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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 127 town. The Choctaw town-site commission has moved its headquarters to Atoka, and is now engaged in the survey of that town. On account of the insufficiency of appropriations and of the strong opposition in the Oherokee and Oreek nations, the Department decided that for the present no town-site commissions would be appointed for those nations. The town of Muscogee, however, in the Creek Nation, was almost destroyed by fire February 23,1899, and the people of the town represented that it would he a great saving to them if the Department would appoint a commission at once to lay out the town so that the rebuilding should be in conformity with the Government survey. Therefore this office agreed with Inspector Wright in recom-mending that a commission for Muscogee be appointed under section 15 of the Curtis Act, which was done. The members of the commission are Mr. Dwight W. Tuttle, of Con-nectieut, chairman and disbursing o5cerj Mr. John Adams, appointed on behalf of the town secretary and clerk, while Mr. Benjamin Mar-shall was appointed by the Secretary on behalf of the nation, the principal chief having declined to make an appointment as provided in the act. The instructions for this commissio~w~e re prepared in this office, and abont April 6,1899, the commission met in Muswgee for their preliminary consideration of matters. The town of Muscogee is one of the most important towns, if not the most important town in Indian Territory. It has a population of between 5,000 and 6,000, is the headquarters of the Union Agency, of the Dawes Commission, and of the inspector for the Indian Territory. It is d80 one of the places where the United States court sits. The office understands that the preliminary survey of this town is abont completed, and that, with the employees now at work, it will take about four months to complete the permanent survey and submit the plat for approval. In Department letter of September 2,1899, authority was granted for the appointment of an additional surveyor, and it is thought that with tbis additional employee the commission can com-plete the permanent survey in mnch less time than the period estimated , with the force now in its employ. ; The town of Wagoner also experienced a destructive fire, and a com-mission has been appointed for that town. It was appointed August 1, 1899, and consists oP Dr. Henry C. Linn, chairman and disbursing officer; John H. Roark, clerk and secretary, and Tony Proctor. This commission has but just entered on its duties. There is one situation in the Oherokee N9tion which may be deemed of sufficient importance to demabd a modification of the town-site law, so far as relates to that nation. The Oherokee Nation is the only one of the Five Oivilized Tribes which had any provisions for laying out of town sites or establishing towns. In the that nation there was a town-site law under which commissioners were appointed who laid off ) the lands where a town was to be built and sold late ta citizens of |