Upon completion of his work in the Burns district, Oregon, Special Agent Casson was instructed, as has already been stated, to proceed to the Yakima Reservation, Wash., for the purpose of completing allotments to the Indians there, and also of making allotments to nonreservation Indians located upon the public domain in the southern portion of that State. In connection with his reservation work he has given some attention to Indian homesteads in contest and to nonreservation-allotment matters in that section.

June 18, 1898, this office transmitted to the Department a schedule of allotments to nonreservation Indians residing in Susanville, Cal., land district, the allotments being numbered from 766 to 927; but Nos. 884 to 907 were in conflict, and Nos. 783, 784, 785, and 808 had been canceled. June 21, 1898, this schedule was approved (with the exceptions noted) by the Acting Secretary of the Interior, and duplicate thereof forwarded to the General Land Office in order that patents might issue in the names of the several allottees, the same to be transmitted to this office for delivery to the parties entitled.

These, with the 110 allotments made in the Burns district, Oregon, make 272 allotments to nonreservation Indians which have been made and approved since last annual report. Other applications are now on file in this office which will receive early consideration.

The number of allotment applications received by this office by reference from the General Land Office is not quite so large as usual. It is to be inferred from this that most of the Indians located upon the public domain who have knowledge of their rights under the general allotment act, as amended, and of the method of procedure to secure an allotment, have made application for lands. However, there are yet many Indians living upon the public lands who have not applied for allotments, and if they are to be advised of their rights and assisted in making applications it will be necessary to send some Government official among them for that purpose. Allotting Agent Keepers will be assigned to this duty upon the completion of the work already assigned him, and perhaps Allotting Agent Casson, unless it should be deemed important to keep the latter upon reservation allotment work.

INDIAN HOMESTEADS.

As heretofore reported to the Department, a few Indians have made entries under the Indian homestead laws of 1875 and 1884. Such entries were made principally before the approval of the general allotment act of February 8, 1887. Indian entrymen are slow in making final proof and obtaining title to their lands, and thus it frequently happens that white men institute contests against Indian homestead entries. The usual number of such cases have received consideration by this office during the year. As stated in my last report, it is difficult to protect the Indian in his rights, because he is ignorant and is unfamiliar with the public land laws; yet in many cases the homes of Indians have been saved to them.

Winnebago Homesteads in Wisconsin.-In the annual reports of this office for the years 1895, 1896, and 1897 the status of the homestead entries and selections by the Winnebago Indians of Wisconsin, the laws under which they were made, and the necessity for their investigation were set forth in detail. It is gratifying to state that all except 8 of these original entries and selections, in number 680, have been finally disposed of. Of these, 7 are in a fair way for final disposition, the Indians having paid their fees for final proof. The Indian claiming the eighth, being absent from the State, has taken no steps to complete his entry.

Since the investigation of the original Winnebago homestead entries was completed, in 1896-97, about 40 other Winnebago Indians have taken up homesteads under the act of 1875 (18 Stats., 420), and the Winnebago act amendatory thereof approved January 18, 1881 (21 Stats., 316). These entries were made by the Indians in order that they might hold their rights to annuities, as provided in said acts. Final proof of these entries can not be made, of course, by the Indians until the proper time has elapsed under the public-land laws. Such proof should be completed within the statutory period-seven years from date of entry.

IRRIGATION.

Gila Bend Reservation, Ariz.-Nothing has been done in the matter of supplying this reservation with water since the date of my last annual report, neither has any information in addition to that given therein been obtained except a report of Special Allotting Agent Claude N. Bennett, forwarded to the Department September 4, 1897, which gives a brief description of the different canals on the reservation, all of them at present of little or no use to the Indians. On the 7th of this month the office recommended that Inspector Graves be instructed to investigate the matter and report the most feasible plan for supplying these Indians with water.

Navajo Reservation, Arizona and New Mexico.-April 9, 1898, George Butler, the superintendent of irrigation for the Navajoes was advised that the fund specially appropriated by Congress for Navajo irrigation purposes would be about exhausted at the close of the fiscal year which ended June 30 last, but that possibly $5,000 might be taken from the general irrigation fund for his work during the fiscal year 1899. He was directed to submit a plan showing the character of the work which he could probably accomplish with that sum and the benefits which would result, and to submit the proposed plans to the acting agent for the Navajoes for his consideration.

