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Show calling, aRer such notice has reached him. This matter is, however, one for the determiriatiou of the proper local land officers according to the circumstances in any particular case, aud the prompt delivery of such patents, if possible, as me11 as the delivery of all of them sooner or later, must depend upon the efforts and diligence of those officers. i CONTESTS INITIATED AGAINST INDIAN HOMESTEADS. The ever-greedy spirit of the white man is still abroad in the land, and his inord~uated esire to seize upon, occupy, and appropriate to his own use and benefit the home of the Indian is manifested by the con-tests initiated by whites against the homeshad entries of Indiaus, and the many applications to co~~t eIsntd ian applications for allotments of land under the fourth section of the general allotment act as amended. This Bureau has notice of numerous Indian homestead contests now pending before the General Lahd Office and the various' local land offices. Owing to theremotenessof many of the Indians from a United States Indian agent, and the dispersion of these contests over a vast area of couutry iu the West, it is difficult for this office to aiiord Indian contestees the assistance which they need a.nd which it desires to furnish. Communication with the Indians by correspondence is dif-ficult, because their post-office addresses are not known to tlie office, and they seldom go to a post-office for mail, and they are often away from their homes for a11 ~' a l~n u ahlu nt," or ' t hop-picking," or other employment which offers remuneration. Indians travel hundreds of miles to engage in such labor. Sometimes a special Indian agent can be spared to aid these Indian homesteaders, but too frequently he must travel a long distance and at large expense to rerider the needed assistance. Indeed, the office is at great disadvantage iu itx efforts to protect the Indians in their homes off reservations and to defend them against the encroachments of their white neighbors. BIoreover, the Indian regards possession of land and assertion of right and claim to it as sufficient to guarantee him peace-able occupancy and enjoyment thereof. The question of title, accord-ing to our methods, ~~sua ldloye s not concern him. He is ignorant of ' our public land laws and our manner ~Eacquiringti tle to the public land, and in many cases it is only after careful explanations and repeated encouragements that he can hc induced to apply for lands or defend a I . contest once initiated against his entry. When called upon for that purpose United States district nttorneys have rendered valuable aid to Indians whose lands are in contest. I This course has been pursued in some cases where the Indian lands were valuable and not too remote from the home of the attorney, and 1 it seems to be the; most successful method of furnishiug nonreservation Indians proper aid when their homes are involved. |