COMMISSIONS. Chippewa Commission. In previous annual reports of the office, commencing with 1889, will be found accounts of the progress of the work of the Chippewa Commission in carrying out the provisions of the act of Congress of January 14, 1889 (25 Stats., 642), entitled "An act for the relief and civilization of the Chippewa Indians in the State of Minnesota." On April 9, 1900, the commission submitted a schedule showing allotments to 4,211 Indians on the White Earth Reservation, and on July 21, 1900, a supplemental schedule was submitted, showing allotments to 160 Indians on said reservation. June 20, 1900, the Secretary of the Interior directed that the work of the Chippewa Commission be suspended and that its final accounts be closed. July 21 the commission (D. S. Hall) reported to this office that it had on that date turned over to the United States Indian agent of the White Earth Agency all its books, records, papers, etc. This closed the work of the commission. Crow, Flathead, etc., Commission.-The appropriation for the payment of the expenses of the Crow, Flathead, etc., Commission having become exhausted, that commission was suspended November 14, 1899, in compliance with Department instructions, and the members were directed to proceed to their homes not later than the 18th of that month and to incur no money liability after that date. It was proposed by the commissioners that a deficiency appropriation be secured to continue the commission to April 1, 1900, when the same would expire by limitation of law (act March 3, 1899, 30 Stat. L., p. 1235), and also that Congress be asked to authorize its continuance for another year from April 1, 1900. The office in its report of January 5, 1900, declined, however, to recommend any further appropriation for this commission, and in Department reply of January 8, 1900, this position was concurred in and the office was instructed to so advise the commissioners. The suspension of the commission continued until April 1, 1900, when under the law it ceased to exist. The following provision, however, was made by Congress in the deficiency appropriation act approved June 6, 1900, for continuing this commission: For continuing after the passage of this act and during the fiscal year nineteen hundred and one the work of the commission under the act of Congress approved June tenth, eighteen hundred and ninety-six, to negotiate with the Crow, Flathead, and other Indians, fifteen thousand dollars, and the members of said commission shall perform such duties as may be required of them by the Secretary of the Interior. (31 Stats., 302.) In compliance with the above provision, Messrs. James H. McNeely, of Evansville, Ind.; Charles G. Hoyt, of Beatrice, Nebr., former commissioners, and B. J. McIntire, of Kalispell, Mont., were appointed on June 25, 1900, as the members of the commission, Mr. McNeely being designated chairman thereof, and Mr. Hoyt disbursing officer. There remained of the tribes named in the act of June 10, 1896, which provided for the appointment of this commission, only the Yakima in Washington and the Flatheads in Montana with whom agreements had not been concluded. Instructions for the guidance of the commission in the conduct of negotiations with these two tribes were prepared by the office, and they were directed to proceed first to the Yakima Reservation and take up the work there. It was stated in my last annual report that a total of $49,500 had been appropriated for this commission. Adding to this the $15,000 appropriated by the act above quoted makes a total of $64,500. Five Civilized Tribes Commission.-Its work is referred to under the head of Indian Territory on page 103. Puyallup Commission. The Indian appropriation act approved May 31, 1900, contains the following clause relative to the Puyallup commission: For the compensation of the commissioner authorized by the Indian appropriation act approved June seventh, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, to superintend the sale of land, and so forth, of the Puyallup Indian Reservation, Washington, who shall continue the work as therein provided, two thousand dollars. (31 Stats., p. 239.) It will be observed that this provides for continuing the sales of the Puyallup lands for the present fiscal year. This work was continued during the last fiscal year under a similar provision in the Indian appropriation act approved March 1, 1899 (30 Stat. L., 940). Clinton A. Snowden was appointed commissioner June 22, 1897. He is still in charge of the work, and is making satisfactory progress. It should be remarked, however, that the work of ascertaining and determining the legal heirs of deceased allottees is slow, and sometimes difficult, because the heirs are scattered, some living in other parts of Washington than the reservation, also in Oregon and elsewhere, even in Alaska. This makes it difficult to reach them and obtain proper evidence as to heirship. There are, however, only a few cases delayed on this account. ALLOTMENTS AND PATENTS. The progress made in allotment work since the last annual report is as follows: ALLOTMENTS ON RESERVATIONS. During the year patents have been issued and delivered to the following Indians: Chippewa of Lake Superior on the Bad River Reservation, Wis.... 135 Wis 152 Chippewa of the Mississippi on Deer Creek Reservation, Minn.... 4 799 Allotments have been approved by this office and the Department as follows: Colville Reservation, Wash... Fort Berthold Reservation, N. Dak Klamath Reservation, Oreg Oto Reservation, Okla.... Sioux of the Rosebud Reservation, S. Dak. (including 469 previously Yakima Reservation, Wash. (approved September 13, 1899, but Certificates issued to members of the Kiowa and Comanche tribes. 646 940 1, 174 440 3, 107 599 6 Schedules of the following allotments have been received in this office, but have not been finally acted upon: Chippewa of the Mississippi on White Earth Reservation, Minn.. 4,367 Sioux of the Rosebud Reservation, S. Dak... 556 473 The condition of the work in the field is as follows: Cheyenne River Reservation, S. Dak.