Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-06-07
The IHsurmOuntable Obstacles that
Confront intending Settlers-The
Presidents Proclamation Mere
Paper Compared to the
Hostility Of the
Indians.

TO settle there unless by marriage TO an In
dian. These laws are entirely disregarded by
those who have invaded the Territory, or who
aim to do SO. But what is it that the invaders
expect to find? | can tell what they soiH
find, and l hope that my experience will de-
ter people from going in there. An area OF
land lying between the Red ford of the Arkan-
sas river on the north, and Canadian river on
the south, stretching from near the nInety-sev-
en- b parallel of longitude to the western bor-
der of the Territory, WAS bought from the
Chickasaw, Creek, Choctaw and Seminole In
dians in 1865 for the purpose of
locating other Indians or freedmen upon.
This certainly does not allow any white
settlers to occupy these lands. The
aspect of Indian Territory as you leave the
southern border of Kansas becomes more and
more rolling and broken, until you come to
and, passing Bird creek, Arkansas river and
Black Bear creek, the land becomes still
more broken and billy. In the valleys are
some strips and patches of good land, but
neither superior or equal to the lands In
Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, and
the further south and southwest you go the
more rugged and ragged becomes the sand
stone, limestone and granite hills. The soil
is generally impregnated with alkall, and
the water is bad. OF course there is an &C.
casional good spot, but no sort of imagination
can make paradise of it, if you have seen 1t
once. The country abounds IN alkaline
plains, salt marshes and gypsum deposits,
covering numerous miles where the hills and
mountains do not stretch their peaks heaven
ward. But do not think there are not good
farming lands there, for no part OF the coun-
try is so bad that there are not some good
points in it. But the lack of communications,
the long distance to railroads, prevent new
settler from realizing any profit from his
labor, should he be fortunate enough to raise
q c,ooH T.Onk- at the of Indian
Territory published on Saturday, the tenth
ultimo, in the Chicago Times, which Is
the best and most correct map of the
Territory that / have seen, and you
will find that the greater portion of the whole
of this reservation is very mountainous and
only Sit for stock-raising. But what security
will a stock raiser have? They are surround
ed by Indians on every side, who would rather
steal cattle for a pastIme than go 10 circus,
and who will live on the industry of their
neighbors in preference to working for a liv-
ing. Cattle-steallIg Is the principal trade
and occupation OF the dusky tribes. There
are no schools where to send your children,
and to obtain an education, however meager,
is an impossibihty In Indian Territory. You
can find no churches and no ministers, eX-
cept at the missions or Indian agencies; no
gospel of the meek and lowly Jesus is there
expounded by pious preachers to reVerentIal
hearers, and in all the land set apart for these
and, in case of trouble with the Indians, the
scattered settlers would have TO combine to
resist an attack by these savages or be mas
sacred In their homesteads. Think what
beneGcent influence the vicious aboriglnes
and halt-breeds encompassing the prisoners
on all sides would have upon the rising
generation With no c1VllZlng lBhGenee sur
rounding them, who can tell what the eonse-
quences might lead to or what the harvest
would be? For many years this Territory has
been the promised land for thieves, rob-
bers, cut-throats and murderers, who have
taken refuge here from the authorities, and
they have generally managed to escape the
lynx.eyes OF the civil officers among the In
dams who harbor them. a great number Of
people who have fed fo- debt to this haven
of eVil-doers can be found settled here, and
1t is safe to say that not even Texas, with its
numerous despersdoes, is half as bad az In
dian Territory In this respect. The notorious
Bender family, Who committed so many out
RACES and cold-blooded murders at their
home In the neighborhood of Cherryvale,
Kansas, and whose crimes we're discovered
through the unaccountahle absence of DR..
York, another victim, became frightened and
came to Indian Territory, where all traces OF
them were lost. 1t is not definitely known
what ultimately became OF them, but 1t is
surmised that they may be yet concealed
somewhere among the Businesses of this land
Oh outlaws. w ndL u Country W ldloS CAlil-
dren int Ga! what will the har-
vest be? But what has caused this
excitement about Oklahoma? may be
asked. To this | will briefly answer
that eastern spectators have long had their
eyes on this Territory; they have used every
effort to get the general government to open
1t up; they have besieged congress to pass
bills to that effect; bill after bill has been in
troduced In our national legislature by some
tool or other of these grasping spectators,
and large amounts OF lobby money have
doubtless been spent, but nevertheless the
solemn compacts that have been made by the
government with the Indians IN the Indian
Territory have been kept inviolate. Now
they are pursuing another tack. An individ-
ual by the name Of Carpenter, with the high
sounding title Of Colonel who has been try
ing to live by peddling a patent nostrum or
salye of some KIND, has tried to advertise and
organize colonization expedition to the lands
purchased from the Indians. Exaggerated
stories have been put afioat; thousands upon
thousands OF posters have been sent all
through the country, from ID aine 10 the Rocky
mountains, and from Minnesota to the Texas,
describing the beauties of the country, the
richness of soil, the healthy and genial CHI
mate, the pure and hmpid streams that flow
| all through the country, the immense crops
that can be raised there, ETC., ETC., Gd i'yFfnI-
| tunt. New bills were introduced IN con-
gress, and all looked serene. But
| the authorities got wind of this unlaw-
| full attempt to invade the country. The
| civil officers were notified to expei all in
| truders, peaceabiy if possible, and with force
| if necessary. The military had been stationed
at the most prominent points of Ingress on
| the border, and everything has been done to
| prevent an illegal influx of whites. Of course
| few have been able to smuggle themselves
in, and perhaps some have been seen IN the
| Oklahoma district But who are they and
what class are they? Half-clad and ill-fed
Adventures from the neighborina States.
who have nothing to lose and nothing at
stake, who live from hand to mouth; lazy,
| shlftless people, born without energy, and
| living without aim. Such are the pioneers OF
Oklahoma; and even among such people the
disgust is unbouDded at the poverty OF the
| soil and the meager outlook for making a
scant living. Numbers have turned back to
| older and richer settlements disgusted.
When the excitement started, the citizens of
| several small towns who expected to reap
great benefit from the influx OF immigration
did their best to spend money for adVertls-
| ing the scheme, and the whIlom Colonel
was in great demand, o-day hobnobbing with
the citizens of one town, tomorrow frater-
nizlng with the nabobs of another, making
| great promises to another, Dragging about
what he could do, and how be would defy the
Federal government, and how he was big
ger man than old Hayes By and by the mill
tary came and the Colonel got frightened and
skipped out of the country, leaving the whole
enterprise a dismal failure, letting the lmmi-
grants who had come shift for themselves.
Thus the commencement and ending OF this
grand bubble, the Oklahoma excitement.
Could the deluded and unfortunate pioneer
| safely have passed the Gordon of soldiers his
troubles would have Just begun; the bank of
the streams and In the streams are quick
sand, where he would have mirsd his team,
and perhaps himself with his all been en-
quilted, as so many have been before him, for
1t is not safe for anybody not thoroughly &C
quainted with the country to ford the
streams. Bridges there are none. Having
surmounted all the obstacles that might be-