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Show 911 REPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF INDIAP; AFFAIRS. and gudrantees of this great and beneficent nation. The sooner this sentiment becomes ilniversal the better for all concerned. SURPLUS LANDS iN INDIAN TEERITOEY. . The rast surplusage of land in the Indian Territory, much of it, too, irot surpassed anywhere for fertility and versatility of production, which cau never be utilized by the Indians now within its borders nor by their descendants (for it is not probable that there will be any mate- ].in1 increase in numbers of Indian population), must sooner or later be tlisl>osed of by Congress some way or other. Were all the Indians of the United States to be uprooted and transplanted to this Terri&tIo"{r all living Indians, including those now resident there, could have 563 2ncres each. This is estimating the whole 1ndia.11 population of the United States, excluding Alaska, at 260,000. As the Indian Terri-tory h a an area of 64,222 square milea, or about 520 acres for each person now in the Territory, of course the problem presents itself for public consideration, What disposition or dixision of the Indian Terri-tory can be justly, fairly, acceptably, and harmoniously made9 Thc Kiowas and Oomanches, the Wichitas and the Oheyenne~a nd Arapahoes, are the onlytrihes in the Indian Territory located west of lon-gitude 980. The reservation of the Oheyennes and Arapahoes is simply set aside by executiveorder, and the Indians occupying this tract do not hold it by the same tenure with which the Indians in other parts of the Indian Territory possess their reserves. In my last report I suggested that,, as Oklahoma is surrounded on three sides by territory now occu- . pied by Indians, its settlement by white people, even were it lawful, would be attended with considerable risk to the peaw of both races. Also,that if it should be thought byOongress desirable to open to white settlement any part of the Indian Territory, it wonld be safer and bet-ter for all concerned, and especially the Indians, that the Cheyennes, Arapahoes, Kiowas, Comanches, and Wichitas be removed east, eit,her to Oklahoma or to any other unoccupied laud east of longitude 980, and that all lands west of that line be valued and sold at a fair price, and the proceeds reserved for the civilization of the Indians. Below is given an interesting table, showing the whole number of acres in the Indian Territory east and the whole number west of longi-tude 980, and the distribution of population: Total number of acrea in Indian Territory .............................. 41,102,546 Number of acres in Indian Tel~itoryw est of QaO .................. .. .... 13,740,223 Number of acres in Indian Territorv eaat of 980 ......................... 27 .3 62..3 23 Nnmber of acres of unocoupied lands in Indian Territory east of 98O ...... 3,683,605 Nnrnber of Indians in Indian Territom west of 9a0 ...................... 7,616 Nnmber of Indians in Indian Territarr east of 9a0 ...................... 68.183 Total number of Indians now in Indian Territory. ....................... 75,799 Nnmber of acres each Indian would have if mooanpied lands esst of Wo were divided equally among Indians now living west of 980.. ......... ,183 Nnmber of sores each Indian would bsve if all lands east of 980 were di- vided eqnslly smoug all Indiaw now in Indian Territory. ............. 359 |