New-York tribune., 1902-10-27
LANDS OF GREAT VALUE.

While mineralogists believe that the whole
which is 10 be divided among the Indians is under
LAID with coal and while in the highlands practi-
caIly every valuable mineral except gold and silver
is known to exist. only the known coal and asphalt
fields owned by the Choctaw and Chickasaw
uons. and aggregatiug 5O0,cO acres will be segre-
gated and sold such All the other mineral
lands in the tract be purchased at various pc
riods in the next few years as agricultural lands.
with the exception OF such as may be developed
Py % & Ths Indian 1 5 many Of & whom are pr
sehce. apart from the mineral lands and town
sites, no land Will be open TO immediate sale.
Instead OF purchasing the lanos from the IN
dians and then opening them settlement under
the Homestead act as has been the usual custom.
Indians by which the lands Will be divided among
ization OF Talue having ascertained by appraise-
ment the average value Of the land. the total area
dians. and to each is allotted a tract worth the
multiple OF the & ayeTage value and The average
S oiSs,s T ressEs t , Ss much & as 900 acres
IN more valuable situation. In every instance
The Indians must retain for life. or at least for
will vary in area from forty leo acres but the
seribed CONDITION The It, 70 9D Te ghaer g pre-
cattle is calculated TO make the demand for leasod
Of the Territory furnish excellent pasturage The
IoTest e resources OF the Territory are OF gTeat
wei wooded with such valuable timber the
rio '-ies Of oak black walnut. ash, hickory.
D. '@r birch and cottonwood.
he SYSTEM OF ALLOTMENT
The law governing the disposition OF these lands
provides that all Indians receiving individual
allotment OF land shall thereon become citizens Of
the United States. and. basing their claim this
provision and the argument that citizens OF the
United States cannot be governed in the disposal
OF their property. many persons making
ninety -nineyear leases with the Indians and some
are making contracts for sales The Secretary Of
this argument He holds that the law have
no such intent and therefore cannot be so inter-
preted, and that It's only effect Is 10 confer on
the Indians the right Of suffrage. II - than
probable however, that the Will sooner
later be carried into the courts and test suit will
settle the controversy. Already hundreds OF far
seeing investors are on the ground securing leases
from the Indians Of large portions of their pros
pective allotments. and in many instances these
leases contain options for future purchase. which.
while they may not stand IN the courts. may be
respected by ne Indians,
No rush" no confusion, lottery and
.'sOoners' viii attend this remarkable transforma-
tion OF Indian reservations into 4 great and pros
porous commonwealth. Quietly and ,Inostenta-
tiously the government Commission is allottinC TO
each Indian his share. Segregating the valuable
coal and asphalt lands. adjusting titles and pre-
pairing for the great influx of white men which Is
10 follow.
When IL is realized that at the last opening Of
the kiowa -Comanche and the Wichita-Ca res
erVauons year ago 1886 persons registered
their names in the lottery which had TO dispose OF
only B,000 homesteads the extent Of the efforts
which will be made 10 secure land in this infinitely
moue valuable tract can be appreciated.