The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1905-09-18
WORK FOR SIXTEEN YEARS.
With Present Force il Will Take
That Long to Record Patents.


Muskogee, /. r., Sept 18.-Four In
dian executives are now spending
Of their time signing patents to allot-
ments in the Greek, Cherokee, Choc-
taw and Chickasaw nations, and the
office of the commission to the five
civilized tribes at Muskogee Is flooded
with thousands Of documents, each
representing 100 acres of land
In the deed department Of the COM
missiouer's Office yesterday 5000 pat
ents we're piled upon table ready tc
be carried by special messenger to
Governor McCurtajn, of the Choctaw
Nation for his signature. Besides
these, there were 1000 Choctaw and
Chickasaw patents and 500 Cherokee
deeds that we're received yesterday
from the secretary Of the interior,
having been approved by him. After
having been approved by the secreta-
ry, these patents are recorded in the
commissioners office at Muskogee and
then forwarded for the last time to
the Indian executive for delivery to
the allottees.
1t is estimated that there will be
fully 100000 deeds to record at the
commissioners Office before the allot-
ment business is finally disposed of.
With the present force in the record
ing division, not more than forty
deeds can be recorded each day. At
this rate it would require sixteen
years to complete this part of the
work assigned to the Dawes commits
sion. 1t is evident that the force in
this department. must be greatly in
creased if the commissioner would
complete his work within the short
time assigned to him.
The Indian executives now signing
patents are General p. Porter, princi-
pal chief of the Creek nation; Green
McCurtain, governor Of the Choctaw
nation; Governor Johnston, of the
Chickasaws, and Chief Rogers, Of the
Cherokee notion The commissioner
to the five civilized tribes has assign
ed trusted messenger to each of
these executives and each of these
is given sletter contain
ing a record of the deeds intrusted to
his care and a duplicate of this record
is kept in the office, The deeds are
delivered to the governor Of the ma
tion where they belong and he IS
with them upon the books
Of the commission. The Indian exn-
tive then signs the patents and the
messenger takes them personally back
TO the Office Of the commissioner, who
forwards them to Washington for the
signature of the secretary of the in
.erior. So careful is the govern
nent of these deeds that it does not
sven trust them to Uncle Sans
nails. In the Choctaw and Chicka-
Jaw nations the procedure is even
more laboTious. After the deeds are
igned by the Choctaw governor and
to the commissioners office
hey are then taken to Chicka-
aw nation and signed by Governor
Johnston. The joint signature Of the
wo governors is necessary in those
lations
OF the 1000 patents that were de-
ivered to allottees in the Choctaw
nd Chickasaw nations without the
.pproval of the secretary Of the inte- /
ior during the controversy between {
he United States government and /
he executives Of those nations all 4
nut 500 have been returned to the I
Office by the allottees {
nd new additional ones are coming in .
very day. They must be returned
nd forwarded to the secretary of the
Interior for his signature before they
viii he considered GOOD