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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. LVII Below is given an interesting table, showing the whole number of acres in the In-d i n Territory east and the whole number west of iongitude 9P, an2 the distribution of population: Total number of acres in Indian Territory .............................. 41,102,546 Nuxibar of aores in Indian Territory west of 980 ......................... 13,740,WJ Numbor of acras in Indian Territory eaat of 980 ......................... 27,362,323 Komber of acres of mooou.pis d lands in Indian Territory east of 9E0 ...... 3,683,605 Number of Indims in Indian Territory west of 980 ....................... 7,616 Number of Indians in Indian Territory east of 980 ....................... 68,183 Total number of Indims now in Indian Territory ........................ 76,799 Number of aem each Indian would have if nnoocopied lands east of 98O were divided equally among Indians now living west of 980.. ......... 483 Nnmber of acres &eh Indian would have if all l&ds east of 9i0 were di-vided equally among all Indians now in Indian Territory .............. 359 It is appxent, that, .m there are now only 7,616 Indiana west of longitude 980, if these Indiana were placed on the 3,683,605 acres of unoacupied lands eaat of that me-riilian, each Indian would have 483 acres, an area of land far in excess of what he would nsed. But we dso see from this tahlc that there are west of $80, inclnding Creer countv.. 1.3.7.40..223 acres. which would be sufficient to furnish homes of 100 acrea each to 137,402 people; nudaoppusinp: eschnetrlar to have Rvo in llis f u u i l ~ -i,r would aupport a vopolntion of 687.010sonla. Add to thin " So Man's Land," Ixing ilumeJ~- aGY wesia& adjoining, containing 3,672,640 acres, and we see at onoe thit thereis territory enough in those twumess to found s State equal in size to many Stat- of this Union. Another advantage of this arrsngement would he that the Indians would be to-w ther in a mare comoaat form. while the whites wonld be b s t hemselves. When my last report was made the time and eircnmstances were anspicious for the adoption of these suggestions, if Congress entertained them at all, for the reason thaiat that time the-1udisns west of 980.. es-ti eoiallv the Chevennes and haoahoes. had been severely admonished by the Govwent, by a display of military force, that they w d d no longer be permitted to obstluct those of their tribe who desired to adopt the white man's way. To this admonition alm?at univer~ahl eed wasgiven, nnd a large number at onoe bsgen to prepare for settling down and cultivating the soil. In conseqilenoe of this recent change in their wishes and habits, verymauy houses have been erected md a large acreage of sod broken and extensive orops aul-tireted. A year ago these Indiana bed less to attach them to their homes than they now have, and therefore their removal east would have been less distmsteful then than now. Severtheleas, as the distance is short snd the lands to which they might be moved am much superior to those which they now occupy, I doubt not that, by paying them for their improvements orby making similar improvements on their new homes, they would cheerfally obey the wiah of Congress should that hboy conclude to remove them to Oklahame or to Borne other fertile nnoccupied lands east of 9P. It becomes apparent that if it should he the desire Of Congress to dispose- of this seetion of theIndian Territory, it will be attended with embsrrasament even now, and of course, as the Indians open and improve farms and build houses and prepare to live, they pill become wore attaahed to their homes andless disposed to emigrate, even to better Ian& whicharebnt a short distanOe away. My apology, if mpology is needed, for presenting fAese fscts nnd snggeations some-what eamestlv, arises from &s deeD conviction that the ~ro~oa i t ioton throw ouen 0klahoma to white settlement; surrounded as it is by 1nd& on three sides, wokd be an experiment dangerous to all concerned, and especially wonld the Indiana west of Oklahoma beabraded and eventoally obliterated by the surging waves of white popllhtion striking upon them fmm a11 direotions. This subject is of very great im-portance; and inview ofthe parsistent efforts whichhavebeen madeby parties mom or less or-ra nized to oossess themsalves of lands within the Indian Territorv" rewrd-lans of law and the rights of these Indiaus, and in view, too, of the action of a. large |