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Show 158 REPORT OF THE OO~ISSIONER OF INDIAN A ~ A ~ S . which he has improved at 629 per cent of its appraised value. Theagreement does not fix the maximum or minimum size of lots, but, as the Department had h e d the maximun size of lots for the town of Colbert, this office knew of no reason why these instructions should : not have been applied to lots in Ardmore. It was therefore recom-mended that the plats be returned and the commission instructed to subdivide a11 blocks into lots in accordance with the instructions of July 1,1899. September 11,1900, the Department concurred in the 1 recommendation of this office and also directed the inspector for the ; Indian Territory to instrnd the commission to extend streets through ~ certain blocks (which were mentioned), unless some good reason, unknown to theDepartment, existed why the same should not be done, in which case the commission should report. on each individual case. Inspector, is referred to under the heading "Lots of excessive size." Mnscogee town-site commission.-This commission was appointed in i Action in regard to large lots elsewhere, which was taken through the April, 1899. The plat of Muswgee, as prepared by the commission I and approved by the Department, includes 2,444.76 acres. It was approved June 4, 1900. The appraisement of improvements and of lots, as fixed by the commission, have also been approved. The lots were appraised at an aggregate valueof 8236,136. Section 15 of the Curtiis act provides that all unimproved lots shall be sold at public auction for not less than their appraised value, unless otherwise ordered by the Secretary of the Interior; also that owners of improvements on lots shall have the right to purchaae such lots at 50 per cent of their appraised value, 10 per cent to be paid within two months from the date of notice of appraisement, 15 per cent within six months from that date, "and the remainder in three equal annual installments thereafter." In accordance with the directions of the Department the commission gave the occupants of improved lots notice of the appraised value of the lot or lots improved by each indi-vidual. August 23, 1900, however, the principal chief of the Creek Nation, in conjunction with N. B. Moore, a citizen of that nation and an occupant of an improved lot, sought a bill in equity in the United States court to enjoin the commission from advertising for sale or sell-ing any lots, alleging that the Curtis act was illegal. August 25,1900, the court, Hon. John R. Thomas presiding, granted the temporary injunction. The Department has recently furloughed the members of said commission indefinitely, without pay. The Wagoner town-site commission.-This commission entered upon its duties early in August of last year, and it is understood that the exterior limits of the town site of Wagoner as agreed upon by the commission contains an area of about 2,700 acres. The plat of the town has not yet been received. It is informally understood, how-ever, that it is almost completed. Survey of exterior limits of towns.-The inspector for the Indian Ter- |
