NEW YORK INDIANS.

The claim of the New York Indians for compensation for lands in Kansas, growing out of the treaty concluded at Buffalo Creek on January 15, 1838, having been finally adjudicated before the Court of Claims, it was referred to Congress at its last session for an appropriation. Instead of providing specific legislation for the payment to the beneficiaries of the amount of the judgment, as was proposed by this office in a bill formulated for that purpose, Congress, by the act of February 9, 1900, simply appropriated the amount of the judgment of the Court of Claims, rendered November 23, 1898, with interest from that date to the date of the mandate of the Supreme Court, April 19, 1899, viz, $1,998,744.46. It is presumed that following the precedents of the "Old Settler" Cherokee and similar cases, special legislation will be provided to enable the Department of the Interior to make the distribution of the judgment. This was provided for in the bill proposed by this office.

ABOLISHMENT OF THE OSAGE TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.

A crisis in Osage governmental affairs was reached in the election of tribal officers in 1898. After a bitter factional controversy, and after an investigation had been conducted by Inspector McLaughlin, the Department, on February 21, 1899, decided the contest in favor of Black Dog, representing the full-blood element, as principal chief, and Ma shah ke tah, the candidate of the progressive or mixed-blood party, as assistant principal chief. The Osages, however, became involved in another dispute over the election of members of the national council, which was only settled by the Department order of January 18, 1900, recognizing twelve members as having been duly elected and constituting a quorum of the council, leaving three vacancies to be filled by that body.

These and other considerations impelled the office, on February 21, 1900, to recommend the issuance of a Departmental order abolishing the Osage national government, excepting the national council and the offices of principal chief and assistant principal chief. Such an order was issued March 30. May 19 the office recommended the abolishment of the national council which was ordered by the Department May 21, 1900.

The principal causes that led to the abolition of the Osage tribal government were: (1) Acrimonious disputes between the two factions. over elections; (2) entire absence of harmony between the Osage tribal officers and the Indian agent in the administration of tribal affairs; (3) the selection of ignorant men as officeholders, and (4) the profligate use of moneys received from permit taxes.

The tribal government was abolished after the conditions had been fully investigated by a special Indian agent and after the facts developed in his investigation had been carefully considered by this office and the Department. It was determined upon as the wisest step to take, in view of the tangle into which the affairs of the Osage Nation had gotten. It has resulted in the reduction of expenses and consequently a considerable saving to the tribe in the amounts heretofore expended for salaries of a long list of tribal officials.

WENATCHI INDIANS.

For several years considerable attention has been given by the office to the Indians residing in the vicinity of Mission and Wenatchee, Wash., known as the Wenatchi, and to those scattered along the Columbia River in that part of the State, formerly known as the Palouse, but now generally included under the head of Wenatchi. These Indians had always been regarded as belonging to the Yakima Nation, and, under instructions of this office, the Crow, Flathead, etc., commissioners who were authorized to negotiate an agreement with the Yakima, made a final effort to persuade the Wenatchi to remove to that reservation. An effort was also made by Special Allotting Agent W. E. Casson, while making additional allotments on that reserve two years ago, to get these Indians to remove there and take allotments, but without avail. The Wenatchi claimed that they were not a part of the Yakima Nation, that they spoke a different language, and that they should not be affiliated with them.

It was therefore concluded to allot lands to these Indians in severalty where they now reside, under the fourth section of the general allotment act, as amended, and on January 29, 1900, Special Allotting Agent Casson was instructed to proceed to Wenatchee for that purpose. June 22 Mr. Casson made a detailed report regarding his work among these Indians and the difficulties attending it, from which report the following extracts are made:

The good land had all been taken up for many years, and only now and then a piece that an Indian would accept. We often spent two or three days to find land for a single one.

There were a number of Indians whose lines were not fully established, who had applied under the Indian homestead act, and in some cases they were in trouble between themselves and in other cases with white people. We straightened out all such cases.

There were several cases in which Indians were in conflict with the Northern Pacific Railway, and had been notified to make election under the act of July 1, 1898, to hold same, but they had failed to do so and refused on account of advice given them by John Hamilt. In these cases I have secured the election of all the Indians, and filed same with the Waterville land office.

I made 18 allotments, which I have filed at the Waterville land office. I also filed two applications of Martin Enias and wife for 80 acres each of land filed upon by

Charley Suis up kin, homestead entry 66, December 22, 1890, for SE of sec. 18, T. 23 N., R. 20 E., to be put on record as soon as the honorable Commissioner of the General Land Office ordered the entry canceled.

I think the Wenatchi Indians are above the average; they are, as a rule, quite industrious and well behaved. They no doubt could be greatly benefited by the expenditure of a few thousand dollars for wire for fences and farm machinery, etc. They all have great confidence in John Hamilt, their chief, and he tries very hard to have them do right. They are devout Catholics, and go to their church every Sunday and hold services by themselves.

As I have written your office before, the only solution I can see to the land problem for the Wenatchi Indians is to allot them on the south half of the Colville Reservation. The work has been very slow and tedious for the reasons before given, but many cases have been settled and several put in shape for settlement as soon as the railroad company relinquishes. I will keep in correspondence with these people, and can do a great deal to get them to take steps to prove up when the proper time comes.

As these Indians had at various times during the past few years expressed a willingness to remove to the Colville Reservation, provided they were given allotments there, the office, July 19, 1900, instructed Mr. Casson to ascertain the real wishes of the Indians in this regard, to find out how many would go, and whether there were suitable lands on the Colville Reservation not used or required by the Indians already there upon which the Wenatchi might be located, and to report whether if their removal was effected these Indians would be likely to remain there and build up homes for themselves. August 1 Mr. Casson replied from Mission, Wash., as follows:

I find from talking with the Wenatchi Indians that they as a rule are desirous of taking allotments on the south half of the Colville Reservation. John Hamilt, the chief, and the leading men among the Wenatchi are anxious to have their people allotted on the Colville-i. e., those who have no lands upon the public domain. The Indians who have homes here are anxious to secure allotments for their wives and children.

