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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAIT UFAIRS.. 121 was within the authority of the act., if that method should be deemed best in all respects for carrying out the provisions of the act. The opposition of the Indians to this method made it expedient to postpone the drawing to a later date so that the plan could be ex-plained to them, and an inspector was sent to the reservation who held several councils to talk it over with the various bands. By these conferences.much of the opposition was overcome; but the in- . . spector reported on May 25 that there was no unanimity of feeling in favor of the plan. Following his recommendation it was modified somewhat, and on June 3 instructions were sent to the allotting com-mission that the names of all members of the tribe who were entitled to allotments should be written on separate cards and placed in a wheel, to be known as the " name wheel; " that numbers from 1 to the highest number on the roll should be written on cards and placed in another wheel, to be known as the "number wheel; " that on Mon-day, July 8, at 9 o'clock, the drawing for the order of choosing the selections should begin; that both sets of cards should be thoroilghly mixed by frequent revolutions of the wheels; and that a blindfolded person should be stationed at each wheel who should simultaneously draw from the respective wheels a name and a number-the number on the card from the " number wheel " indicating the order of selec-tion of the person named on the card drawn from the " name wheel." General notice was given by the commission of the time and place of the drawing, which occurred at the opera house in Pawhuska on July 8 and 9. Many of the mixed bloods were present, but the full . bloods, as usual, manifested but little interest in the matter. The chairman of the commission reported on July 11 that the drawing had occurred without unusual interruptions, most of those present being apparently satisfied. The first 50 selections were filed on August 5, it being arranged that 50 selections should be filed each day until all were made. The work is now in progress and will be completed about November 15. ~urm&s.-~n June 10, 1907, Inspector McLaughlin reported the necessity for reestablishing the lost and obliterated survey corners on the reservation. The original surveys had been made in 1871-72, under what is known as the J. C. Darling contract, and a careful examination showed that within the cultivated part of the reservation scarcely any of the original corners were in place, while not more than 20 per cent could be found elsewhere. On June 26 the Office directed the allotting commission to instruct its corps of surveyors to relocate the missing survey corners in accordance with the printed instructions of the Genera1 Land Office on the subject. TOWN SITES. My last report referred to the establishment, under the act of March 3,1905 (33 Stats., 1061), of five town sites within the Osage Reserva- |