Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-11
SENATORS PLANNING WORK
Special Com mittse to Investigate the Five
Civilized Tribes Of Indians
VALUATION OF COAL LANDS ONE PROBLEM
Prospective Changes I'm the Army
Occasion of much Talk-GenePal
Bell steps Aside for Beneht
OF HIS Friend.
tFrom a stan Correspondent.

(From q Staff Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1O.-(special Tele-
gram. )--Senator Clarence d. Clark OF Wyo-
ming is in Washington to arrange for
placing his daughters in school In this city
and incidentally TO take up matters with
the Interior department I'm relation to a
visit of a select committee of the senate
to the Indian Territory for investigations Of
the five civilized tribes. This committee
consists OF Senators Clark of Wyoming,
Teller. Brandegee, w. A. Clark of Montana,
and Long. The committee met in Denver
in July and all agreed to meet in Kansas
City. November -, to put in the entire
time between that date and the convenlng
of congress IN finding out what they can
relative to the Ave civilized tribes. One Of
the main propositions to be considered is
as TO the disposal Of coal lands In the Choc-
taw and ChiclSasaw nations. which Senator
Teller estimates at s5o.oao00 and which
Senator IAFollettc puts N St5e, 600, 900. Sena-
tor Clark Of Montana. returns from Europe
in ten days and from that time on he will
give all his attention to the work Of the
committee.
BelI Helps Out Friend.
Army circles are torn up over impending
changes, the decision OF Brigadier General
j. Franklin Bell, chief-of-staff of the army,
to step aside In order that the honor of
two stars may fall upon his friend, Briga-
dier General Jesse M. Lee, having capped
the climax. No Incident in many days has
caused such comment as was heard in the
War department. Bell and Lee have been
close friends. Lee will be retired for age,
January Z, next. and as no more vacancies
in the list of major generals are apt to
occur before then he would have to quit
the service as a brigadier general. The
step taken by General Bell is most unusual
but IL will secure for Jesse Lee major
generalship while in all probability General
Bell will be taken care of In a special bill
in which the names of two or three other
officers will appear, whose distinguished
services entitle them to two stars. but
who cannot possibly receive the merited
promotion before they will retire for age.
Pershiag May Get star.
Another persistent rumor that has been
heard in the past few days is that Cap
tain John ]. Pershing. formerly stationed
at the University of Nebraska. son-in-law
of Senator Warren of Wyoming, and with
splendid service record in China and
Philippines. is to be made brigadier gen
eral. 1t is universally admitted that Perish.
ing is entitled TO the star, but his pro.
motion, IL 1t is made to a brigadier general.
ship, win be over the heads of quite so,
officers and the professional soldier resents
this jumping except for most distinguished
and unusual causes
Paymsster General Retires.
Tomorrow at noon Brigadier Genera
| Francis s. Dodge. paymaster general of tn,
army will retire by operation of law anC
1t In expected that Colonel Culver C
/ Sniffen, assistant paymaster general, will
succeed him. While there has been M
intimation from Oyster Bay as to the sue
! cessor to General Dodge, 1t is believed
President Roosevelt will appoint Colone
! Sniffen to the vacancy created by Dodge
retirement because of the implied promis
made to Colonel Sniffen by the chic
executive when the succession to Majo
General Bates was under consideration anC
which was won by General Dodge. If tn
president has made up his mind as 4
General Dodges successor It is not known
in army circles here. but 1t is expecte,
that within twenty-four hours the name o
the next paymaster general of the arm,
will be known. General Horace Porter
late our ambassador to France, and Colone
Culver C.. Sniffen are the only members o
General Grants household alive, and /
was during the closing days OF Genera
Grants term as president that he ap
pointed Colonel Sniffen to the pay corps o
the army. The old regime is fast dyin
out, and the way things are now goin
in the army It will be but little Will
when all stan positions will be filled b
officers from West Point.
Burke Urges Opening of Lands.
Representative Burke of South Dakot
is In Washington route to New Yor
to meet his wife and daughter who arriv
from Europe Wednesday. Congressma
Burke today had a conference with Com
missioner Leupp OF the Indian bureau re
garding the opening TO settlement OF Trip
county South Dakota. This county lie
west OF Gregory county, the main portion
of which were opened to white settlemer
two years ago. There are some very d,
sirable lands in Tripp county upon whic
the white man has Sst eoYetous eyes an
which the Indians are willing TO part wit
for a reasonable consideration. Represer
tative Burke argues that he can suppl
that reasonable consideration" II the d,
partment can be induced to recommeu
the negotiation Of treaty for the lane
in Trip county.
The Interstate Commerce commission wi
meet in Omaha September 10 and 10, Sa
Lake city September "A and o. and DENY,
} September q and Is. TO hear cases whic
may come before 1t growing out of III
Tillman- Gillespie resolution regarding II
ownership by common carriers. or Taths
} railroads, of coal producing lands It
! alleged that many OF the railroads owl
, mine and sell their coal contrary to Ia,
, and It is the purpose of the commission
ascertain to what extent this violation {
! statute law is true.