The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1904-05-05
BIG RUSH ON
AT LAND OFFICE
Seven Months Of Weary Wait
ing Has Made CherOkees
Anxious TO File.


that is on is far greater than Il was
on the dag the land Office was first
opened. This, however, is not unex-
pected, as the closing OF the Office on
the eth Of october was an eye-opener
to many Cherokees and they are not
going to take any chances on further
delay.
As early as O'Clock Monday morn
Ing the full-bloods began gathering at
the door Of the land Office, and at 9
O'Clock, when the doors were opened,
there were fully 500 people massed in
the street.
IL was announced that those who
were in the oiiice fling on the day It
was closed would be given preference,
If they were present, and most Of them
were, and after them the numbers OF
admittance tickets would be called,
beginning with the low numbers. Ii
took special guards at the doors TO
keep the crowd back.
The center Of interest among allot-
tees is Cooweescoowee district, in
which are the big oil fields. The town
is full OF oil men who are making ILL
ings for citizens from whom they want
to lease.
The first two citizens who made ap-
pllcation were Cherokees who wanted
TO file In the Delaware segregation.
This was not allowed, theg being re-
fused permission to file on the land
they wanted.
II is understood that the Delawares
are to be given preference In the mat
ter Of filing, ia order that they may
dispose Of their Improvements on land
on which they cannot file. They take
their allotments, and then If they
have other improvements they are al
lowed TO sell these. 4 Cherokee with
bin Of sale OF Improvements from a
Delaware is allowed to file on Della
ware land.
Number Of tickets OF admission to
the Cherokee land ONCE issued to April
p, 1904: Regular tickets, II ,O7s; full.
bloods, s73; total, 1906
Number Of applications for allot-
ment, 1896 These figures include
2,slI return filings, or applications
made to complete allotments.
Number OF acres embraced IN appli-
cations. 1866. So. o.; value Of land ap-
piled for, s3,573, 90937.
Acres in Cherokee nation subject 10
allotment, Z, to0,sl4 70; number Of acres
subject % allotment aud not yet ap-
piled for. 3,3fi. 42l.69.
Allotment contests filed, dl4: dis
posed Of, SO; heard and awaiting decis-
ion, a.; decided BY commission and
awaiting expiration Of time foi appeal,
II; appealed to tie commissioner Of
Indian affairs I; held pending citizen
ship Of one Of the parties. l32; eases
ready for trial. 360.
Il will take until about November
l5 1901, TO hear testimony In all Of
the cases now filed and ready for trial.
Under the provisions Of The Chefo-
kee agreement, ratified August :. le02,
the allotment Of lands IN the Che-o-
kee Nation was provided fot IN the
following language.
There shall be allotted by the
commission 70 the i've civilized tribes
% each citizen Of the Cherokee tribe,
as soon as practicable after the ap-
provai by the secretary Of the interior.
Of his enrolment as herein provided,
land equal Ia value 70 one hundled and
ten acres Of the average allntable
lands OF the Cherokee nation. 90 CON
form Of nearly as mas be 70 the areas
and boundaries established by the gov.
eminent survey, which land may be
selected by each allottee 50 as 10 m
clude hls Improvements
yhe Cherokee land oiiice opened at
NiuiA on January !. 1908. aud con-
tinued IN operation at that place until
MaY !. The ofiice was then removed
20 Tahlequah, where It reopened MAY
l. The work Of allotment progressed
rapidly from that time until June ,,
on which date the oflice force was
given a. indefinite farloarh on ae-
count Of tie Appropriation having
become exhausted. On July the Of.
flee was again opened and continued
50 until Ociober 7, when without any
previous notice the work oF allotment
was stopped hy order 81 tie secretary
Of the interior, pending decision IN
the Delaware easc The supreme