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Show COIWI88IONER 03' INDIAN AFFAIRS. 61 the Indians within the former Fort McDermitt Military Reserve. Relinqnishments of the former allottees were obtained, so far as prac-ticable, which were submitted to the Department December 24 and were accepted by it December 29, 1903. In a few cases, however, it was impracticable to procure such relinquishments, for the reason that the allottee had died, and the heirs, some of whom were minors, had no legal representatives to act for them. In these cases the cancella-tion of the existing allotments had to be effected through the General Land O5ce in accordance with the prevailing rules. The schedules of reallotment have not, therefore, been formally submitted by Mr. Casaon, but this will be done as soon as the record pertaining to a11 the lands involved shall have been cleared. 'Mr. Cassou reports these Indians to be progressive, intelligent, and willing to work, and it is believed that the efforts made in theirbehalf will bear fruit. He has strongly urged that a day school be established among them, the teacher to be a practical man and able to directthe Indians in constructing irrigation ditches, building houses, and other-wise establishing themselves on their allotments. Columbia Valley, Oregon and Washington.-Special Allotting Agent George A. Keepers, who was temporarily taken from noureserva-tion allotment work in August, 1903, to adjust certain allotments on the Crow Reservation, Mont., returned to the Columbia River Valley in April last and is now engaged in making allotments to Indians there, both on the Washington side of the river, in the Walla Walla andVan-couver districts, and on the Oregon aide, in The Dalles district. There are still a large number of Indians in this valley without individual land holdings. The available public land suitable for Indian homes, however, is becoming scarce, andin most localities it is, in fact, impos-sible to procure vachnt lands for these people from which they could gct a living. Dayton Creek, Pontsna.-In the annual report of last year it was stated that contests had been initiated by whites against the Indians at Dayion Creek, Montana, wvering most, if not all, of their 19 allot-mentson thepublic domain, and that the agent of the Flathead Agency had been instructed to visit the whites and the Indian allottees at Dayton Creek and endeavor to bring about an adjustment of the con-tests between them. It was thought that he might be able to termi-nate the contests initiated, adjust satisfactorily all issues involved, and thus save useless and expensive litigation. Through his efforts all the Indian allobtees, except four, have relinquished their allotments and the disputes between them and the whites have been amicably adjusted. As these Indians believed that the lands which they applied for were within the boundaries of their reservation at one time, the ssme having been segregated therefrom by the so-called &rrison survey, .the allottees were allowed to receive a consideration for their improve- |