The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-03-29
0be Dailp Aromorrilf.
INDIAN TERRITORY.

fnolc. ChUCiaw and ChlchahiW uluon
az Indians. These Indians were re
moved to the Indian Vogritory from
east Of the Mississippi river 10 the
year 1885. under certain treaty etipu'
iniions with the United States govern.
mrnt. Aftor their removal they at once
established governments OF their own
patieIpod after that Of the states.
Their lands were held IN common and
each Indian could take ~ much or as
llttIo of II as suited him SO many
complaints were made that the more
cntorprisIng Indians wore iok.lg ad-
vantage Of his indolent brother by
enclosing more lands than he was en-.
titled. and that the public funds Of The
tribes were being misusod. that con
grcsa finally decided hat change In
conditions was necessary Therefore,
in 1893. there was appointed q com
misiun. Of which Henry !. Dawes OF
Massachusetts was chairman, To nc.
rotiatc with these Indians TO obtain
thclr consent 20 abandoning their com.
munal system OF holding lands and
accept an allotment Of the same I'm
severaliy ana incidentally to give up
their tribal governments
By various acts OF congress- passed
after the date mentioned tho commits.
sion was authorized TO determine who
wore Indians, and ever since has been
enrolling them: these rolls arc now
practically completed, and each man,
woman and child enrolled has boon
allotted his or her share Of the public
domain.
when an allotment Is family made.
n patent describing the land therein
conveyed ia signed by the principal
ohief OF the nation. attcsted by the
great seal thercof. and approved by
the secretary Of the interior. and given
esch individual allottoc Each Indian
receives ~ many acres ~ land, for
which two patents are issued. one ion
what H. known as Homestead" and
another for what is known ~ Surplus
land" These patents are the basis OF
title and cannot be gone behind noe
sisputed.
There IL now pending In congress
bill which viii probably pass within
tho next ten days permitting all In
dIans OF less than full blood to dis.
pose OF all OF his or her surplus land.
n is estimated In the Choctaw and
Chickasaw nations there are some
thing over 10000 Indians. 10000 OF
whom are less than fullblood.
The standard allotment In these two
nations Is 32O acres, 100 acres OF
which IL retained for tho homestead.
and the other 100 acres are the sur.
plus lands. II this bin passes II viii
throw on the market practically 2,oO0,.
900 acres Of land which can be dis.
posed Of by the Indian without depart.
mcntal supervision and at any price
Chat he may be offered for II.
The recent acts OF congress provides
mat tho fun blood Indian may have
mis- restrictions removed upon the
alienation ~ his land by making appli.
cation 10 the secretary Of the interior.
tlpou showing TINT ne IN competent
to manage hls own anairs. Many OF
tho socallcd full bloods are as capable
of transacting business as are white
men In equal station of lite. and hun
nrcds OF th"m are constantly making
applications to have their restrictions
removed in order that they may sell
their surplus lands that they may use
the money received therefor In the
Improvement OF their homesteads
This also puts quite number Of acres
nj land on the market
Many white citizens of either sex
have intormarrlol with ihc Indians
but th,rc are no restrictions upon
their disposlnR Of their surplus lands
II is said that there are about 1000
of these iutermarglci citizens. and as
oach has a surplus Of 100 acres tnis
will aso put on the market an addi-
uonal 100000 acres Of land
The AtchIson, Topeka Il Santa Fo
railway enters tho Chickasaw nation
from the north near Purcell and ira.
Verscs Il In a southorly direction 20
the Texas line, distance OF about 100
miles. Il also has q branch from Pauis
Valley which runs north and north.
east 10 shawnee, Oklahoma These
different lines run through probably
The finest agricultural land In the
world; the bottom lands along the
Washita river are considered the best
in the territory and will produce
bale of cotton TO the acre and average
sixty bushels OF corn per acre. Apples,