Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-20
LAND FOR THE REDS
Making the Allotments in
Indian Territory.
ESTABLISHING ENTAIL
LESS TROUBLE WITH sEMINoLEs
THAN ANY OTHERS.
Homestead Provided for Heirs of
Babies Born Since March 4, 1904
Delay Of the Commission.

Babies Born Since March 4, 1904
Delay Of the Commission.
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald
MUSKOGEE, June IT, 1906 q
The members of the commission which
has been alloting lands to the Indians tell
me that they have had less trouble with
the Seminoles than with any other of the
tribes The members of that nation agreed
to everything the government wanted. They
accepted the original treaty as It was pre-
pared in Washington and have observed
every stipulation. This treaty was very
simple and provided that when the tribal
government shall cease to exist, March 5,
1906, the principal chief shall deliver to
each member of the nation deed to q por-
ton of land which will be his share of
the whole; and that his acceptance Of such
deed shall be REIMBURSEMENT Of his title
to and interest in all other lands belonging
to the tribe.
The treaty then goes on to say that leach
allottee shall designate one tract Of forty
acres. which by the terms of the deed shall
be made inalienable and non-taxable as a
homestead for said allottee and his or her
heirs in perpetuity." Thus unless Congress
shall make some other provision. and it is
doubtful whether such q treaty can be null
lifted by law. there will be 2. 1856 and three
or four hundred more permanent home
steads In the Seminole country which lies
on the boundary between Indian Territory
and Oklahoma. between the two forks Of
the Canadian river and only few miles
from Oklahoma City. These homesteads
must descend In entail from generation to
generation of the descendants Of that tribe
forever. This. I believe. is the only land
that Is under entail within the limits of the
United States.
The additional homesteads to which
have alluded will belong to the heirs of the
babies which have been born in the Semi
mole nation since the 4th of March. 1904.
1t was originally expected that the Dawes
commission would complete its work by
March year ago. and 1t was directed to
divide the land between such persons as
were living on the 4th Of March. 1904 But,
owing to the delay that became necessary,
a new baby-law was passed at the last ses-
sion, admitting to the benefit of the allot
ment all youngsters born on before the
4th Of March, 1905 The Semnoles have
presented $50 kids. one year of age and
younger. as claimants, and 1900 acres OF
land will be divided among them. The
2.755 members of the tribe previously en-
rolled. up to March 4, 1904. have already re-
ceived deeds for 800. 600 acres. leaving 5000
acres for railways, town sites and other
public purposes.
The Seminoles.
The enrolment of the Seminoles shows
1855 persons Of full blood. $40 of mixed
blood and $50 so-called freedmen. descend
ants of slaves who were brought to this
territory from Florida by the original MEM
bers Of the tribe. No provision was made
in the Seminole treaty for "squaw mem
that Is. the white men who have married In
dian women or have been living with them
without marriage. There are very few of
hot clos fhA hOxy
kept out white squatters and Adventures
and have lived among themselves.
These are the descendants Of the Florida
tribes who. under the famous Osceola.
fought q terrible war with Gen Jackson.
But, since their settlement in this terri
tory. they have given the government no
trouble whatever; they have been law-abid-
ing and peaceful. and, although they are
not progressive the other tribes, the
officials say they have the best organiza-
ton, the best laws and the best govern
.n.ent OF the Five Nations. Their laws are
all unwritten, however, and handed
down by memory from generation to gem
Grafton. Their chief Is John Brown, a mer-
chant who lives at Wewoka. the richest
member OF the tribe and the most infiuen-
tial. He rules like autocrat. The Semi
noles have such perfect confidence in him
that whatever he says goes, and that Is
the reason why their business with the
Dawes commission was transacted so
promptly.
The Delawares and CherokeeS.
The famous Delawares. who occupied so
large a page in the colonial history of our
country, and who furnished so many heroes
for Fenimore Cooper and other early writ
ers of Indian life, reduced to little
band Of 1876 men, women and children. In
this settlement they have been included
among the Cherokees, who took them in
and gave them homes and farms In 1857.
A few years ago they brought suit against
the Cherokee nation for the value of I57. 6O8
acres Of land which they claimed to have
purchased. but the Supreme Court decided
against them, and at the last session Con-
gress passed law giving them the sum
Of $4,000 in cash in full payment of all
claims against this government or the
Cherokee nation and everybody else; and in
the allotment of lands they have received
share and share alike with the members of
the Cherokee nation. For several years the
Delawares have been talking of moving to
Mexico as soon as they got this money to
pay their expenses They sent a delega-
ton down there several years ago to select
location and were offerd irrigated farms
in the state Of Sonora on very liberal terms,
but they concluded to remain in the United
States.
The largest OF the tribes is the Chero-
KEGS. who. including the Delawares. have
divided 100000 acres Of land among 3d.
mixed-bloods 23.000: freedmen. 1900;
squaw men. or whites. LAB. The latter.
however, have been hung UP. They were
enrolled and their shares of land were al
lotted to them but some one brought them
into court, and they were unable to show
legal claim under the tribal laws. Hence
their allotments have been suspended and
they have appealed to the Supreme Court
of the United States.
There were 46.4lS. Cherokee applicants,
12.173 having been rejected. 1t is the big
gest OF the tribes-the most progressive and
the most advanced in civilfza tion-and, as
you will notice by the above figures Its
members have fntermarried very generally
with the whites There Is small band OF
TOO or 800 full-bloods. called Might
Hawks" over In the Ozark mountains near
the Arkansas border, who have posed the
division Of the tribal lands with great stub
bornness and have made a great deal OF
trouble. They have refused to accept their
allotments and remain in the brush, living
in wigwams and wearing blankets. There
was a similar faction among the Creeks,
called 1.-THE Snakes" who attempted to re-
sist the allotment by force. and drove the
surveyors out of the country. But Chitto
Harjo. their leader, has come in. accepted
his allotment. and 1t is supposed that all
OF his followers have done the same but It
Is impossible for the officials of the conn