| OCR Text |
Show OFF I%ESERVATIONS. During the year Special Allotting Agent George A. Keepers bas continued his investigations of alleged frandnlent Indian allotment applications in the States of Minnesota and Wisconsin-applications which have been made by mixed-bloods in order to obtain the timber or for speculative purposes, rather than for agricnltnre and grazing. There were originally 400 of these applications. The difficulty of find-ing the Indians to obtain their testimony ha8 retarded the work, but he expects to complete it this year. As was stated in last year's report, many applications have been fonnd to he frandnlent and have been canceled; others found to be made by full-blood Indians in good faith have been allowed to stand. After Bpecial Allotting Agent William E. Casson had hished mak-ing allotments to Indian8 on the Yakima Reservation, Wash., referred to in the last annnal report, tbis office, on December 14,1898, sent to him for delivery to the parties entitled some 700 patents, covering non-reservation Indian allotments within the following land districts : Car-son City, Nev.; Hnmboldt, Oak; and Roseburg, Oreg. Most of these patents were delivered; hut so.me of the Indians could not be fonnd and in some instances the dottees had died, when it became necessary to ascertain the heirs and deliver the patents to them. Snch cases require very careful investigation. Very few allotment applicatiolis have been received by reference from the General Land Office daring the last year; therefore no schedules of allotments have been prepared by this office and transmitted to the Department for approval. Allotments to Indian women who have married white men, and to their 0hildren.-Under the fourth section of the general allotment act approved February 8,1887 (24 Stats., 388), Indians residing upon the public domain are authorized to make application for allotments of land. Under that section the Secretary of the Interior issued a eir-cular, dated September 17, lw, prescribing rules and regulations regasding the allotment to Indians of United States lands not other-wise appropriated. This circular contained the following instructions: Indian women married to white men, or to other persons not entitled to the bene-fits of this sat, will he regarded as helrds of families. The husbands of snoh Indim women are not entitled to dlotmenta, bot their children are. An act in relation to marriage between white men and Indian women was approved August 9,1888 (25 Stats., 392). Section 2 thereof is as follows : That every Indianwoman, member of 8ny snob tribe of Indian8, who may here-after be married to anv citizen of the United States is hereby dealered to beaome, I ~ by such marriage, a ekeen of the United States, with all the rights, privileges, and 1 immunities of sny such citizen, being s married women: Pvovided, That nothing in thie sot cantsjned shsIlimoakoor inanr war sffe'eot the right or title ofsooh married |
