Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-03-16
ONIVN 2fGENI
MCSKOGEE. /. T.. March l. IS

airy 6, 1888, have the honor to report that
have visited the lands known as Cherokee
land, west of go and find there are large
number of cattle, estimated at about 3OO.-
600. ranging on the Strip. About 100000
are there by and with the consent of the
Cherokees, and on which there was paid a
grazing tax to the Cherokee authorities of
about S4l,0 900 during the year. About lOO,-
600 cattle on these lands belong to citizens
or KANSAS who turn them loose OH these
lands and pay no tax.
After careful investigation | have to
answer the questions submitted in the
above official letter as follows:
No. l. How mnch fencing has been done!
Answer: $50 miles.
I'd. To whom do the fences belong ;
Ans. To citizens of tile United States and
few citizens of the Cherokee Nation.
Sd. Name clch and all companies or or
ganizations claiming TO own fences and the
quantity of wi re in each. Ans. Comanche
Pool, 90 miles; Ballinger S Schluppe, co
miles; Drumm Il Snyder, 90 miles; Miller
q Pryor, Al miles; b. ii. Campbell, 80
miles; George Thompson, 40 miles; S. &
+. Tuttle, % miles; Bridge & Wilson, IS
miles; Bates & Co., 80 miles; Hewins &
Ilt"s 6O miles; Cobb & Hutton, 56 miles
Z. IL. Moore, "a miles; George Miller. -
miles; IL. Hodgson, 30 mil es; Dean Bros. 40
miles; +. Al. Ford, 81 miles c. II. McClel-
Ian, az miles; G. Greever, 60 miles; T.
Mayhem, 81 miles. This!fencing was com
menced during the spring o: 1882.
4th. How long since fencing was COM
mencedg Ans: During the spring of 80
oth. What effect has such fencing had ND
OH legitimate travel and upon mail routes :
Ans. There are but two mail routes through
the land in question; from Caldwell, rs
10 TT. Reno and points bcy, nd; from Ar
kansas City to Nez Perces Agency. There
are no fences within two miles of either
ROAD There are no other roads for legt-
innate travel across these lands. Pastnre,
are supplied with gates for the usc of par.
ties travelling through. The fences do not
interfere in any manner with legitimate
travel or mail routes.
9th. What effect has the wire fence nm
the reservation or destruction OF timber op
sad lands! Ans. Timber extended only
along the water courses, and for miles in
70 the Territory along the state line of Kan.
s;'s lt has been destroyed by parties from
Kansas who have used it for fuel and fenc
ind. Much of this valuable timber ha,
Deen taken from the Cimarron river. a dis
lance of sixty miles from the Kansas line
Unless this wholesale destruction of timhe,
Is stopped it is Safe.to state that all timbe,
OH these lands will be DESTROYED within
three years.
| While the valne of this timber to those
VINO steal it is not great, its value TO tbe
country can hardly be estimated. and what
ever disposition is made of these lands ulti
n'ately, the supply of water will deter min,
It's value for any purpose.
Inc removal of the timber will cause the
countless streams to dry up, and so lesser
the supply of water, that much of thi,
Land will be worthless.
Ihere is no law in the statutes of tn,
United States 10 punish for stealing tim
Der from the reservations of vof tbes,
iive tribes, and it isvery evident there neye,
VIII be any, and these people from tn,
states will continue to destroy this timber
as they are now doing until it is all gone
Where ranges have been fenced the cat.
tlemen neither cut timber themselye
or permit any one else to 10 so, and in my
Judgment if the fences now on these lan,l
are permitted to remain and others ar,
permitted to fence under proper instruc
uons 1t Will put an efftctual stop to tn,
destruction ofthe timber on these lands
and as these cattlemen place fire-guard
around their ranches the young growth O
timber will add much to the value of tn,
lands.
respectfully recommend that the fence,
now on these lands be permitted to remain
and that Others desiring to fences tbei,
range have permission to do so.
lst. Permission from the Cherokee Ma
ton must be obtained.
I'd. That no fences shall be erected
within two miles of any post road.
81. If any parties fencing their range
cut or permit any timber to be cut within
their pasture shall be subject to removal
from the Territory and the fence DESTROYED
4th. All fences shall be removed at ono,
from the Territory wherever those in pos.
session shall be notified to 10 so by the
Department.
The effect Of settlement of this matte,
IN this way will be that the Indian ORce
VIII not be called upon every few month.
to remove from the Territory cattlemer
who refuse to pay tax. The Cherokee Ma
ton will collect double the tax; the des
truction of the timber will be effectnally
stopped and the young timber protected
from fire.
The only opposition found to this fenc
ing was from those who claimed that the
timber on these lands belonged to anybody
that got it. and from those who live in the
states and own large herds of cattle on
these lands and refuse to pay tax. The
Pennsylvania Oil Company who attempted
to fence without permission from the Cher
okee authorities and enclose the ranges and
owners Of small herds of cattle on which