I had a long talk with John Hamilt to-day, and he says it is useless to try to allot them upon the Colville Reservation this fall for the reason that the Indians are nearly a.. in the mountains now picking berries, fishing, etc., and will be gone until September 1, when they will go to Yakima to pick hops, and will be gone a month there, and will then return and go to the mountains and hunt until the snow drives them home. He (Hamilt) says about May 1 next year is the time to begin the work, as the Indians could all go and attend to making selections. I fully agree with him that nothing could be done this fall.

The Wenatchi Indians say there is plenty of good, vacant land on the part of the reservation where they want to be allotted.

I met Agent Anderson in consultation, and he is anxious to have them allotted on his reservation, but agrees it is not the right time of year to undertake the work. He further says he can attend to having them allotted, and that there is plenty of good land for them. I am anxious to have these people allotted in order to protect and provide for the children and young people now growing up.

A few of the young men would go and improve their allotments if allotted there, but a great many of the allotments would be owned by women and children who would remain here with the head of the family.

The ones who would remove to and live upon their lands would need assistance in the shape of harness, wagons, plows, wire for fences, etc., and if given some help

would make good use of it. They are above the average Indians and they should be given all the assistance that could be given.

Some of them have good farms here that white people are very anxious to purchase, and some few of the Indians would like to sell and go to the reservation, while others do not wish to sell, but do want to provide lands for the children growing up. I can not give you the number of Indians who would accept lands on the reservation, for the reason that they are nearly all away; howeyer, I think nearly all would accept lands who are not owners of land. They will always spend more or less time here if allotted on the reservation, but at the same time as the children become old enough to farm they would gradually become weaned away from here and live upon their lands.

The Colville Reservation was set aside by Executive order dated July 2, 1872, for the use of the Indians therein named, "and for such other Indians as the Department of the Interior may see fit to locate thereon." As the Wenatchi disclaim all connection with the Yakima, the office believes that the Department would be warranted in settling such of these Indians on the Colville Reservation as desire to go there for the purpose of securing homes, and that this should be done. It is believed, however, that it would not be proper to allot lands to them in severalty until all the Indians on the south half of the Colville Reservation come to be allotted. It is the desire and purpose of the office to settle the question of providing for homes for all these people at the earliest practicable date.

With his report of June 22, 1900, Mr. Casson inclosed a census of the Wenatchi, including those scattered along the Columbia, giving names, ages, relationship, and stating whether they now have lands or not. The list contains 166 names. About one-half the Indians now have lands, including the eighteen allotted by him.

CHIEF JOSEPH AND HIS BAND OF NEZ PERCÉ.

Last March Chief Joseph visited this city and submitted to this office a petition to be allowed to leave his present location on the Colville Reservation in Washington and return with his band of about 150 Nez Percé to Wallowa Valley, Oregon. This, he claimed, was the home of his ancestors and was his own home until he and his people were removed from Idaho to the Indian Territory in 1877, at the close of the Nez Percé war. By Department reference the office also received a communication, dated April 7, 1900, from Maj. Gen. Nelson A. Miles, United States Army, recommending that Joseph's request be granted.

April 21, 1900, the office submitted a report to the Department on the history and status of this band of Nez Percé, the condition of the Wallowa Valley, and the treaties with the Nez Percé tribe, and it was recommended that Joseph's request to be removed to the Wallowa Valley or elsewhere be denied. Joseph, having been informed of this

action, requested a conference with the office, which was granted May 1 last. On the 3d of that month a report of the conference was submitted to the Department, with the recommendation that an inspector be instructed to accompany Joseph to the Wallowa Valley for the purpose of ascertaining whether land sufficient and suitable could be found therein for making allotments to him and his band. May 24 Inspector James McLaughlin was so instructed, and June 23, 1900, he submitted his report, of which the following is a résumé:

The Wallowa Valley is about 40 miles in length from southeast to northwest, and averages about 15 miles in width. It has four prosperous towns, Wallowa, Lostine, Enterprise, and Joseph, the latter being at the upper end of the valley and about 1 mile from the foot of Wallowa Lake, a lake situated in a gap of the Powder River Mountain where the range is 8,000 feet high. The upper townships of the valley, Joseph and Prairie Creek, extend into the mountains, and only about one-third of their area is tillable, The lake is fast becoming a favorite summer resort. It is 1 mile wide, 4 miles long, and 275 feet deep, with a temperature in summer of about 45°. The adjoining lands are held very high, one 80-acre tract at the outlet (north end) being valued at $6,000.

The country south of the Wallowa Lake is rough, broken, and worthless, except the lower portions of the mountains, which are grazed by cattle and sheep about three months of the year. This is true of the country east of Wallowa Lake and of the town of Joseph, through to Snake River, about 30 miles, except in the narrow valleys of the Imnaha River and its tributaries, which are from 2,500 to 3,500 feet lower than the plateau levels of the surrounding country. Every spot in these narrow valleys is under irrigation and in a high state of cultivation, devoted chiefly to fruit orchards, even tropical fruits being successfully raised, protected as they are by the high canyon walls between which the creeks run.

In Wallowa County, which is the northeastern county of the State of Oregon, the lands are held at from $5 to $75 per acre, and in the Wallowa Valley at from $20 to $75 per acre, according to the quality of the soil and the nature of improvements. The following is the assessed valuation of the lands in Wallowa County: