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Show IlEPORT OF THE 007dMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 175 Charley Suis up kin, homestead entry 66, December 22,1890, for SEt of see. 18, T. 23 N., R. 20 E., to he put on record as soon as the honorable Commissioner of the General Land Office ordered the entry canceled. I think the Wenatchi Indians are above the average; they are, as a rule, quite industrious and well behaved. They no doubt could he greatly benefited by the expenditure of a few thousand dollars for wire for fences and farm machinery, etc. They all have great confidence in John Hamilt, their chief, and he tries very hard to have them do right. They are devout Catholics, andgo to their church every Sunday and hold services by themselves. As I have written your office before, the only solution I can see to the land problem for the Wenatchi Indiansis to allot them on the south half of the Colville Reservation. The work has been very slow and tedious for the reasons before given, but many cases have been settled and several put in shape forsettieluent as soon as the railroad company relinquishes. I will keep in correspondence with these people, and can do a great deal to get them to take steps to prove up when the proper time comes. As these Indians had at various times during the past few years expresseda willingness to remove to the Colville Reservation, provided they were given allotments there, the office, July 19, 1900, instructed Mr. Casfion to ascertain the real wishes of the Indians in this regard, to find out how many would go, and whether there were suitable lands on the Colville ileservation not used or required by the Indians already there upon which the Wenatchi might be located, and to report whether if their removal was effected these Indians would be likely to remain there and build up homes for themselves. August 1 Mr. Casson replied from Mission, Wash., as follows: I find from talking with the Wenatchi Indians that they as a rule are desirous of taking allotments on the south half of the Colville Reservation. John Hamilt, the chief, and the leading men among the Wenatchi are anxious to have their people allotted on the Colvillei. e., those who have no lands upon the public domain. The Indians who have homes here are anxious to secure allotments for their wives and children. I had a long talk with John Hamilt to-day, and he says it is useless to try to allot them upon thz Colville Reservation this fall for thereason that the Indims are nearly all m the mountains now picking berries, fishing, etc., and will he gone until September 1, when they will go to Yakima to pick hops, and will he gone a month there, and will then return and go to the mountains and hunt until the snow drives them home. He (Hamilt) says about May 1 next year is the time to begin the work, as the Indians could all go and attend to making selections. I fully agree with him that nothing couldbe done this fall. The Wenatchi Indians say there is plenty of good, vacant land on the part of the reservation where they want to he allotted. I met Agent Anderson in consultation, and he is anxious to have them allotted on his reservation, hut agrees it is not the right time of year to undertake the work. He further says he can attend to having them allotted, and that there is plenty of goad land for them. I am anxious to have these people allotted in order to protect and provide for the children and young people now growing up. A few of the young men would go and improve their allotments if allotted there, hut a great many of the allotments would he owned by women and children who wonld remain here with the head of the family. The ones who would remove to and live upon their lrtnds wonld need assistance in the shape of harness, wagons, plows, wire for fences, etc., and if given some help |