Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1883-01-11
THE cATTLE-MEN.

Alarm of the Stock-Owners in the Chero-
kee Outlet over . Recent Decision of the |
Interior Department.
Caldwell, Kan, Jan. 15-There is con-
siderable excitement here among the cat.
tle-men holding on the Cherokee outlet, |
growing out of . Washington dispatch
to the effect that orders have been issued
from the interior department for the re-
moval OF all stockmen from the outlet.
This state OF affairs seems to have been
brought about by an attempt on the part
of the Standard Oil Cattle company to
fence in large range which is, and has
been, occupied by small stock holders,
who have paid taxes to the Cherokee ma
tion for the privilege of holding cattle
on the outlet. It seems that these small
stock holders, together with parties In
Kansas who have been in the habit of
letting their stock Craze upon the Cher
okee lands without paying anything to
the Indians or the state Of Kansas, have
made certain statements to Secretary
Teller which have induced him to issue
sweeping order against stockmen as
we'll a. the Standard Oil company, with
out regard to any injustice that may be
done those who have paid taxes to the
Cherokees in good faith and bought the
privilege of fencing and erecting build
ings for the accommodation of their
herders. The principal cause of COM
plant arises in regard to fencing, and
from parties who BY reason of that fenc-
ing are prevented from stealing valuable
timber which lines the banks of the
streams running through the outlet. So
pereisteut has that timber.stealipg been
that between this place and Red Fork,
forty miles south Of here. the outlet has
been denuded OF the best timber, and
nothing is left upon the banks of the
streams but struggling cotton-woods, q
few elms. and trees of class scarcely fit
for frewood. Drive out the cattlemen,
and in two years no timber worth any
thing would be left on the outlet from
one end to the other.
The general view taken here is that
knowledgement that the outlet belongs
to the United States, and therefore the
Cherokees have no right to make con.
tracts holding the stock thereon, and
should his order be carried out under
this view. the uneasy spirits along the
border will argue that they have right
to locate on the lands in question, The
result will be that inside Of twenty day.
after the stockmen have been removed
there will be general rush of settler
upon the lands, and q rush which cal
only be stopped by placing more troop
upon the border than the United State
can muster at the present time. Th,
Commercial, of this city, suggests, as
solution of the terrible difficulties, tina
the surplus lands west of SO be leaset
! to stockmen in suitable sized ranges o
fair rental the proceeds to be devoted t,
the support of the Indians occupying
the same. 1t argues that the amour
received from this source would NOR
than pay the cost of taking care of tn
Indians, relieving the United State
treasury OF q heavy burden, and tn
. parties SO occupying the lands would
, protect the timber from destruction an
. make it impossible for outlaws from th
border states to find safe harborin
place within the designated area. At a
events, some common sense bushes
!, course must be adopted before long
; otherwise the solution of the territor
problem will become 80 difficult tha
nothing but the expenditure of money
and perhaps bloodshed, will settle til
, Onaatinn