Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-29
OMAHA INDIANS WANT CASH
Enlist Senator Millard's Aid to Get
Apportionment.
sANrtEs ALSO HAVE A GRIEVANCE
want to Exchange Grazing Land for
Sections hat VIII Raise Crops
Western News In wash
inRtOn.
Erom a stnff Corresnondent.l

WASHINGTON, March ~2s.-(Special Tele-
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of the Omaha tribe
Of Indians are DESTROYS OF coming to Wash
ington for the purpose of taking up with
the secretary Of the interior the division of
a portion Of their trust fund for the i'm
provement OF their land. The Indians had
a conference with Senator Willard last sum-
mer looking into this matter. They were
given to understand that the senator would
do everything in his power to bring about
such a division. Not content with this,
however, they now make application to the
senator to intercede for them with the
commissioner OF Indian affairs to secure his
permission to come to Washington and pre-
sent their case in person.
In view Of this request the senator has
taken up the matter with the commissioner
Of Indian affairs, but has been informed
that the commissioner, thoroughly under
standing the situation and being in favor
Of a certain portion Of the funds being set
aside for their benefit, does not look with
any great favor upon their presence here.
Senator Willard has informed the Indians
that he will do everything in his power to
pass the legislation needed to divert a
portion OF the FUNDS which is now in the
treasury to the credit of the Omaha tribe,
and early next week will introduce a bill
to carry out the desires of the Indians.
Congressman ROBINSON Measure.
Congressman Robinson today introduced
a bill authorizing the secretary of the treas
ury to pay to the Omaha tribe Of Indians
500, 900 out Of the money which said tribe
Of Indians may have to its credit in the
treasury for improvements on the resarva-
ton in Nebraska.
According to a letter which COMMISSIONS
Jones has written to Congressman Robinson
concerning the amount of money which is
held in trust by the treasury for the bene-
fit Of the Omaha tribe of Indians, there ap-
pears to be in round numbers $470,0 900 to the
Omahas' credit. Leading Indians Of the
Omaha tribe desire to have set apart 800,
600 Of his amount to their credit to be
| spent for improvement OF their lands and
the purchase Of stock. According to the
last enumeration there are 1908 Indians In
cluded in the Omaha tribe.
Commissioner Jones is in favor Of this
proposition, and has expressed himself en-
, phatically in his letter. He says he be-
lieves the time has arrived when those In
dams capable Of managing their own af-
fairs should be permitted to do so, and as
the Omaha Indians occupy their own farms
and are keeping up their homes they should
be given all reasonable opportunity TO work
out their own future.
santees want Better Land.
Congressman Robinson has received a pc
tition from a number Of Santee Indians re-
q~uesting information as to whether these
Indians have a right to take homesteads
the same as other citizens of the United
States. The Indians are anxious TO know
whether this right has ever been allowed
to any Indian tribes In the past. The pc
tition states that allotments in severalty
we're made to the Santee Indians in 1885
at which time the Indians signing the pc
tition were little boys, that their parents
selected allotments for them for their own
convenience, for pasturage and timber pur-
poses, and not fit for farming, and that
these allotments are almost useless. The
question the Indians wish decided Is
whether they can relinquish their title 10
these allotted lands or retain their allot-
ments and still have The right of taking
homesteads. 1t is their desire to take home
steads on the Rosebud Indian reservation
in South Dakota, when those lands are open
for settlement.
1t was represented to the department
that the Santee Indians were citizens Of
Nebraska in everv sense Of the word, but
that under the treaty arrangement they
could not ALLEVIATE their lands for sons
time to come. The Indians above referred
to who desire to take new lands under the
homestead law ask the ruling Of the Indiar
office upon their right to AXE lands in
Gregory county when the Rosebud reserva.
ton is opened to settlers. 1t is believed
the secretary Of the interior will rule that
| thara Ia M IoOoI nhiaoffnp 10 fhatr a-ar
cising the rights Of homestead entry.
Pension Bill.
The following bills were passed by tn,
house today: Granting an increase of pen.
sion to Joseph Westbrook Of ST. Edwards
to s24, by Mr.. Robinson; granting pension
of s24 to Frederick Wright OF North Platte
by Mr.. Neville; increasing pension o.
Alonzo Lewis Stockham to $50, by Mr.
stark; granting increase Of pension to Johr
NJ. Seydel. by Mr.. RUMBLE; granting pen.
sion to Henry 1. Smith. by Mr.. Haugen.
The sundry civil appropriation bill. which
was reported to the house today, carries ar
appropriation of $27, $50 for the purchase
of 525 acres of land near the proposed site
of Fort Des Moines, Ia, for use as a target
range, and $4,000 to finish the fedora.
building at Oskaloosa, Ia.
The Nebraska National bank of Omaha
was today approved as a reserve agent fol
the Commercial National bank of Fremont
Neb.
Postmasters appointed:
Iowa-Arthur Davis. Hooking. Monroe
county; ]. f.. Jensen, Lorah, Cass county
W. z. Adams, Springdale, Cedar county.
South Dakota-A. U. Granstrom, Roslin
Day county.
A postofhce was ordered established a
Ferguson, Loup county, Neb., with LaurI
| Stroll as postmaster.