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Show I 72 REPORTS OB TEE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. the Indians in that district are t a w considerable interest in the education of their children, many of whom attend the public schools and, for their ages, are well advanced in their studies; but the imme-diate visible results of his labors among these Indians are not wholly satisfactory to him. However, as his work in the Redding and Susanville land districts of California has been instrumental in iu-ducing the Indians there to improve their allotments as fast as their means will permit, it is believed that similar work in the Roseburg district will eventually show as good results. SALISPDL, OQ LOWSR PSND D'OBB~L~~IN DlbNS, WASBINWON. The attention of the Office has been called to the fact that certain lands in odd-numbered sections in Tps. 33 and 34 N., R. 44 E., Wash-ington meridian, along the Peud d'oreille River, Washington, within the l i i t s of the grant to the Northern Pacific Railway Company, and patented to the company, are in the possession of Indians who have meager improvements thereon. Captain Webster, agent for the Colville Agency, who was requested to investigate the matter, reported on July 18, 1906, that he had obtained copies of the plats showing the extent of the Indian's holdings and the filings made for I them in 1895 by Capt. J. W. Bubb in the local land office at Spokane. He spent some time in visiting their lands and conferring with the Indians in council, and reports that, while from the point of qiew of the utilitarian the Kalispels may be of no service to the community or may even be a useless incumbrance, yet they are self-supporting and inoffensive and have always been at peace with the whites, and their only troubles have arisen from the selfish greed of a few white settlers. While their occupancy of the odd-numbered sections in conflict with the grmt to the railway company may be technically illegal, yet by every moral right and in absolute justice the title belongs solely to the Kalispels. The Assistant Attorney-General for the Interior Depart-ment decided on February 21, 1899, that even if the railroad com- I pany should relinquish the lands now occupied by the Kalispel Indians, existing law could not permit the company to select lien lands for those. In the interests of h ~ m a ~atnyd justice some way should be provided whereby these Kalispel Indians may be permitted to retain at least a small part of the lands justly their own in the beautiful valley to which they are bound by the most sacred ties, and where, in the language of one of their leading men, they "wish to remain with their good name." 86UK VALLW. wbs=zna*ox. Reports have reached this Office that about 16 Indians entitled to allotments in the Sauk Valley, Washington, are very desirous of allot-ments in severalty. Their wishes will receive attention at the time |
