Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-01-23
The Wire Fence Question.


A great deal Of excitement has been
caused among the cattlemen ON the
Cherokee strip, and Others, by the
order of the secretary of the interior To
remove all improvements from the
country. Dispatches stated that cattle
and all were To be removed. but this
is u mistake as will be seen by the
commissioners letter below.
The matter was brought TO
his notice by letter from G.. NJ.
Scott. of Arkansas City, endorsed by
Hon. Thomas Ryan. Mr.. Scott stated
that a permit had been granted him
and another party by the Cherokee
Nation to Craze their cattle on The
strip, and that before thirty days after
the payment of the tax two Cherokee
citizens appeared ON the grounds il,
company with n representative OF the
pennsylvania Oil Company, and pro-
ceeded to fence la 900 acres. taking
in the range and cutting them of
from their hay and water, and he
asked for the removal of
the fence and the protection
OF his rights. After looking into the
matter, the commissioner decided that
the fences must go, basing his decision
on the opinion OF the attorney general,
dated February %, 1880, that the Chero-
kee nation has no right to settle its
citizens on the lands west of ninety
six, and that when persons claiming
u be citizens settle on that land their
removal is justifiable. That these
lands have been sold 10y the Cherokees
to the United States, with certain stipu-
lations Though not yet paid for and
| consequently Cherokee citizen has
no more right on them than u white
man. Therefore, any settlement or
Improvement MADE on the lands in
question by citizens of the Cherokee
nation, or other parties through them,
is unauthorized and in violation of
law.
The attorney general holds further.
that the Cherokees, in their national
capacity, have no right to
make settlement and improvements,
and certainly no white person has the
right. On this opinion the secretary
based his decision and the following
instructions were sent to Agent Tufts
OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS,
WASHINGTON, Dec 80, 1882.
Hon. j. q. TUFTS:
You are therefore directed
| to notify all persons who have made
improvements of any character upon
these lands, or who have material on
the ground for that purpose, that all
such improvements and material
must be removed from the lands re-
! ferred to within twenty days from re-
ceipt of notice, and that in the event
of failure or neglect to remove the
same within the time limited the re.
moval will be made by the military.
At the expiration of twenty days, il
Necessary, you will call upon the
proper military officer for the neces-
sary troops and proceed to remove OF
destroy all of the improvements and
material that may be found on the
lands named.
Respectfully,
ii. PRICE, Commissioner
In accordance with these instructions
Agent Tufts sent letters to parties in
terested, as published in last weeks
journal, ordering their removal before
February LIST. On Thursday the agen
received instructions from the depart
ment to extend the time, which gave
rise to the report that the orde
had been rescindcd. The commits
sioner telegraphed that he had not re
scinded the matter but was willing Il
give the cattlemen reasonable
time TO get out. The cattle
men are working might ant
main to have the order revoked, ant
meeting was held mt Topeka, Kansas
on the Sth instant, for that purpose
representing i0,000,0 600 worth of cattle
ON the strip, asking the secretary no
to carry out the order until he had in
vestigated, and a committee was ap
pointed to go to Washington and la.
the matter before him. The cattlemei
are backed by 50 much money and in
fluence it is hard to say what the tina
result of the matter will be.--india'
I To-, ~