Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-08-17
SELLING Usage LANDS
0k|ahoma's Last Indian Reserva.
ton Opened to Settlers.
GREAT NATIVE WILDERNESS.

Picturesque Hills and Prairies Of this
Usage Country Allotted In Severaits
and Thereby Opened to tho Influx OF
tho White Man-How the Land May
Be Sold.
If there are persons who love the
Usage Indian reservation for its
streams, its hills, its forests and its
broad prairies and feel the charm OF
its history and traditions and look
upon it as almost the last remaining
expanse Of native wilderness, they
should hasten to look upon it, as the
old things and the old ways are soor
to vanish forever. The lands, to which
the Osages have fee simple title, have
finally been allotted In severalty anG
each Usage citizen has been given title
to his allotment.
Old Villages Still In Use.
This does not mean that the Osages
have abandoned their village camp life
and are living on their individual lands
AS a matter of fact the Usage lands
generally are lying wild as they have
since the beginning Of time. Allot
ment. however. means the incoming o.
the white farmer with his industry
and the turning Of the grass grown
flower strewn acres into productive
fields. Such lands as the Usage either
cannot sell he will rent. and to tina!
extent the entire reservation will be
placed within reach Of the white man
There are 2,23O certified allottees il
the Usage tribe. Of which any one who
failed to get his share Of lands will be
paid an equivalent in money. Eact
Usage has 657 acres Of land. At first
he was allowed to make three sepa
rate selections Of 100 acres, any one .,
which he was permitted to designate
as his homestead, to be inalienable foi
twenty-five years. Then he took
fourth selection Of 100 acres or a tota.
Of $40.
After the bestowal Of all these riches
it was found that there still remained
untaken land of which the allotment
commission made per capita distri
button amounting to seventeen acres.
Already white men are gathering OF
the horizon of the Usage country tt
spy out it's resources and possibilities
and real estate agents are opening Of
fees in the different towns to engage
in land traffic. 1t will be possible TO,
an Usage citizen to sell all his lanG
save his 100 acre homestead under
certain conditions. He may rent al:
his land for grazing or agriculture;
purposes The sale Of his surplus land
or that in excess of his homestead and
amounting to 497 acres wild be per
mitted in two ways.
Ways Of Selling the Land.
One is that he may receive from the
secretary of the interior certificate
Of competency to manage his own at
fairs. For this certificate IT'S Usage
citizens have made application. OF
which twenty-eight have been submit
ted to the secretary Of the interior,
who approved twenty-five. The filing
of applications will move more rapidly
in month or two. the secretary hav.
ing asked that further applications be
"iluueiu ullllI ue uaS uulSueO lSSuluE
the deeds to the surplus lands All the
homestead deeds are ready for deliv
cry.
The surplus lands of the full bloods
and the incompetents may be sold
upon application IT. the secretary OF
the interior is convinced that the sale
would be for the benefit Of the owner
The latter would be permitted tt
spend the money from the sale Of his
surplus lands only in such manner as
would be approved By the commission
err Of Indian affairs.-Pawhuska (Okla.
Cor. Kansas City Star.
Club Of "Merry Widowers."
4 In Austin, H., twenty-five men
whose wives are out OF town have or.
gained the Merry Widowers' club.
says d Chicago dispatch The object
Is to have a good time while the wives
are away. 1.-THE club" said a mem
Der, els organized for harmless good
time for men who tannot ger away
Our wives know about it--that is. most
z 2 Ahe.ss - IT, ,@SEs s5s '.@'tH. : :.