The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-01-19
our SPECIAL WASHINGTON LITTER
WHITAKER ORPHAN HOME IN
NEED OF MONEY.
Interesting Statistics From the Dawes
Commission Relative to AIIOt-
ment. Survey and dAppraIsement
In the Indian Territory.

When seen by your correspondent
he gave a graphic description of the
home and its work. He said:
"You have no idea of the amount
of suffering and of the pitiable cases
of want and desertion that have
come under my notice in the Terri
tory since took up this work two
years ago. The home lis for white
children only, but credit must be
given to the Indians and the negroes
for the work they have done in hous-
ing and caring for hundreds of little
childI en- left homeless and friend
less in that country. The white
population of Indian Territory runs
to over 100000. OF this number,
thousands have moved away or died,
some of them leaving large families
dependent upon charity. The white
people of the Territory are too poor
to give me the assistance 1 want in
making or finding homes for these
orphans. In the last two years /
have had nearly 400 applications,
but have been able to provide for
only small percentage of these. l
am here to ask the government to
come to four assistance and keep
these children from the iails and a
worse fate. / am in debt. 50 900, but
still feel assurance that the neces-
sary'help will be extended to these
pitiful human beings. l will ask for
the support of a bill in congress
making an appropriation to carry
out the work, the money to be paid
out under the direction of the secre-
tary of the Interior.
-.
The secretary of the interior has
transmitted to congress a recon-
mendation for appropriations to
meet the expenses of the Dawes
commission during the fiscal year
commencing June 3, next. The
amount recommended is s641 ,105.75.
This estimate is composed of the fol-
lowing items:
For salaries of four commissioners
appointed under the acts of congress
approved March 3, 1898, and March
2, 1896, to negotiate with the five
civilized tribes in the Indian Terri
tory provided that the number of
said commissioners is hereby fixed
at four, 10000; for expenses of
commissioners and necessary ex
penses of employees provided fur
ther, that So per diem for expenses
of a clerk detailed as special dis
bursting agent by Indian department,
while on duty with the commission,
shall be paid therefrom), S75, 900; for
clerical help, including secretary of
the commission and Interpreters,
$72, 900; for contingent expenses of
the commission, $4,000; in all, for
commission, s171 900, and said COM
mission shall;. continue to exercise
all authority heretofore conferred
upon it by law.
Surveyor 6,720 sections (estimat-
ed)-Pay of 27O employees for one
year, s135, 10000; subsistence and
forage for employees and stock for
one year, s45, 100000; for equipment
of fifteen parties, at s2,40S.s5 for
each, s36, 1920 for amount neces-
sary to survey the right of way for
various railroads penetrating and
passing through the Territory, $685.
900. 90; in all for surveys. s251 1925.
Appraisement of sS4 township with
in the boundaries of the five civilized
tribes, viz: for day of 10 employees
for one year, s161, ,160 90; for subsis-
tence and forage for one year, s4o.-
SOC. 90; for equipment of twelve par
ties, at s1,417.75 for each, SIT ,O13.O g;
in all, for appraisements, s31S, ,973.0O;
aggregegate for commission, sur
veys, and apprisement, s641, ,1o5.75.
The amount estimated for surveys
is based upon the following statement
of the commission:
Conservative estimates show that
little less than one-fourth, or 1855
sections, of land of the five tribes
will have to be surveyed into 40-acre
tracts. One survey party of eighteen
men two crews) can cover an aver
age of eight miles per day, and on
the basis of $50 days in a year ac-
tually devoted to field operationsi
448 sections could be surveyed. The
224 sections in the Greek and 112 in
the Seminole nations to be surveyed
will be finished before July 1, 1900.
To complete the balance in the Choc-
taw, Chickasaw and Cherokee ma
tions, viz: 6,72O sections, in one year,
will require q force of 270 men di-
vided into fifteen parties of eighteen
men each, at q cost of s151, ,132.75
itemized ss follows per month: