Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs - 1895

Page 34

32 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. January 30, 1886,167 patents were issued to the Puyallnp Indians. The commissioners say that the persons named in these patents num-bered 155 men, 148 women, and 195 children, making a total of 498 per. sons; that since the issuance of patents to them, 56 men, 42 women, and 108 children, or a total of 206 of the original patentees have died, leaving but 292 now living. One hundred and nineteen children have been born among them since the date of the patents, making a total of 411 patentees now living. Of these there are 233 adults, 149 of whom signed the written consent to sell the agency tract. Many of hhese adults are old and infirm and in need of financial aid. Others who are younger desire to sell a portion of their allotted lands to secure money with which to improve the parts of the allotted tracts reserved as homes, so that it is thought best for the Indlans to continue the efforts to sell the agency tract lots, and some of their allotted lands as well. Uintah and Onray reservations, Utah.-Section 20 of the Indian appro-priation act approved August 15,1894 (28 Stats., 286), authorizes the President to appoint a commission of three persons to allot in severalty to the UncompahgreIndians within their reservation in theTerritory of Utah agricultural and grazing lands according to the treaty of 1880 (21 Stats., 200). Said section also requires the commissioners, as soon as practicable after their appointment, to report to the Secretary of the Interior what portions of the reservation are unsuited or not required for allotments, uand thereupon such :hortions so reported shaU, by proclamation, be restored to the public domain and made subject to entry." Section 21 provides that the remainder of the lands on that reserva. tion shall, upon the approval of the allotments by the Secretary of the Interior, be immediately opened to entry under the homestead and min-eral laws of the United States, no person being allowed "to locate more , than two claims, neither to exceed 10 acres, in any lands containing asphaltum, gilsonite, or like substances: Provided, That after three years' actual and continuous residence upon agricultural lands from date of settlement the settler may, upon full payment of $1.50 peracre, receive patent for the tract eutered. If not commuted at the end of three years the settler shall pay at the time of making fiual proof the sum of $1.50 per acre." Section 22 provides: That said commission shall also negotiate and treat with the Indians properly residing upon the Uintah Reservation, in Utah, for the relinquishment to the United States of the interest of said Indiana in all lands within said reservation not needed for allotment in severalty to meld Indiana and, if possible, secure the aonsent of suoh Indians toaoch relinquishment and for the acceptance by said Indians of allotments in severalty of lands within said r?semation. Any agreement made will beoome operative only when ratified by Congress.