The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1884-09-25
GREER COUNTY.
rs HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT,
veteran Donation C.rii!catss-3OO, 200
Acres .ntrd-DIrputed Jurisdie-
tioG-TeAn. County Clsimed
by Indian Territory.

GRbBR, Tx, Sept. lS.-lEditor HER
ALBA great many persons WILDLY
scattered over the state are Interested
in this county, and l receive numerous
letters OF inquiry regarding the status of
the county etc., ana beg leave 10 answer
all through your widely circulated pa
per. ,
First, II Is a county OF Texas created
by act of the Legislature in 1850. 1t was
recognized as "a county or Texas by act
Of Congress-, creating the Northern Jul
dicial district of Texas, and Is attached
to Wheeler county Tor Judicial purposes,
and constitutes u t.rt uf NheeiGr ana
district. HAS ~reiuatnci unsettled ON 49,
count Of an act uf I'll" sixteenth l.agis
lature, setting 1t aside one-hslf for the
! public free school fund and one-htlf for
the payulcn' ct tho public debt, Stipl-
| latiig that il should not 10 surveyed
only in uch uiaunor ~ tho Legislature
| might aftGrward provide. Therefore the
only class OF scrip that can be patented,
Is the veteran donation certificates Is.
sued under the act OF April, ISL, which
act contains Il repeating ciause that
PERMITS them to TIC located on otherwise
| reserved public domain, The county rs
occupied, aud has been for four years by
cattlomen, but few of whom make amy
claim to the iaud occupied.
! Inc pust SpIliey my u ~ a Wv" 'tlA-
ers moved in AS actual settlers, and
great numbers were prepar-
, ing to come this fall and
settle under tho homestead laws
of the State. The United States, through
the Commissioner of Indian Affairs,
claim that ii is not a part OF ToNaS,but Is Il
part of the Indian Territory. And the
Secretary of War, in June last, issued
orders for the remova Ofali persons anu
property from the county. | forwarded
to Gov. Ireland, a copy OF the order and
also a copy of my answer to the CON
handing officer. | never received al
answer from his hOnOr,the G~oVernor,but
learned through correspondence with
Maddox Bros. Il Anderson,as well as 9th
,r Interested parties in Austin, that the
Governor had advised me to vacate only
vt point Of the bayonent, and had advised
all settlers to email ON their land, with
the assurance that the State would take
all Legal steps to protect us.
We were again visited by o detach-
ment of troops, about the 18th of last
month, and notified that the lst of Octo-
ber was the the time set for the removal
Of all such as had not gone OF their own
accord. Most of the settlers have gone,
the cattle men SELL remain. l wrote
again to the Governor, but as yet have
received no answer, and do not know
what steps the State has taken to pre-
| vent the execution of the order, il any.
There has been patented, over 3OO,OVO
acres OF land in this county, all by vir-
tue Of scrip named above.
AS to the county rightfully belonging
to Texas, there is not tbs shadow OF a
doubt in my mind and l think tho testi-
mOny in regard to the boundry, Will
convince any sane man OF the same Ii
was wrested from Mexico by the brave
followers of Gen.. Sam Houston al
IL - - Sy... .;t mr.. ....I
airy adopted by the treaty of annexation
being the Same as that adopted by the
treaty OF 1915 between SPAN and the
United States, which treaty makes the
Sabine aud Red rivers the northern
boundary AS far west H. the lDUSh meri-
diau west from Greenwich, and cop-
cludos in tho following language: "All
- laid down GU Nuish's map, 0f the
United States, published in Philadel-
phia in 1915 and improved to the LIST OF
January, 1918, which is herewith filed
and made u part of this treaty" This
mar lays down Rcd river FROM who're
the eastern boundary strikes il ~ a
river without q tributary to "A little DO
You'd the 10lst meridian, where wv
streams come together from the aort6-
west, and are aiu down AS rising north
OF tho 37th par&llol north latitude and
west of the lG5th meridian, With no
stream between the Red river and tho
River Arkansas.
It Is impossible for the Prairie nog
Town Fork of Red river to be the river
laid downon Nulish's map, for it was
never known Until Capt. Marcy discoy
orod it in 1852, and he places its source
in latitude $40 north, while the river Of
the Nulish inap is in latitude 80.
Again, Capt. Marcy, N tho report of his
o expedition, claims to be tho di5coverer
OF tho Salt Fork of Red river, and
describes tho country at it's junction
with Red river. The mountains, the
| post-oak timber are ell 80 infinitely
described that thor3 can TO NO doubt a.
to its identity with the streamnow called
Elm. In order to carry out the idea that
| the Prairie Dog is the true Fed river the
name of SAT- Fe+k has been transferred
to a stream enjoying into it that is laid
down on our state map ~ rising III Car
son comfy. Now the truth il, this iSva
fresh water stream aud ia known as
FirRiu river, while the true SAT- Fork
as uaiucd by lis discoverer,is very salty:
40 much su.thst stock viii not drink OF
/. at . low stage oi NJltuI. lsn!Uw Tic
great salt spring, which Is IN this coun-
" near the western line, The N&tar %
which is go strong rs u ne rcany q
tincturea solution 81 salt, Two to three
barrels oil The water making one OF pure
salt. Otter facts iu5g "a pointed arr IN
existence, but for fear ufthe waste bts-
Iiset / ciosc. Very truly yours,
II. c. SSEiF.
~tialtes appcsYa ga ,.iir sytuSing alt
lie j1a.Ur.'