OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF THli: COMMI8810NER OF INDIAN AEWAIB8. 55 ment July 12. 1900. No appropriation for this work was made by Congress. The expenses will, therefore, have to be paid out of the regular appropriation for surveying and alloting Indian reservations for the current fiscal year, amounting to $20,000, from which appro-priation are paid the per diem and expenses of the allotting agents on Cheyenne River and Rosebud reservationu, as well as two special allot-ting agents on duty in connection with allotments on the public lands. The latter work will be arranged so as to allow as much as possible for the Kiowa allotments. No effort will be spared to complete this work by the 6th of December next. Omaha and Winnebago Reservation, Bebr.-Special Allotting Agent John K. Rankin has completed the work of making the additional allotments on the Omaha Reservation under the act of March 3, 1893 (27 Stab., 612), so far as practicable, pending the final determination of certain snits for tribal rights instituted by mixed bloods. The 799 patents referred to above have been issued on allotments made by him, and have been transmitted to the agent for delivery. He is now engaged on the Winnebago Reservation investigating the righb of parties to whom patents were issued under the act of Feb-ruary 21, 1863 (12 Stats., 658), preliminary to completing the allot-ments under the act of February 8, 1887 (24 Stats., 394). Rosebud Reservation, 8. Dak.-Special Allotting Agent William A. Winder has completed the revision of allotments made on the Rosebud Reservation prior to March 3,1899. By the act of that date (30 Stats., 1362) allotments of 320 acres previously made to the head of a family were to be divided equally between husband and wife. He reported September 30,1900, that up to that date he had made a total of 4,149 allotments on the Rosebud Reservation, leaving some 700 allotments yet to be made. Shoshone Reservation, Wyo.-Special Allotting Agent John T. Wertz, who was engaged in making allotments on the Shoshone Reservation, was suspended from duty by the Department May 15, 1900, pending an investigation of his work which was made by Inspector McConnell. Report upon the case was submitted to the Department June 26,1900, with the recommendation that Allotting Agent Wertz be relieved from duty and ordered home. The Department concurred, and he was ordered home (Omaha, Nebr.) by telegram dated July 3, 1900. He reached there July 7, 1900. Before his suspension he had made 205 allotments. His predecessor, John W. Clark, made 1,310 allotmenta on that reservation. The allotment work there has been suspended until a system of irrigation can be planned and approved. When .this shall have been done the allotment work there will be resumed. George Butler is now engaged in the preparation of irrigation plans for this reservation. |