-April 7, 1900, the President granted authority for making allotments on the Cheyenne River Reservation, and Special Allotting Agent John H. Knight, who had just completed the work of allotting the Indians of the Lower Brulé Reservation, was designated to make the same. Instructions were given him April 19, 1900, which were approved by the Department April 25, and shortly thereafter he entered upon the duty. August 20 he had made 127 allotments. Kiowa and Comanche Reservation, Okla. The agreement concluded with the Comanche, Kiowa, and Apache tribes of Indians October 21, 1892, was ratified by Congress June 6, 1900, the original agreement as incorporated in the act being materially changed and amended. As ratified, the agreement provides for the allotment of 160 acres of land to each member of said tribes, the allotments to be selected within ninety days from the ratification of the agreement. Provided, That the Secretary of the Interior, in his discretion, may extend the time for making such selection; and should any Indian entitled to allotments hereunder fail or refuse to make his or her selection of land in that time, then the allotting agent in charge of the work of making such allotments shall, within the next thirty days after said time, make allotments to such Indians, which shall have the same force and effect as if the selection were made by the Indian. The act authorizes and directs the Secretary of the Interior to cause the allotment of said lands to be made by "any Indian inspector or special agent." It also provides that the time for making allotments shall in no event be extended beyond six months from the passage of the act. July 6, 1900, Inspector C. F. Nesler and Special Agents E. B. Reynolds and A. C. Hawley were designated to make the allotInstructions for their guidance were approved by the Depart ments. ment July 12, 1900. No appropriation for this work was made by Congress. The expenses will, therefore, have to be paid out of the regular appropriation for surveying and alloting Indian reservations for the current fiscal year, amounting to $20,000, from which appropriation are paid the per diem and expenses of the allotting agents on Cheyenne River and Rosebud reservations, as well as two special allotting agents on duty in connection with allotments on the public lands. The latter work will be arranged so as to allow as much as possible for the Kiowa allotments. No effort will be spared to complete this work by the 6th of December next. Omaha and Winnebago Reservation, Nebr.-Special Allotting Agent John K. Rankin has completed the work of making the additional allotments on the Omaha Reservation under the act of March 3, 1893 (27 Stats., 612), so far as practicable, pending the final determination of certain suits for tribal rights instituted by mixed bloods. The 799 patents referred to above have been issued on allotments made by him, and have been transmitted to the agent for delivery. He is now engaged on the Winnebago Reservation investigating the rights of parties to whom patents were issued under the act of February 21, 1863 (12 Stats., 658), preliminary to completing the allotments under the act of February 8, 1887 (24 Stats., 394). Rosebud Reservation, S. Dak.-Special Allotting Agent William A. Winder has completed the revision of allotments made on the Rosebud Reservation prior to March 3, 1899. By the act of that date (30 Stats., 1362) allotments of 320 acres previously made to the head of a family were to be divided equally between husband and wife. He reported September 30, 1900, that up to that date he had made a total of 4,149 allotments on the Rosebud Reservation, leaving some 700 allotments yet to be made. Shoshone Reservation, Wyo.-Special Allotting Agent John T. Wertz, who was engaged in making allotments on the Shoshone Réservation, was suspended from duty by the Department May 15, 1900, pending an investigation of his work which was made by Inspector McConnell. Report upon the case was submitted to the Department June 26, 1900, with the recommendation that Allotting Agent Wertz be relieved from duty and ordered home. The Department concurred, and he was ordered home (Omaha, Nebr.) by telegram dated July 3, 1900. He reached there July 7, 1900. Before his suspension he had made 205 allotments. His predecessor, John W. Clark, made 1,310 allotments on that reservation. The allotment work there has been suspended until a system of irrigation can be planned and approved. When this shall have been done the allotment work there will be resumed. George Butler is now engaged in the preparation of irrigation plans for this reservation. NONRESERVATION ALLOTMENTS. Helena, Mont., land district.-Having concluded his work in Minnesota and Wisconsin, so far as was deemed practicable, Special Allotting Agent Keepers was instructed April 26, 1900, to proceed to the Helena, Mont., land district to investigate 52 applications for allotments of lands therein. He found that with the exception of a few cases the applicants or beneficiaries named in the applications were Indian women married to white men and their half-blood children, and that they were not therefore entitled to allotments under the rulings and decisions of the Department. He also found that in a number of instances the women and children are enrolled at the Blackfeet Agency, and are drawing annuities as Indians of that agency, although living on the public domain with their white husbands and fathers. Mr. Keepers recommended the cancellation of all such applications, and the same have been reported to the General Land Office with the request that steps be taken to effect their cancellation. Mr. Keepers completed this work about August 15, 1900. On account of the reduced state of the appropriation for making allotments to Indians, upon the recommendation of this office the Department directed that Mr. Keepers be furloughed without pay on August 10, 1900, until such time as it may be deemed advisable to recall him to duty. He was ordered to his home, Beallsville, Ohio, August 13, 1900. As soon as the condition of the allotment funds will permit, the office expects to recommend his return to the field. Washington.-Special Allotting Agent William E. Casson was engaged in allotment work on the north half of the Colville Reservation from July, 1899, until early in January of the present year. January 29, 1900, he was instructed to proceed to Wenatchee, Wash., for the purpose of making allotments to the Indians in that locality. Very little suitable vacant land for allotments was found there, and but 18 allotments were made. A detailed account of his work among those Indians will be found under the head of "Wenatchi Indians," page 174. Case of Mike Williams.-June 23, 1900, the Assistant AttorneyGeneral for the Interior Department rendered an opinion in the matter of the application of Susan Williams, a Manache Indian, for an allotment for her minor child, Mike Williams, of certain unsurveyed public lands in T. 25 S., R. 27 E., Independence, California, land district, under section 4 of the act of February 8, 1887 (24 Stat., 388), as amended by act of February 28, 1891 (26 Stat., 794). The opinion states that the Commissioner of the General Land Office had asked for instructions in this case, the facts being as follows: Susan Williams made application August 13, 1891, for her minor son, Mike Williams, 15 years of age. October 16, 1899, a special agent of the General Land Office reported that he had made an investigation of the facts |