The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1899-08-17
INDIAN TERRITORY LANDS.
What Appraiser Little Has to Say About
Matters Generally.

soNN~ho oChCEohJs
W. 7. Little, who is an appraiser
under the Dawes commission in
Indian Territory, says that with
the present force of appraisers
three years will be required to ap-
praise the lands subject to the pro-
visions of the Curtis bill. Many
inquiries are made by persons liv-
ing in other states as to whether it
is safe to invest in land in Indian
Territory. Speaking of this mat
ter Mr.. Little said:
Perfect titles can be given to
improved property in the towns,
especially if the buildings are sub
stantial. Farm lands are at pres
ent an uncertain quantity, and will
remain so until they are allotted
to the Indians. In the Choctaw
and Chickasaw nations each Indian
will receive about $40 acres, of
which 160 acres must be retained
81 years before it can be sold.
The other land can be sold as soon
as it is allotted, and the titles will
be absolutely perfect.
HOW THEY ARE DIVIDED.
The lands are appraised in
quarter sections, but in some in.
stances the divisions are as low as
40 acres. The classification sched-
ule has ten divisions and eight
subdivisions, making eighteen diff
ferent kinds of lands, for each of
which certain valuation is fixed.
After all the lands have been in
spected and classified the number
of acres in each classification will
be multiplied by the fixed rate.
The totals will then be added and
the amount be added by the num-
ber of Indians.
Suppose that this gives each
Indian $500 worth of land. He
can please himself in taking his
allotments and could choose, for
instance, 400 acres of rough land
at ST. an acre and 40 acres of bet
ter land at $2.S5 an acre, making
in all $40 acres of land valued at
$500. These figures, of course,
are imaginary. My experience in
the Choctaw nation, however, leads
me to believe that it will be diff
cult for each Indian to find 160
acres of desirable farm land. The
country is rough and broken and
the inhabitants far behind those of
Oklahoma or Kansas. The timber
has been culled until the forests
are practically valueles. On the
highest hills pines grow in abund-
ance.
WONDERS OF THE TERRITORY.
There is practically no game in
the country. l found there the
first mulefooted hog l ever saw.
The hoof of this hog, instead of
being split, is solid like that of a
mule. | went to an Indians house
one day, and what do you suppose
was the color of the hog at the
head of his herd? 1t was blue,
actually blue, and so blue that you
could not mistake it for any other
color. l was told that the hogs
were not uncommon in that part
of the country, but | must say that
it beat anything l had ever seen in
the hog line"
What is the feeling about sim
gle statehood''
Everybody is opposed to a
statehood union with Oklahoma,
but nineteen persons out of every
twenty are positive in the belief
that single statehood is inevitable.
There is a mistaken idea here that
Oklahoma is burdened with debt.
1t was only until lately that Indian
Territory people learned that Okla
homa is so richly endowed with
public lands, and the discovery has
had a good effect"
Blotches and excrescences, which
so often annoy people, are simply
efforts of nature in impedimes to the