Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1898-02-03
CHEROKEE TOWN LOTS,
(Continued trom frst paqel

changed to that of Fort GibsOn)
and which conditions were to sell
the said lots to the highest bidders,
they being Cherokee citizens, pass
and convey to the qualified pur-
chasers deeds, or titles of occu-
pant right for the same in the man
ner described IN the said act: Aud
Whereas, the said commissioners,
in accordance with the authority
of law aforesaid, did lay off and di-
vided into lots a site for town,
since named Downingville, and did
further, on the seventeenth day OF
February, A. d. 1872, sell by pub
lie auction the lot hereinafter de-
scribed TO James +. Thompson OF
the Cherokee nation. for the sum
of forty-one dollars (s4l.00) he be-
ing the highest bidder;
NOp, therefore, knOlU ye, That |,
viii P. Ross, principal chief OF the
Cherokee nation, having sa:isfac-
tory proof that the said James +.
Thompson has well and truly paid
into the treasury of the Cherokee
nation, the stipulated price OF the
lot then purchased by him and
hereafter 10 be described, accord
ing to the terms of the law herein
referred to; by virtue of the power
and authority in me vested by the
act OF the national council afore-
SAID, and in consideration of the
aforesaid sum of forty one dollars
(s4100) paid by the said James F.
Thompson as aforesaid, do, in the
name and behalf of the Cherokee
nation, grant, bargain, sell and
convey, unto the said James f.
Thompson and heirs, all the tract,
lot, or parcel of land situated il
the town Of Downingville, which
is described as follows, to-wit:
Lot No. one %, block No. eighteen
(1S), all of which lies in Coowee-
scoowee district, Cherokee nation.
To have and to hold the afore-
granted premises to the said James
F. Thompson and his heirs, to his
and their use forever subject new
ertheless, TO the express condi-
items of the law of the Cherokee
nation in this case made and pro-
vided, that this deed shall be
deemed and held as an occupant
title only to the premises above
bargained and sold; and that the
lot or land conveyed or intended
to be conveyed by this deed shall
never be sold, assigned, o. trans
ferred from the possession of the
said James F.Thompson, his heirs,
executors or administrators, to any
person or persons, not citizens OF
the Cherokee nation; as otherwise
this deed shall become null and
void, and of no effect or virtue in
law. And |, the said VIII P. Ross,
principal chief of the Cherokee
nation, Tor and on behalf of the
said nation, do covenant with the
said James F. Thompson and his
heirs, that the premises hereby
granted and sold, are free from all
membranes, made or suffered to
be made by the said nation, and
that the Cherokee nation shall
warrant and defend the occupant
right of the same to the said James
+. Thompson, his heirs end lawful
assigns, forever, against the lawful
claims and demands of all persons
claiming by, through or under the
Cherokee nation, but against none
other.
La witness whereof, | have
hereunto set my hand and
the seal of the Cherokee
nation, in Tahlequah, this
twenty-seventh day of No
vember, in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight
hundred and seventy -four.
IsEAL. Signed,
WILL P. Ross,
Principal Chief Cherokee Nation
Signed, ALLEN Ross, Secretary.
Thus at once it can be seen that
the Cherokee nation, 55, IL and 25
years ago, did just what the pro-
posed legislation now says the ma
tions may do. The townsites of
the Cherokee nation have already
been established, segregated from
the common domain, dedicated to
townsite purposes, and the Chero-
kee nation paid by the town lot
owners for their individual lots,
the highest price that could be OBJ
tanned under the fairest sale that
could be provided under the laws
of the Cherokee nation; the lot
owners have obtained their title
direct from the Cherokee nation
and not from an individual citizen
as is the case in the other nations;
the Cherokee nation itself did the
business in this nation
and not the individual citizen,
thereby preventing the individual
citizen from monopolizing the
interests of the Cherokee
nation for speculative purposes
and saving to the entire nation the
proceeds of the sales from which
they have realized a princely sum;
the individual citizen has bought
his lot in good faith and paid his
into the national treasury
for the benefit of the entire people
on the strength of the guarantee
that he would be protected and his
right to the same warranted and |
defended TO him and his heirs for
ever against the claims of ali per
sons claiming by, through or under
the person from whom he pur-