The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-04-28
.FY0|NT|0N Of TITLES IN FORMER
CHOCTAW AND CH|CKASAW NATIONS

note was not pnlu, Dul tDe lHuus
trious life insurance agent put til
note in Judgment and had rcceiy
er appointed for Atkins interest il
the north part of the town. This re
suited in some little disturbance t
a few of the people who permitted
themselves to be disturbed thereb.
for some years, but never operatet
to take any OF the property right!
acquired by any OF the white
people under the Atkins contracts.
This condition OF titles continued
to exist until June 2Sth, 1898, a
which time Ardmore had grown t.
be city of more than five thousant
people, every building in which was
constructed upon lands title to which
was in the Choctaw and Chickasaw
tribe of Indians. BY the provisions
! of the Atoka agreement, which were
included in the act of June 2Sth, 1895
the owners of the Improvements up
on all OF the lands, title to which was
in the tribes, were permitted to ac
quire title thereto upon the payment
of fair consideration. | am entire
" familira with the entire history OF
Ardmore and from the history of the
first building in the city to the time
that titles We're permitted to be ac-
quired and were acquired under the
act of June 90, 1908. / don't believe
that any man ever suffered any loss
of any character by reason Of hav-
ing constructed his home or business
house upon lands title to which were
in the tribes The people relied up
on the justice of the tribal and fed
eral governments and were not dis
tnrbed. The actual conversion OF
the tribal title into individual hold
ings, so far as the lands in the coun-
try were concerned, did not begin un.
til the fall of 1903, under the sup
Elemental agreement between the
ChOctaw and Chickasaw tribes and
the United States. Beginning with
the fall Of the year 1903 the work of
allotment was continued until COM
pleted. Under the supplemental
agreement the allotted lands were. so
far as the members OF the tribes
were concerned, divided into three
classes: homestead, surplus, and
lands allotted in the name Of de-
ceased members of the tribe. The
home stead to be inalienable during
the life OF the allOttee not exceed
ing tweDty-one years; the surplus
to be alienable one fourth in acreage
in one year, one-fOurth in acreage
in three years, and the balance in
five years from date of patent, with
the provision that the lands should
not he alienable by the allottee and
his heirs before the expiration of the
tribal governments for less than the
appraised value. On April q 1904,
congress removed the restrictions up
on the alienation of allottees of eth
er of the Five Civilized Tribes who
were not OF Indian blood, and not
except as to homesteads In
1906 congress removed restrictions
upon alienation of the inherited lands
of the members of the Five Civilized
Tribes Of less than the full-blood. On
May 9th, 1908, congress passed a
sweeping act removing restrictions
ipon all lands. including homesteads
If intermarried whites, freedmen and
nixed-blood Indians, having less than
'ne-half Indian blood, including mi |
lors. 1t also removed all restrictions !
lpon the alienation Of the lands, ex-
'ept homesteads, OF mixed bloods, |
laving less than three-ouarters In
liam blood, 1t imposed restrictions !
Ipon alienation by alottees of other |
lasses of lands. During all the time |
ne secretaries OF interior had author |
ty to remove restrictions upon alien
ltion. 20
Following the passage of the last
mentioned act the United States in
'tituted a great number Of suits chal-
eging the validity of every character
If title where full-bloods, either as
,ilottees or heirs had conveyed.
This caused such cloud over titles
n the eastern part of the state that
many people were afraid to purchase
lnder any conditions regardless of |
low clear the law seemed to be upon |
he right to ALLEVIATE. The result was
hat alienable lands could be pur-
hased AT remarkably low prices. the
"A. g..