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Show REPORT OF TEE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 45 the deterioration of their timber, and that a few had lost all the timber on their allotments, yet the contractor could not be held responsible, because he had exercised due diligence in the logging. By taking first that which was nearest the mill he had saved all the timber that he could, but he could not reach the more distant allotments in time to I save the timber about whose loss the Indians complained. The inspector therefore recommended that the allottees who had suf. fered loss by the burning of their timber be permitted to relinquish their old allotments and take new ones. This recommendation having pre- , viously (March 16,1896) been made by Lieutenant Mercer, the office September 24,1896, directed the acting ageut to prepare a schedule of those allottees who had thus suffered total or severe loss of timber, with a statement as to the extent of loss in each case. This schedule was furnished by Lieutenant Mercer December 12,1896, and was forwarded to the Department January 18,1897, with the stabmebt that in view of all the circnmstances it would be but just to allow the Indians to relin-quish their old allotmeuts for new ones.' Steps have been taken to institute logging operations on the Red Cliff Reservation, Wis., on a plan similar to hhat in force on the Bad River and Lac du Flambeau reservations. October 15,1896, the act- I ing agent reported that forest fires on the Red 0liff.Reservation had killedabout7,000,000feetoftimber ofvarious kinds, andherecommended that steps be taken to a.uthoriee its sale during the winter of 1896-97. There was at that time pending before the President a list of allotments embracing all the lands of this reservation. He approved the list November 19,1896, and directed the issuance of patents in the form of other Chippewa patents issued under the treaty of 1854 (10 Stat., 1109). When the timber described had tbns become the property of the individual allottees, the office, December 3, 1896, directed the acting agent to propose a plan by which the burrled timber could be logged during the winter yellding permanent arrangements for the sale for the benefit of the Indians of all timber 011 their allotmeuts. In reply, Lieutenant Mercer recommended, December 7,1896, that the allottees' timber be disposed of on a plan similihr to that in force on the Lac du Flambeau and Bad River reservations, and suggested that meantime the Indians be authorized to cat the burnt timber and bank \ it during the winter. December 11,1896, recommendation was made 1 to the Department that such authority be granted, which was given by the President January 12, 1897, and the actual work of logging was commenced by the Indians, nnder the direction of the acting agent, Captain Scott, about the 1st of February. The intention at the time was merely to preserve this dead timber from deterioration, so that the Indians would suffer no loss pending the completion of arrangements to sell all the timber on the allotted lands and the erectiorl of a sawmill 'Since the date of this report the Department, September 14,1897, authorized the exohsnge of old for new allotments, and the agent ha8 been instructed aooordingl~. |