The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1899-06-26
TO CLASSIFY LANDS.
The Interior Department Makes Import
ant Rulings In Land Matters.


1898 commonly known as the Curtis
bill, to which the agreement made be-
tween the Dawes commission and
the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes
of Indians is attached and made a
part of it, among other things pro-
vides:
THAT all the lands within the In
dian Territory belonging to the Choc-
taw and Chickasaw Indians shall be
allotted to the members of said tribes
SO as to give each member of these
tribes so far as possible fair and
equal share thereof, considering the
character and fertility of the soil
and location and value of the lands.
That while the lands allotted to the
Choctaw freedmen are to be deduct
ed from the portion to be allotted un
der this agreement to the members
of the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes,
SO as to reduce the allotment to the
Choctaws and Chickasaws by the
values of the same.
saw freedmen who may be entitled to
allotments of forty acres each shall
be entitled each to land equal in
value to forty acres of the average
land of the two nations.
1t further provides that in the ap-
praisement of lands to be allotted to
the Choctaw and Chickaw tribes each
shall have a representative, to be
appointed by their respective exc
cutives, to cooperate with the COM
mission to the five civilized tribes,
or any one making appraisements
under the direction of the secretary
of the interior in grading and ap-
praising the lands preparatory to
allotment. And the land shall be
valued in the appraisement as if iu
original condition, excluding the inn
provements thereon.
Thatt appraisement and alot-
ment shall be under the direction
of the SECRETARY of the interior.
That where possible each member
of the tribe, including freedmen,
shall have the right to take his allot-
ment on the land, the improvements
on which belong to him.
All the lands to be allotted to be
non-taxable for a period of twenty
one years from date. Each allot-
tee to have 100 acres, for which sep
arate patents are to be issued, and
which shall be inalienable for twenty
one wears from date of patent.
1t is also agreed that the United
States shall put each allottee in pos
session of his allotment and remove
all persons therefrom Objectionable
to the allottee.
In order to carry out the prOvis-
ions of the act quoted above, the
commission to the five civilized
tribes have issued in conjunction
with the appraisers of the Choctaw
and Chickasaw tribes and NJ. D.
Kenyon, the appraiserin-chief, who
has been recently appointed by the
secretary of the interior as his repre-.
sentative, the following rules and
regulations il reference to the grad.
ing and appraising of the ChoctaW
and Chickasaw lands:
Department of the Interior-Com.
mission of the Five Civilized Tribes
The following schedule of classes
and sub-classes of lands located
within the limit of those portions ot
the Indian Territory belonging to the
Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes, and
the rules for determining the values
of same have been adopted for the
purpose of determining the character
: of said lands and the fertility of the
soil, in conformity with the agree
ment between the United States anC
said Choctaw and ChickaSaw tribes
Dated April 81, 1897, and the laws o
congress relating to the same.
Commission to the Five Civilized
Tribes Tams Bixby, acting chairman
NJ. d. Kenyon, appraiser-in-chief
w. H. Harrison, representative Choc
taw tribe; Ed B. Johnson, represent
ative Chickasaw tribe.
Department of the Interior-Com
mission to the Five Civilized Tribes
Rules and schedule for the grading
and appraising of the Choctaw-Chick
asaw lands: Rules-Land shall HI
valued in the appraisement as if il
its original condition, excluding thu
improvements.
Land will be graded and appraised
by quarter sections, except in case
where part of quarter section il
of widely different class from tn,
rest. In such cases the quarter sec
! ton will be graded and appraised il
smaller parcels, but no parcel to b,
e less than forty acres.
= If timber is of commercial valu,
the quantity will be carefully estima
e ted, the variety stated, and it will b,
q valued separately, and If not gener
ally distributed over the tracts, it
| location will be given.
Appraisers will grade and apprais
lands without regard to location o
proximity to market.
n Whenever necessary the appraiser
Y in-chief, in cooperation with tn
: representatives appointed by III