The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-10-30

LAND WILL NOT BE FREE.


Muskogee, /. T., Oct. 27.-Thou
sands Of fpeople are looking anxiously
towards the Indian Territory as q
possible home in the near future.
This 10 proved by the thousands Of
letters written by people 10 every
state in the union to the Dawes
commission and to others asking as
TO the prospects for securing Indian
Territory lands. The general i'm
preston seems to be among these
inquirers that there ara Indian lands
soon to be opened in the Territory
free to homesteaders, that some date
is soon to be fixed when . rush can
be made and good farms obtaine
for the taking by first corners.
This is q mistake so far as the free
part is concerned, but men with
small capital will undoubtedly have
many chances to secure good lands
when the allotment of the Indian
reservations in severalty is complet-
ed. The Seminole reservation is the
hrst one TO be allotted. Work will
commence this winter on this alIot-
ment. There is no provision in any
law requiring the deeds in severalty
to 60 into effect all at once, so as
soon as the first Indian receives
his land he can do with it as his
treaty with the government provides.
TO OWN 1T INDIVIDUALLY.
The indians own this land in fee
simple, hence their consent to con-
vey title had to be secured by treaty.
The Curtis bill carefully avoids Civ
ing q semblance of real title to such
allotnents as are made under its
provisions. When the Indians have
made treaty agreeing to allotment
they also agree az tribe to convey
to the individual title to his particu-
lar tract and extinguish all commu-
nifty right existing in the land. The
Curtis bill forces allotment, but not
of the land, simply of its occupancy,
and II the Cherokees do not follow
the example of the other tribes and
make treaty their land will be di-
vidtd among them, but they will
have no right to dispose of it owing
to the community title still in exist
ence.
OF the treaties made with the tribes
go far, each provides for the holding
OF tine allotments by the individual
Indian in different ways. Some can
sell a portion, some can lease their
entire holding and in the case of the
Greeks they can sell all of their land
outright as soon as the deeds shall
be received. Those who are seeking
homes in the Indian Territory can
find them then as soon therefore as
the allotments to the Indians are
made If they have money to buy
from the Indians and can make q
satisfactory trade. Much of the
land is very good, some of it improv-
ed and cultivated, the title will be
perfect and the price probably equal
to that of land and improvements
similarly located in the Western
states.
SEMINOLE LANDS FIRST.
The Seminole lands will be allot-
ted first. There are 375, 200 acres in
this reservation, and there are about
3,1OO Seminole Indians. Their treaty
provides that as soon as a Seminole
receives his allotment he can lease
the same to any one he may choose
for a period not exceeding six years,
though such leases must be approv-
ed by the chief of the tribe before it
becomes affective. The treaty then
provides as follows:
"When the tribal government shall
cease to exist. the principal chief,
last elected by said tribe, shall exc
cute, under his hand and the seal of
the nation, and shall deliver to each
allottee, a deed conveying to him all
the right, title and interest of the
said nation and the members there
of, in AID to the lands so allotted to
him, and the Secretary of the Inte-
rior shall approve such deed and the
same shall thereupon operate as a
relinquishment of the right, title and
interest of the United States in and
to the land embraced in said convey
ance and as a guaranty by the United
States of the title of said lands to
the allottee; and the acceptance of
such deed by the allottee shall be c
relinquishment of his tit'e to and in
terest in all other lands belonging to
the tribe, except such as may have
been accepted from allotment and
held in common for other purposes.
Zach allottee shall designate one
tract OF forty acres, which. shall, by
the terms of the deed, be made in
alienable and non-taxable, as q