The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-04-25
OKLAHOMA.
i A Magnificent Country Being Opened
for White Settlement
Col. Boudinot Explains the Governme

Magnificent Country Being Opened
for White Settlement
Col. BOudinot Explains the Government
Title to the Land
Z Kansas City Daily Journal
Forward to the Indian territory is the
order now. From all over the country
come inquiries concerning this wonder
full region, and the best way to reach it.
Ever since the fact has become generally
known that right in the heart of the In
dian territory there are millions of acres
of land belonging tie the United States
government land-there has been grow
ing desire to know more of that country
and its resources. The Journal has not
ed from time to time the progress of
general movement of emigration in that
direction, which promises soon to settle
up the fertile valleys of the Canadian and
Cimaron rivers. Colonies are being or
ganiZed at various points, having this sec
ton above referred to as their objective
point, while hundreds are pouring into
the territory daily, independent of any
organization.
Col. &. G. Carpenter returned last night
from Coffeyville, Ks, the southern term
mus of the Kansas City, Lawrence and
Southern railroad, and the principal out
| fitting point for the territory. He says
that 112 families have already gone from
that point to the territory. They were
| the first to arrive, but had no sooner Sc
lected location than a number of the
PottOwOttomie and the Sac and Fox In
dianS came to them with their teams and
assisted the white settlers in building
their houses. The Indians manifested
great delight at the prospect of the gov
eminent lands being settled up, because
| they see as the ultimate result of white
settlement the organization of terrific
rial government and the end of the agen-
cy system with its many abuses. There
has been, among certain portions of the
Indian population, much opposition to
the organization of territorial govern
ment.
| This opposition is excited and fostered
by chiefs who, as long as the Indians re-
main independent, have the control of
their money and spend it in high living
at Washington. That opposition, how
ever, is fast disappearing and the Indi-
ans are beginning TO see the advantage
OF being rid of their eXtravagant chiefs
and the expensive agency system. No
city is so interested in the opening of
this country, now SO sparsely populated,
to the thousands who would fill its val
leys and cultivate its fields and mine its
ores as Kansas City, for when the terri
tory is opened the railroads centering
here will be the first to occupy it. Per
haps no more effectual method could be
devised than this one of white settlement
on the government lands for the white
settlers and the Indians friendly to a
territorial government will soon be able
as a majority to demand the OrganiZa-
ton OF the territory in the usual way.
ABOUT THE LAND.
In answer to inquiries concerning
these government lands in Indian terri
tory, Col. E. g. Boudinot sends the follow
ing from Washington:
First-In reply, will say that the
United States, by treaties made in 1866,
purchased from Indian tribes, in the In
dian territory, about IA ,OOO, 900 acres of
land.
Second-These lands were bought
from the Greeks, SeminOles, ChOctaws
and Chickasaws; the Cherokees sold no
lands by their treaty of 1866.
| The Greeks, by their treaty of 1866,
sold to the United States $3.50, $50 acres,
for the sum of 1915, 169. The SeminOles,
by their treaty of 1866, sold to the Unit
ed States 2, 10000 acres, for the sum
$685., 1862.
| The Chocktaws and Chickasaws, by
their treaty of 1866, sold to the United
States the ''leaSed lands'' lying west of
90 deg. of west longitude, for the sum of
100000. The number of acres in this
tract is not specified in the treaty, but
it contains about 100000 acres. (See
1 18th vol. statutes at large, pages 1856, 769
and 1861
OF these ceded lands the United States
has since appropriated for the use of the
Sac and Foxes 479, 667 acres, and for the
POttawatOmies 575, 877 acres making a
total of 1855, 544 acres. These Indians
occupy these lands by virtue of treaties
and acts of Congress. BY an unratlfied
agreement, the Wichita Indians are now
occupying 743, $40 acres of these ceded
lands. presume some action will be
taken by the United States government
to permanently locate the Wichitas upon
the land they now occupy The title,
however, to these lands is still in the
United States.
By executive order, Kiowa, Comanche,
ArrapahOe, and other wild Indians,
have been brought upon aspOrtion of
| the ceded lands, but such lands are a
part of the public domain of the United
States, and have all been surveyed and
sectiOnised.
A portion of these 100000 acres of
land, however, has not been apprOpri-
ated by the United States for the use of
other Indians and in all probability new
er will be.
Third-These unappropriated lands
are situated Immediately west of the 81
Cherokee territory. They amount to sew
eral millions of acres, and are as valu-
able as any in the territory. The soil
is we'll adapted for the production of
corn, wheat, and other cereals. 1t is un-
surpassed for grazing, and is well water
ed and timbered.
Fourth.-The United States have an
absolute and unembarrassed title TO
every acre of these Ia, 100000 acres unless
it be to the !, 054, 544 acres now occupied
by the Sac and Fox, and PottawOttOmie
tinguished. The articles of the treaties
with the Creeks and Seminoles, by
which they sold their lands, begin with
the statement that the lands are coded
"in compliance with the desire of the
United States to locate other Indians
and freedmen thereon" BY the express
terms OF these treaties the lands bought
by the United States were not intended
for the exclusive use of ''Other Indians
were bought as much for the negroes OF
the country as for Indians.
The commissioner of the general land
office, Gen. Williamson, in his annual
report for 1878, computes the area of the
Indian territory at A, 154, 240 acres Oi
which he says II, 15O,250 acres are unsur
veyed; the balance of the lands, amount
ing to 27,OO3, 800 acres, he announces
have been surveyed; these lands he DIES
Ignates as "Pu6lic Lands" The honor
able commissioner has fallen into a nat
ural error; he has included in his com
putation the lands of the Cherokees wes
: of So degrees west longitude, and the
Chickasaw nation which, though survey
ed, can in no sense be deemed public
lands" The only public lands in the
territory are those marked on this map
/ and amount, as before stated, to about
fourteen million acres.
Whatever may have been the desire Oh
intention of the United States govern
ment in 1866, to locate Indians and ne
groes upon these lands, it is certain tina
3 no such desire or intention exists in 1879
? The negro, since that date, has become {
citizen of the United States, and congress.
has recently enacted laws which practic
: ally forbid the removal of any more In
? dians into the territory. Two years age
Mr.. Mills of Texas caused provision Il
, be inserted in the Indian appropriation
, bill, prohibiting the removal of the Siou1
! Indians into the Indian territory, a pro
/ ject at that time contemplated by the in
f terror department; and by a similar pro
vision in the Indian appropriation bill
of last winter, the removal of any Indi
8 anc from A rizOn0 nr Naxv MavicO iDf.