OCR Text |
Show CO?~MISSIONEB OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 109 Of this area 111,750 acres are embraced in leases existing at the time the supplemental agreement was ratified by the members of the two tribes September 25, 1902, and 333,302.23 acres are unleased. The unleased lands have been divided into six districts. Bids for the pur-chase of lands in the different districts are to be opened by this O5ce at 2 o'clock p. m., Eagtern time, on the following dates: McAlester district (No. I), October 3, 1904; Wilburton-Stigler (No. 2), Decem-ber 5, 1904; Howe-Poteau (No. 3), February 6, 1905; McCurtain- Massey (No. 4), April 3,1905; Lehigh-Ardmore (No. 5), June 5,1905; and for the lands in district No. 6 (unleased segregated asphalt lands), August 7,1905. Notice of the time and place of sale has been published in many of the leading newspapers throughout thc coun-try. Under the law not exceeding 960 acres can be sold to any one person, and the regulations provide: No person will beallowed to bid on more than one tract aa described in thebiroular, except in cases where two or more tracts as described do not in theaggreg8tacontain in exceas of 960 acres, * * * that being the maximum acreage under the law that any one person may purchase. Bidders are required to address their bids to this O5ce, and to accom-pany the same with a certified check for 20 per cent of the amount bid, such check to be forfeited to the use of the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations unless the bidder complies with the provisions of his bid within fifteen days after notice of its acceptance. The right to reject any or all bids is reserved. A form of bid has been prescribed and mwt be used by all bidders. Lands crossed by railroads will be sold subject to the railroad's right of way. Under the law the President was authorized to appoint a commis-sion, to be present when bids are opened "and be heardin relation to the acceptance or rejection" of any bid, one of the commission to be a Choctaw by blood, appointed under the rewmmendation of the principal chief of the Choctaw Nation; another to be a Chickasaw by blood, appointed upon the rewmmendation of the governor of the Chickasaw Nation; the third member to be appointed by the President without any recommendation from the tribal authorities. The com-mission consists of Brig. Gen. John M. Wilson, U. S. A., retired, Thomas E. Sanguin for the Choctaw Nation, and Walter Colbert for the Chickasaw Nation. Circulars descriptive of the lands and deposits of the different districts, prepared by Joseph A. Taft under the snper-vision of the Director of the United States Geological Survey, may be had by applyingto this O5ce or to the United States Indian agent, Muskogee, Ind. T. At the hour designated for the first sale, Oct6ber 3, the 32 bids submitted were opened by the Acting Commissioner, in the presence of Brigadier-General Wilson and Thomas E. Sanguin. There were |