Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1909-08-18
SELLING Usage LANDS
OkIahoma's Last Indian Reserva.
ton Opened to Settlers.
GREAT NATIVE WILDERNESS

Picturesque Hills and Prairiss Of the
Usage Country Allotted In sevsralty
and Thereby Opened to the Influx OF
the White Man-How the Land May
Be Sold.
II there are persons who love the
Usage Indian reservation for Its
streams. it's hills, it's 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 soon
to vanish forever. The lands, to which
the Osages have fee simple title. have
finally been allotted In severalty and
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 rs they have
since the beginning Of time. A]lot.
ment. however, means the incoming OF
the white farmer with his industry
and the turning Of the grass grown,
flower strewn acres into productive
fields. Such lands as the Usage citizen
cannot sell he will rent, and to that
extent the entire reservation will be
placed within reach Of the white man
There are $3.50 certified allottees in
the Usage tribe. Of which any one who
failed to get his share of lands will be
paid an equivalent in money. Each
Usage has G57 acres of land. At first
he was allowed to make three sep.
rate selections Of 100 acres, any one OF
which he was permitted to designat.
as his homestead, to be inalienable fol-
twenty-five years. Then he took q
fourth selection Of 100 acres or a total
of $40.
After the bestowal Of all these riches
it was found that there still remained
untaken land Of which the allotment
commission made a per capita distri
button amounting to seventeen acres.
Already white men are gathering on
the horizon OF the Usage country tC
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 fol-
an Usage citizen to sell all his land
save his 100 acre homestead under
certain conditions. He may rent all
his land for grazing or agricultural
purposes. The sale Of his surplus land
or that In excess Of his homestead and
amounting to 497 acres will be per
mitted in two ways.
Ways Of Selling Tho 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 175 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
withheld until he has finished issuing
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 If 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
er OF Indian affairs.-Pawhuska (Okla.
Cor. Kansas City Star.