The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-01-30
THE FIVE TRIBES IN CONGRESS.
Townslters "Get Together and Formulate Amendment
to the Curtis Bill.
Delegates Unit
Their Proposed Line of Action Interesting
Gossip About Territory Matters.
Copyright 1881

washington, Jan. 2I--1ne SuO-
committee bill has been introduced
into the house, an. formally referred
to the Indian affairs committee. 1t
bears the name of Mr.. Curtis, chair
man of the house subcommittee and
is known as H. R. 67O2. Z he princi-
pal features of the bill were summa-
rized in my letter of last week.
1t was thought when the sub-com
mittee reported the bill that it would
be taken up by the Indian affairs
committee and reported to the house
without delay, but it is now learned
that the committee will not take up
the bill before the 10th or 18th of Feb
ruary. MIR Curtis will in the mean
time make trip to his home in Kan
sas, and other members of the COM
mittee will be absent from the city.
and for these reasons the committee
has decided to postpone action on the
bill to the time indicated. In the
meantime the legislative pot will be
allowed to simmer down." so to
speak. The various townsite dele
gates from the Territory will remain
and work, and when the committee
again takes up the bill the represent
atives of all interests will have To-
Gated the exact features they want
modified, and agreed upon just what
will be urged in the way of amend
ment.
If the people of the Indian Terri
tory have any idea that the townsite
delegates are not working, and work
ing hard, and that they are not or
ganized. and organized well, and that
there is not harmony, and perfect
harmony, they are not advised IS to
what their representatives. are Id
have been doing.
Immediately after the report of the
Curtis bill to the committee they
called meeting to find where they
wore at" The meeting was held at
the National hotel. J. j. McAlester
was elected president of the meeting.
After full discussion of the townsite
features of the bill, a committee was
appointed TO draft an amendment
embodying the sense of the meeting.
The committee was composed of J. F.
McMurray of South McAlester, DIR.
Wolverton and s. T. Bledsoe of Ard
more, Judge Stuart of South McAles-
ter and q. w. Thompson of Table
quah.
This committee has been at work,
and yesterday agreed upon an amend
ment, which is in substance as fol-
lows:
''That the land upon which any
town is located shall be purchased
from the Indians at such a price as
may be agreed upon between the
towns and Indians; that the chief
executive officer of any town so pur-
chased shall plat the town; that such
plat shall be approved by and filed
with the secretary of the interior;
that upon filing of the plat with the
secretary of the interior, the chief
executive officer of the town shall
appoin. an officer, who, with the
chief executive officer, shall appraiSe
the lots separate and apart from any
improvements that may be on the
same. at such relative value as the
present value OF the lot bears to the
purchase price paid for the townsite,
SO that the aggregate appraised value
of all the lots shall not exceed the
amount paid for the entire tOwnsite,
together with the expense incurred
in procuring and vesting title; that
should appraisers be unable to agree
upon value, the judge of the United
States court shall appoint a third
to assist in the appraisement; that a
determination of a majority of said
appraisers shall be conclusive; that
any person having improvements
upon any lot so appraised shall pur-
chase at the appraised value, twenty
Ave per cent. of such purchase to be
paid in cash, and the balance in FIVE
equal instalments of one, two, three,
four and five years, with interest
from date at six per cent; provided,
that any purchaser may have the
right to pay of the same before ma
turity; that if any person having i'm
provements shall not purchase the
lot within six months after appraise-
ment, the same shall be sold at pub
lie auction, at not less than the ap-
praised value; that the proceeds of
such sale of lots shall be applied,
irss, to the payment of the purchase
price of tine townsite, and the excess,
Il any. TO be deposited with the Sec
retary of the treasury for the school
fund; and that all lots heretofore
sold by the Cherokee nation, and to