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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 165 tary authorities, for reasons of military exepdiency, while the In-dians were in amity with the Government. There are still under consideration several other individual claims for stock taken by the United States for reasons of military expediency and also for stock lost thru depredations committed by white men, notable among which is the claim of Daniel' Bad wound. There are also before the Office claims of Dog nawk, Henry Look-ing Horse, and 496 other Sioux Indians residing on the Rosebud Res-ervation in South Dakota, for ponies taken by horse thieves some years ago, and an attorney practising before the Department has requested permission to enter into contract with these Indians for the prosecution of their claims. Included in the list are the claims of 96 Indians who in March, 1878, appeared'before Lientenant Lee, then acting Indian agent' at the Spotted Tail Agency, and swore to losses , aggregating 497 ponies, 5 mules, 9 horses, and 1 double set of harness, the total valuation of which was $8,200. There is also an unsworn ~tatement of 24 claims asserting losses aggregating $2,310 for 154 ponies. The question is now before the Department as to the advisa-bility of allowing these Indians to enter into contracts at this late date for the prosecution of claims for ponies alleged to have been taken in 1878. As to the claims stated before Lieutenant Lee, there can be no objection, as they were substantiated and vouched for at the time by an officer of the Government who had facilities for ascertain-ing the facts, but as to the prosecution of this sort of claims generally it may be doubted whether the good of the Service or the welfare of the. Indians would be promoted by allowing it. SAN JUAN PAIUTES. Miss Laura B. Work, superintendent of the Panguitch Indian School, Utah, first called the attention of the Office, two years ago last February to a. destitute band of Paiutes in southeastern Utah. . . They had acquired the art of weaving blankets from their neighbors, the Navahos, but, as they had neither sheep nor lands upon ~ ~ h i tcoh graze them, they were unable to make any advantageous use of their trade. On the recommendation of the Office, approved by the De-partment, the Congress at its last session appropriated $5,000 for the . purchase of land and sheep for this band. The preliminaries to carrying out the provisions of this enactment have been taken up, and it is expected that before another year the band will be so situated as to spare the Government the need of fur-ther appropriation for their relief. COLVILLE RESERVATION. Under instructions of September 6, 1905, Inspector James Mc- Langhliu negotiated an agreement with the Indians of the Colville |