July 5, 1898, the superintendent, with the hearty approval of the agent, recommended the expenditure of $3,500 in the completion of the Red Lake system of irrigation. This comprises a reservoir containing 618.5 acres, known as the Red Lake Reservoir, and the ditches leading therefrom, which, together with Black Creek and the ditches therefrom, are planned to irrigate 995.4 acres of land divided into five separate tracts.

Superintendent Butler also recommended that, after completing this system, the remainder of the year and of the money be devoted to the numerous Indians who come to him from all parts of the reservation to ask aid in their small projects for the construction of small storage ponds and ditches to water from 10 to 15 acres. July 28 the Department was asked to authorize the expenditure of $3,500 for the Red Lake system, but it decided to authorize the expenditure of the $1,500 on small ponds and ditches and to delay action in regard to the Red Lake system until after it should have been examined by Inspector Graves, who has general supervision of Indian irrigation.

Southern Ute Reservation, Col.-The subject of irrigation for the Southern Utes is taken up under the head of Southern Utes on page 73. Fort Hall Reservation, Idaho.—November 5, 1897, Lieutenant Irwin, in charge of the Fort Hall Agency, reported that the Idaho Canal Company, in compliance with the terms of its supplemental contract of October 2, 1896, had completed the two diverting dams across the Blackfoot River, and had delivered the second 100 cubic feet of water per second at the point designated in said contract. December 18, 1897, he reported that liens had been filed against the company, amounting in the aggregate to some $13,944. December 28, 1897, the Department authorized the payment to the company of the second installment due under the terms of its contract being $37,500, less $15,000 to be retained until the company should file satisfactory evidence that the liens and indebtedness had been discharged. January 18, 1898, the Department authorized this office to cause an account to be stated in favor of the company for the aforesaid sum of $15,000, Lieutenant Irwin having informed the Department that the claims against the company had been settled, excepting for small amounts which could be settled at any time.

Previous to this, a change having been made in the officers of the company, and one of the sureties on its bond having become bankrupt, the company gave a new bond, which was approved by the Department December 13, 1897.

April 12, 1898, the office made a report on a communication from J. II. Brady, of St. Louis, Mo., dated March 18. 1898, in which he stated that he had entered into a contract with the Idaho Canal Company to complete its canal to Ross Fork Creek, according to the terms of its contract with the Government, and that he expected to do so, but that the financial condition of the company led him to believe that it would be unable to pay him for this construction until such time as it should receive the third and final payment of $22,500 from the Government. He therefore suggested that if it was the desire of the Department to have the contract completed at once or as soon as practicable he was ready and willing to do the work if the Government would so change the contract with the company as to enable it to be paid the $22.500 as soon as the work should be completed and approved by the Department, instead of waiting for the expiration of a year from the date of the

second payment, according to the terms of the contract. The office reported that it was decidedly opposed to any further modification in the terms of the contract.

April 15, 1898, Lieutenant Irwin reported that during the two preceding months liens and suits aggregating $16,887.64 had been filed against the company and that a mortgage for $50,000 had been given on the portion of the property known as the Government Canal; that it had also a bonded indebtedness of $300,000, and that on March 29, 1898, the affairs of the company had been placed in the hands of a receiver-A. B. Scott, its former secretary. He reported these facts for such action as might be thought necessary to insure full compliance by the company with the terms of its contract, fearing that such compli cations might injuriously affect the interests and rights of the Government by interfering with the continuous delivery of water upon the reservation. This information was submitted to the Department April 22, 1898.

In accordance with Department instructions Agent Irwin was directed, May 13, 1898, to make an investigation and ascertain the status of the several liens and whether any of them had been satisfied. He was also directed to have the two contracts of the company recorded in the proper county records, which has been done.

