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Show June 6, the Department concurred in the suggestions of the inspector, and stated that it did not understand that there was any material difference between furloughing the town-site commission and detailing the Choctaw representative of that commission, and instructed this o5ce to prepare instructions for the purpose of carrying thii plan into execution. July 11, 1900, this ofice submitted to the Department a draft of instrnctions to Mr. Smiser, detailing him to assist one of the town-site surveyors in the establishment of exterior limits of towns, and to Dr. Sterrett, directing him to proceed with the town-site work there-tofore commenced by the commission. The Department, however, concluded that it would be better to have the instrnctions directed to the United States inspector, and July 12 it directed the inspector to cause the establishment of the exterior limits of towns in the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations to be commenced as early as practicable, and to give the representatives of the nations proper instructions. The representatives of the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations on the town-site commissions refused to assist in the establiihment of exte-rior limits of towns, and the inspector was directed to have the same done by surveyors who had been previonsly appointed by the Depart-ment in accordance with the provisions of the Indian appropriation act. The act provides that the work of surveying and laying out town sites shall be done by competent surveyors appointed by the Sec-retary of the Interior. The following town-site surveyors have been appointed: E. E. Colby, John G. Joyce, jr., Thomas S. Leavitt, Joseph T. Payne, Frank Hackelman, and Henry M. Tucker, Missouri; John F. Fisher, Illinois; M. Z. Jones, Kansas; Harry Maxey, Oklahoma. The inspector, August 7,1900, transmitted a draft of " Instructions to town-site surveyors in the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations," and also a draft of "Instructions to towns making their own surveys." 05ce report of August 16 recommended that numerous changes be made in said drafts of instructions, and August 28 the Department concurred in the recommendations of this office and also modified the instrnctions in other particulars. The final instructions, which were approved August 28,1900, are published in full in this report, page 585. Parks.-June 22, 1900, the inspector submitted a report, dated June 12,1900, from the chairman of the Choctaw town-site commission, rel-ative to setting aside land in South McAlester for park purposes. O5ce report of June 25,1900, quoted from the Indian appropriation act of May 31,1900, as follows: The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized, under mlea and regulations to be prescribed by him, to survey, lay out, and plat into town lots, streets, alleya, and parks the sites of such towns and villages in the Choctaw, Chickessw, Creek, and, Cherokee nations, ete., |
