The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1899-08-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.
IMPROVED PROPERTY DECISION
STILL IN MURkY DISTANCE.
Greek Nation CattIemen Are Safe. Town.
site Commlss siOner Linn Exceeds His
AuthorIty-POst Traders Per-
mIts Msy Be AnnuIied.
snecial to the Ardmoreite.

Special to the Ardmoreite.
| Washington, d. c., Aug. 21.-No
decision has yet been reached by the
| Secretary of the Interior on the
question of improved property in the
Indian Territory. and it is probable
that no definite decision will be
handed down on this question for
several months to come. The Curtis
law and the instructions to the town
site commissioners indirectly cover
the question. In each it is provided
that improved property shall be land
upon which permanent improve
ments have been constructed. Tenn
porary buildings, such as cheap
barns, and other improvised out
| buildings and fences in the Curtis
| law, and in the instructions sent the
townsite commissioner are not con-
sidered permanent improvements,
and upon all such land the owner
will be compelled to pay the full as
sessed value. Townsite property
under cultivation in gardens, etc.,
is also held to be unimproved prop
erty.
| The Curtis law and tie townsite
instructions covering this question
will be adhered to strictly in specific
directions which will be sent to the
townsite boards within the next two
months. This means that all the
large property owners in the Terri
rounding their private dwellings
must pay for them at the full assessed
price, only such lots as are actually
covered by their houses and other
the permanent improvement pro-
vision.
The cattlemen of the Creek nation
molestation bv the federal govern
ment in the question of prosecutions
for criminal trespass under the pro-
visions of the Curtis law. The suits
| already instituted against the cattle
men are found to be faulty, the in
dictments being improperly drawn,
and as a result they will be dismissed
when the cases are called in court.
District Attorney Pliny L. Soper has
notified the department of Justice
that he stands ready to prosecute
the cattlemen whenever the Interior
Department makes the request for
the Institution of such proceedings.
So far no proper request has come
from the department. Several
months ago the department made a
request for the institution CT suits
against the cattlemen in the Creek
nation on the ground of criminal
trespass in violation of the express
provisions of the Curtis law. In
stead of sending this request to the
department of justice it was sent to
Agent Wright to forward it to Dis
trict Attorney Soper. The district
attorney receives his instructions
from the department of justice, SO
that a request coming from a special
agent, except in a criminal case,
can rot be complied with. The re-
suit has been that no action has thus
far been taken by the United States
government, and the officials of the
Interior Department now insist that
they have not been notified of any
criminal trespass recently, that the
lands now being grazed in the Creek
nation are under lease from the pros
pective allottees. who have entered
into contract with the cattlemer, :,
which contracts have been approved
by the department. An examina-
ton of the records of the depart
ment shows that thus far 334 pros
pective allotments have been made.
These allotments are for tracts of
land covering from 160 to 1920 acres,
the latter amount being in cases
where heads of families have taken
tire ia mily. A fair average of the
334 allotments thus far made is 400
acres, making 1873, 800 acres, which
can be properly leased to the cattle
men. 1t is estimated that there are
at the present time 25O, 900 head of
cattle in the Greek nation, which
are supposed to be confined to the
1873. 800 acres. The supposition of
the department IS absurd on it's face,
though no reports have been made
by the special agent in regard to
same. The Creek nation comprises
3,O40, GOO acres of land, the great
majority of which is used for graz
ing purposes and the cattle in the
all the grazing territory. Such in
formation has reached the lnGian
office. but having made one recon-