No. 21
Department of the Interior,
Washington, November 29, 1902.
Mr. Walter S. Logan,
27 William Street, New York, N. Y.
Sir: Referring to your letter of October 2, 1902, having relation to the suit of the Delaware Indians now pending in the Court of Claims, you are informed that the Department is in receipt of a report from the Dawes Commission, dated October 20, 1902, in the matter. A copy of said report is enclosed herewith, together with a copy of the report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
The Department concurs in the views expressed by the Commission, as also does the Commissioner.
Respectfully,
THOS. RYAN, Acting Secretary
No. 22
Department of the Interior,
Washington, November 29, 1902.
Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes,
Muscogee, Ind. T.
Gentlemen: The Department is in receipt of your report, dated October 20, 1902, in regard to a communication from Mr. Walter S. Logan, concerning the suit of the Delaware Indians against the Cherokee Nation, now pending in the Court of Claims.
The Department concurs in the views expressed by your Commission, and has advised Mr. Logan to that effect. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs also concurred.
Respectfully,
THOS. RYAN, Acting Secretary.
No. 23
Department of the Interior,
Washington, November 29, 1902.
Commissioner of Indian Affairs
Sir: Referring to your communication of the 22d instant, there is enclosed here-with departmental letter of even date to be forwarded to the Dawes Commission, advising it of the receipt of its report in the matter of the letter of Walter S. Logan, which had reference to the suit of the Delaware Indians, now pending in the Court of Claims.
Respectfully,
THOS. RYAN, Acting Secretary
No. 24
Department of the Interior, Office of Indian Affairs,
Washington, October 17, 1902.
The Secretary of the Interior
Sir: There is enclosed herewith the monthly report of the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes for September, 1902. Said report is dated October 9, and seems to set forth fully the duties performed by the Commission during the month.
It is stated in the report that on September 25, 1902, an order was promulgated to the effect that on January 1, 1903, an office for the allotment of lands of the Cherokee Nation would be established at Vinita, Ind. T.; that said office would be maintained at that point until April 30, 1903, when it would be removed to Tahlequah and opened for allotment on May 4, 1903, and maintained indefinitely.
It is respectfully recommended that the Commission’s report be approved.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
W. A. Jones, Commissioner
No. 25
Department of the Interior,
Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes,
Muscogee, Ind. T., October 9, 1903.
The Secretary of the Interior
Sir: We have the honor to respectfully submit herewith the following statement of the work performed under the direction of the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes during the month of September 1902:
On September 25, 1902, an order was promulgated to the effect that on January 1, 1903, an office for the allotment of lands of the Cherokee Nation would be established at Vinita, Ind. T., said office to be maintained there until April 30, 1903, and then removed to Tahlequah, Ind. T., where it would be opened May 4, 1903, and maintained indefinitely.
Respectfully Submitted
TAMS BIXBY, Acting Chairman.
T. B. Needles, Commissioner.
C. R. Breckinridge, Commissioner.
(Through the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.)
No. 26
Department of the Interior,
Washington, October 20, 1902
The Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes,
Muscogee, Ind. T.
Gentlemen: The Department is in receipt of your monthly report for the month of September, 1902, dated October 9, 1902, which was forwarded by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs on October 17, 1902, and recommending that the same be approved.
The Department notices that in said report it is stated that there were pending before the Secretary of the Interior on September 30, 1902, five allotment contest cases. You are informed that the Department has now three allotment contest cases consolidated under the title of Nancy Taborn v. George Jones et al., and that action upon said decisions is delayed for want of report from your Commission relative to the citizenship of said Nancy Taborn which has been heretofore called for. Early action is requested thereon.
The Department concurs in the recommendation of the Commissioner and said report is approved. A copy of his letter is enclosed.
Respectfully,
E. A. HITCHCOCK, Secretary
No. 27
Department of the Interior,
Office of Indian Affairs,
Washington, February 25, 1903.
The Secretary of the Interior
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a statement of the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes, setting forth the work performed by it during the month of January, 1903.
It will be noted that the Commission in this statement gives the present status of the land offices, which are to be opened in the Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Cherokee nations, about which the Department has heretofore made inquiry. The Commission say relative to the opening of land offices in the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations that, while final action has not been taken relative thereto, it is probable that it will be in a position to establish such offices not later than April 1, 1903, and preparation is being made accordingly.
Relative to the allotment of Cherokee lands the Commission say that the Cherokee land office was established at Bonita (Vinita), Ind. T., January 1, 1903, but owing to the large number of persons who applied for tickets of admission it was deemed advisable to allow no one to make application for an allotment or designate his homestead until January 5, 1903, and that on said date the office was opened for that purpose.
In connection with the above report I have the honor to state that there remain in this office unadjudicated the following citizenship cases.
Very respectfully,
A. C. TONNER, Acting Commissioner
No. 28
Department ok the Interior,
Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes
Muscogee, Ind. T., February 13, 1903
The Secretary of the Interior
Sir: We have the honor to respectfully submit herewith the following statement of the work of the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes for the month of January, 1903:
Cherokee Allotment Division
The Cherokee and office was established at Vinita, Ind. T., January 1, 1903, but owing to the large number of persons who applied for tickets of admission it was deemed advisable to allow no one to make application for an allotment or designate his homestead until January 5. On said date the office was opened for that purpose.
The total number of tickets issued during the month was 4,128. Of this number 1,029 have been called, but only 442 have answered, 587 having for some reason failed to respond.
During the month of January applications for 1,298 selections of allotments and the designation of homesteads were made. Of this number, 807 were approved. The approval of 35 was withheld because the land applied for had already been allotted; 432 because the enrollment of the applicants had not been finally approved; 18 because the land applied for was embraced in the 157,600 acres of land which the Commission caused to be segregated for the Delaware Indians pending the determination of the suit instituted in the Court of Claims by the Delaware against the Cherokee Nation, and 6 because the land applied for included improvements belonging to the Cherokee Orphan Asylum on Grand River, which had not been paid for by the allottee as provided in section 71 of the Cherokee agreement.
During the month just past many difficult and perplexing problems have arisen relative to the allotment of land and the designation of homesteads, and this, in addition to the fact that the majority of the office force had little or no previous experience in land office work, necessarily measurably retarded the allotment of lands. Certain modifications in the plan of receiving applications have been decided upon which will make possible more rapid progress in the future without decreasing the efficiency of the work.
Respectfully submitted.
TAMS BIXBY, Acting Chairman.
T. B. NEEDLES, Commissioner.
C. R. BRECKINRIDGE, Commissioner.
(Through the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.)
No. 29
Department of the Interior,
Washington, March 2, 1903.
Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes,
Muscogee Ind. T.
Gentlemen: The Department is in receipt of your monthly report, dated February 13, 1903, forwarded by the Acting Commissioner of Indian affairs on February 25, same year, and due notice has been taken of the statements made therein.
Respectfully,
TAMS BIXBY, Acting Chairman
No. 30
Department of the Interior,
Office of Indian Affairs,
Washington, March 27, 1903.
The Secretary of the Interior
Sir: I have the honor to forward herewith-monthly report of the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes for the month of February 1903, the report being dated March 7, 1903.
In this connection permit me to say that there are now pending in this office the following citizenship cases:
| Mississippi Choctaw | 91 |
| Choctaws by blood | 108 |
| Chickasaws | 2 |
| Cherokees | 65 |
| Creek | 1 |
Very respectfully,
A. C. TONNER, Acting Commissioner