennes and Arapahoes. 1866 Pot
tawatomies and 5Gl Absentee Shawnees. max
irg pa! more Aloiments also had been
3 'as tor s3 s2uS 4 GSw
for S46 Jicariias. 40 l,onkawas. and 23G Chip.
pewas. and perhaps others: Work Is still 80
and AND sstS and beSs sNr nate
proved and patents were prenarng for $50
Oneidas; as Sacs, and Foxes, 1.:,3S sisse.ons
f1a aya s q ee ne Fa hess s
should be added so allotmen;s in California
apH nSgS ndans
that time. 12.273 allotments iu severalty have
ents delivered. to them. while many Others
Sacf S that fs 60
made under the act of the former date. 4.55o
under special nets and agreement and l.242
do inc
Indeed. 80 fast has this work gone on that
even JEALOUS advocates OF seyeralty allotment
overdone. The reason why the work has
progressed so rapidly is to lie found; OF course.
IN the great number OF important land sales
| that advantage should lie taken OF these great
transfers. to negotiate for apnlyin. the a lot
| the object OF the government is to make the
Indians Interested IN the ownership and cuti-
Session Of homes s",s hsreon W It is p2i et
| that it would lie u great mistake t. push this
system prSemfntIIrely S or to I'll to ad and en-;
'.t C"mmis sioner 'tiss: Morsan has received from
OF the allotment law. and the results, are sgG:
gestiye. - Agent Foster, at lnnkto1. finds that
a fs at Wa o fs ho
year. and those who have comfortable houses
live there almost Gonstanty hey all aim
have voted and none have leased their lands.
Agent c. r. Ashle ofthe Cheyenne and Ara
pahoes, finds about half Of his Inda ans upon
their .allotments hut. as these had only ex-
istssd is.d for n few moaths It was TOO early to
9uaPgaw Agency says that fqnr-flths Of the
| families reside upon some allotment and Mt
least one half Of the adults realize their priyi
ieges and obligations as citizens. Agent 4.
Omahas reside upon their allotments and 80
! per cent OF the WinneLagoes. and yet about
| rs many have leased all or u part of them.
They think that citizenship is something they
them. At the Tulalip Agency Mr.. Thornton
Ireports four.ifths Of the Indians living pnon
with few. however. realizing their privileges
| as citizens and none voting.
-, Without going further into the details OF
these interesting reports. it would seem that
allotment generally hasa good dral a. ot ehect ne
tion, some effect in advancing the cultivation
OF land. but not much thus far In making the
allottees realize their new posti, n as citizens.
But, o. course. In these respects. those who
ton improve faster under the Allotment act
| than the wilder tribes. to whom 1t is little but
] the latest whim 0f fha white man.