Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1902-11-20
FINAL ALLOTMENT
OF INDIAN LANDS TIC Be MADE
SOON AND BIG RUSH
EXPECTED.
Indians of Five Civilized Tribes Will,
Soon Be Left to Shift for
Themselves.

Atoka, l. T.. Nov. 2O.-The Indian
'erritory at this time is undergoing
what might be called reconstruction.
The Dawes commission, represent
ing the government of the United
States, is here for the purpose OF
making treaties and dividing up the
Nation. and is succeeding very ad
mirably. The Indians happy hunt
ing grounds west of the Mississippi
river, will, in the course of a very
short time. be a thing of the past.
The Dawes commission has allotted
and executed deeds to all the property
in the Seminole and the Creek ma
tions. and on February /, 1903, will
establish a government land office in
Atoka, |. T., and begin alloting lands
in the Choctaw nation.
There are 100000 acres of land in
the Choctaw nation to be allotted
among $4,000 citizens by blood and
intermarriage, and it is estimated that
it will take about three years in which
to complete the allotments in detail.
AS SOOl DIS llS dllOlIloHJ DGSlHS lllo
Indians will be in a position to con-
tract for the sale Of One-quarter of
their land. and in three and five years
thereafter will be authorized to sell
the remainder of their allotment. and
as each citizen of the nation is per-
mitted to hold 800 acres of average
land there will be something like 700
600 acres on the market this coming
year In many families there are eight
and ten children. which means that
the family will receive from $500 to
5000 acres Of land. After each Indian
receives 320 acres of average allot-
able land the surplus will be sold by
the government of the United States
to United States citizens.
The recent supplementary treaty
with the ChoctaW nation authorizes
and instructs the Choctaw nation to
sell the coal mines of the nation with
in the next few years, and the coal
mines in this country are numerous
and very rich. and it is estimated that
the revenue received from their sale
will be UP in the billions of dollars.
The Indian Territory today is the
last new country in the great West,
and the people throughout the entire
United States are watching with great
interest the progress of the Dawes
commission in settling up the In
dian questions.
The present intentions are that the
entire lands of the Five Civilized
Tribes will be allotted, and the sur
pus lands sold by the government of
the United States within the next
three years, and this means the open
ing I'D to the United States citizens
the greatest opportunities of their
lifetime to get home in a new and
fertile country The Territory is rich
in its mines. its farming lands, it's
forest and its grazing lands. At this
time there are thousands of people
coming into the Indian Territory, and
especially to the Choctaw nation,
seeking homes and investments. and
they are accomplishing the purpose
of their coming.
1t is estimated that on the first day
of February, 1908, there will be 5000
people come to Atoka in the ChoctaW
nation. for the purpose of filing on and
proving their allotments and it
Will take something like three years
to complete the allotment of the coun-
try
There is going to be great rush for
property at this place. The demand
for laborers, contractors and investors
is phenomenal