The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1904-05-03
BIG RUSH ON
AT LAND OFFICE
Seven Months Of Weary Wait,
ing Has Made Cher0kees
Anxious TO File.

ludH - juop HOW bilt uciFt IciibcI VI
n the Cherokee Nation, and the rush
that is on is far greater than it was
lon the day the 'land Office was first
opened. This, however, is not unex-
tpected, as the closing of the Office on
Nhe 7th Of October was an eye-opener
hto many Cherokees and they are not
Mgoing to take any chances on further
Rdelay.
AS early as o'clock Monday morn
Png the fuil-bloods began gathering at
lthe door Of the land office, and at 8
loclock, when the doors were opened,
lthere were fully 500 people massed in
the street.
1t was announced that those who
were in the Office fling on the day it
was closed would be given preference,
u tney were present, and most Of them
were, and after them the numbers of
Admittance tickets would be called,
beginning with the low numbers 1t
took special guards at the doors to
keep the crowd back.
The center of interest among allot-
ices is Cooweescoowee district, in
(which are the big oil fields. The town
Is full OF oil men who are making fl
lngs for citizens from whom they want
"a lease
The first two citizens who made ap-
nAication were Cherokees who wanted
Al tile in the Delaware segregation.
This was not allowed, they being re-
FUSED permission to file on the land
they wanted.
1t is understood that the Delawares
&c 10 be given preference In the mat
Ter Of filing, in order that they may
dispose Of their Improvements on land
"a which they cannot file They take
hieir allotments. and then II they
haye other improvements they are al
Owed 70 sell these. a Cherokee with
b bin Of sale OF Improvements from a
Delaware is allowed toA file on Della
vare land
Number Of tickets Of admission to
[. fhe Cherokee land Office issued to April
RI, 1904: Regular tickets, Hob; full
oloods, 9T3; total, l2,046.
\ xumber OF applications for allot-
Fent. 1896 These figures include
z ssl7 return filings, or applications
4 made to complete allotments.
Number Of acres embraced in appli-
ations, LOSS, ,s92.07s value Of land APP
j. 5Ied for, s3,573, 36s-37.
I. Acres in Cherokee nation subject TO
alotment, 400, ,3l4 70 number Of acres
= Abject to allotment and not yet ap-
J. aied for S,34i,42l6o.
Allotment contests filed, GA: dis
!, psed Of, SO; heard and awaiting decis-
bn, ~; decided by commission and
= waiting expiration Of time for appeal,
i; appealed to the commissioner Of
/, pdlan affairs /: held pending citizen
aR kIp Of one Of the parties. l32: cases
sNidy for trial, 360.
n. 1t viii take until about November
1904, TO hear testimony in all Of
,v cases now filed and ready FIR trial. !
~ Under the provisions Of the Chero-
= Be agreement, ratified August :, 1902,
" &c allotment Of lands in the Che-o-
ee Nation was provided for in the
q blowing language:
A'There shall be allotted by the
q 1-nnmission to the five civilized tribes
zach citizen Of the Cherokee tribe, |
ssoon as practicable after the APP
onfDval by the secretary OF the interior.
es bis enrolment as herein provided,
" ia equal in value to one hundred and !
" y ln acres Of the average allotable
! ,rlis Of the Cherokee nation, to con-
Inn Of nearly as may be TO the areas
ID boundaries established by the gov
nment survey, which land may be
,..sscted 10y each allottee so as to in
'Pude his improvements"
The Cherokee land Office opened at |
hita on January l, 1908, and con.
1ued in operation at that place until /
eyl. The Office was then removed /
srahlequah, where it reopened May
G The work Of allotment progressed
= idly from that time until June 3,
which date the Office force was
yen an indefinite furlough on ac-
pfe Of the appropriation having
56me exhausted On July / the Of
oT y was again opened and continued
until October Z, when without any
tvious notice the work OF allotment
eads stopped by order Of the secretary
,tnA interior, pending a decision Id
Delaware case. The snnreme