July 7, 1898, C. A. Warner, who had succeeded Lieutenant Irwin as agent, reported that the Idaho Canal Company was not doing any work on the reservation toward the fulfillment of its contract and did not seem to be making any preparation to begin the same in the near future. July 26, 1898, the office reported the above information to the Depart ment with the recommendation that Inspector W. H. Graves be sent to the Fort Hall Reservation to investigate the condition of the company and make recommendation as to the best course to be pursued. It seems probable that legal steps will have to be taken to protect the interests of the Government and the Indians.

Crow Reservation, Mont.-March 10, 1898, W. H. Graves, superintendent in charge of the construction of irrigation works on this reservation, reported that the ditch on the east side of the Big Horn River was not only a large and expensive undertaking, but would easily take rank with the most extensive and best constructed irrigation works in the country and would supply an unusually fine body of valley land, about 45,000 acres of the best portion of the Crow Reservation; that about 12 miles of the upper portion of the canal was finished, or very nearly so, with a head gate well under way; that the expenditures up to that time had been $175,156.35, and that to complete it would require the sum of $138,500. Speaking of the good effect upon the Indians resulting from their employment on the ditches, he said:

In payment for lands ceded to the Government they receive semiannually in cash about $6 each. To receive this they are required to go from the respective districts throughout the reservation in which they live to the agency and there remain until the payments are made. To do this many of them travel long distances, and the

expense is often greater than the amount they receive. Most of them spend the money they receive immediately at the trader's store for useless and unserviceable trifles. The money they receive from this source is of little, if any, value whatever to them. They realize this and many of them working on the irrigation ditches will not take the time nor trouble to go for their money, preferring to leave it or give it to others. On the other hand, the money they receive as wages for their labor on the ditches, the money they earn, they regard much more highly and expend with much more care and discretion. They receive it in sums sufficiently large to enable them to accomplish some desired end. Scores of them have by this means supplied themselves with good horses, wagons, and harness. Some have bought their own farm machinery and a few have built their own houses.

April 16, 1898, Capt. G. W. H. Stouch, acting agent in charge of the Crow Agency, forwarded to this office a petition signed by some 113 adult males, representatives of the Crow tribe, addressed to the Department as follows:

The undersigned, adult males and representatives of the Crow tribe of Indians, of Montana, assembled in council at St. Xavier Mission, on the Crow Indian Reservation, Mont., for the purpose of discussing the welfare of the Crow tribe, respectfully represent:

That the irrigating ditches now under construction under the direction of the superintendent of the Crow Indian Survey, lying east of the Big Horn River, on the Crow Reservation, are now nearly completed. The work has been conducted in the most thorough and substantial manner under a competent superintendent, and a very large sum of money has been spent thereon. A comparatively small sum will now complete these ditches so that they can be used by us, and that water can be taken out on our land. As the ditches are now they are of no use to us whatever. All work has been stopped for lack of money, and unless you can help us all our work of the last few years will be thrown away. With sufficient water we can raise large crops of hay and grain and support ourselves and our families.

The Government ration issues formerly issued to us by the agent have been stopped. The troops have been taken away from Fort Custer, and we have now no market for the wild hay which can be raised without water, and which we formerly sold to the soldiers. If you can not help us to get money, so that we can water our lands and raise crops, we shall soon be without anything to eat; and it will then cost the Government more money to feed us during this year and next year than it would now take to finish our ditches, so that we can feed ourselves. We ask you to take enough money, out of any moneys of any sort belonging to the Crows, to complete these ditches, or one of them.

We have worked hard and have tried to do like the whites, and to support ourselves and our families. We have sent our children to school, and have tried to do everything that the agent and the superintendent of the ditches have asked. If you can help us a little now that we so much need it, the Crows will always remember you as their best friend.

Some $20,000 remained available for the work, and Superintendent Graves was instructed, April 19, 1898, to use this fund to place the ditch in the best possible condition to withstand the deterioration that would necessarily follow the suspension of the work for a considerable period.

April 26, 1898, the office recommended legislation authorizing the diversion of $120,000 from the annuity fund of the Crow Indians, to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior in the completion of the irrigation system on their reservation, but no action