The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1910-09-14

selling the red mans heritage In the
form of good tillable land. That the
farmer and investor appreciate the
plan and have confidence in it is
demonstrated by the fact that within
the past twelve months approximately
one million dollars have been paid for
Indian land to the United States gov.
eminent through the United States
Indian superintendent at Muskogee
Okla.
For several years the question OF
land titles in that part of Oklahoma
formerly Indiana.Te rritory, had not
been looked upon favorably by those
desiring investments. Land that will
raise one bale of cotton to the acre,
sixty bushels of corn season after
season, better than one hundred bush
els of oats, two crops of potatoes in
one season, averaging one hundred
bushels to the acre, and adaptable to
raising a corresponding crop of any
of the staples, has gone begging and
remained idle on account of the title
bugaboo. The same grade of land in
Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and
the other agricultural states, was
bringing from $4,000 to $4,000 per
acre, while the Indian lands in Okla
homa were taken by the weeds for the
lack of purchasers at ten and fifteen
dollars.
Within the past year, however,
things have greatly changed. The gov
eminent decided to sell the restrict
ed lands for the Indian and supervise
the proceeds from the sale of such
lands. The Indian is, as a rule, mex
perienced and in any business per-
tanning to his land, such as renting or
leasing, only succeeded in getting the
title. clouded, hence the scare of poor
titles.
The plan of the government officials
is to clear the land of such clouds, ap-
praise the land and improvements and
offer the same to the highest bidder,
thereby insuring perfect title, the deed
being prepared in the Office of the
United States Indian superintendent.
From the beginning the plan proved
an excellent one and before the third
monthly sale the lists of land were
sought by people in all the states. The
United States Indian superintendent
has today on his mailing list of month
~ land sale notices some five thousand
names of interested persons in other
states, who are DESTROYS of purchasing
the Indian land.
The average acreage offered month
ly by the United States Indian super
intendent is 100000, and some months
the list more than doubles that. The
October sales now being advertised
show fifty thousand acres, majority
of which is susceptible to the highest
state of cultivation and will raise in
abundance all the crops of the temper
ate zone.
These tracts are appraised by two
competent land rien, one regular
land appraiser and the other the Dis
trict Agent in the locality where the
land is situated. and who is familiar
with the conditions in this locality.
The land is advertised for thirty
days in the newspapers of the state
and by printed posters distributed by
the mailing list system. The bids
are opened on the day specified in
the advertisement and the highest
bid, if it exceeds the amount stated in
the appraisement, gets the land.
At the time of sale ten per cent of
the amount offered must accompany
the bid and the balance to be paid on
receipt of notice from the Indian
superintendent to the effect that the
deed has been executed and is ready
for delivery.
There is no doubt as to clear title
to land purchased in this manner as
the records are carefully examined by
the representatives of the Indian SUI
perintendent and if no clouds affect
ing title are found the land is adver-
tised. When an Indian makes appli-
cation for the removal of restrictions
upon the sale of his land the same is
submitted to an appraiser for an in
vestigation as to it's quality, improve
ments and value-consideration being
taken as to the distance from market,
kind of market and the roads. At the
same time the district agent is given
a description of the land and he
checks the county records wherein the
land is located to ascertain whether
there are any illegal instruments OF
record. If such instruments appear
of record the superintendent will not
advertise the land until the title can
be cleared.
The land advertised through the Of
flee of the United States Indian super.