The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-09-18
GREER COUNTY.
ITS HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT
Veteran Donation CertlGcates-300,0o 900
Acres Patented-Disputed Jurisdic-
Hon-Texas County Claimed
by Indian Territory.

GREER, TEX, Sept. IS Editor HER
AID. IA great many persons widely
scattered over the State are interested
in this county, and / receive numerous
letters of inquiry regarding the status Of
the county etc., and beg leave to answer
all through your widely circulated pa
per.
First, 1t Is county of Texas created
by act OF the Legislature in 1860. 1t was
recognized as county of Texas by act
of Congress, creating the Northern Jul
dioiRl district of Texas, and Is attached
to Wheeler county for judicial purposes,
and constitutes part of Wheeler land
district. Has remained unsettled on AZ
count of an act of the Sixteenth Legis
lature, setting it aside one-hslt for the
public free school fund and one-half for
the payment of the public debt, stipu-
lating that it should not be SURVEYED
only in such manner ~ tho Legislature
might afterward provide. Therefore the
only class Of scrip that can be patented,
Is the veteran donation certificates is.
sued under tho act Of April, 1881, which
act contains repeating clause that
permits them to be located on otherwise
reserved public domain. The county Is
occupied, and has been for four years by
cattlemen, but few Of whom make any
claim to the land occupied.
The past spring, myself and a few 9TH
ers moved In ss actual settlers, and
great numbers wero prepar-
ing to come this fall and
settle under the homestead laws
OF the State. The United States, through
the Commissioner of Indian Affairs,
claim that it is not part ofTexas, but is a
part of the Indian Territory. And the
Secretary Of War, in June last, issued
orders for the removal ofall persons and
property from the county. forwarded
to GOV. Ireland, Il copy of tho order and
also copy ofmy answer to tho COM
handing officer. | never received an
answer from his honor,the Governor, but
learned through correspondence with
Maddox Bros. II Anderson, as well as 9th
or Interested parties in Austin, that the
Governor had advised me to vacate only
at point of the bayonent,and had advised
all settlers 70 remain on their land, with
the assurance thSt the State would take
all legal steps to protect us.
We were again visited by a detach-
ment OF troops, about the 2Sth of last
month, and notified that the LIST of Octo-
Der was the the time set for the removal
Of all such az had not gone of their own
accord. Most of the settlers have gone,
the cattle men still remain. / 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, if any.
There has been patented, over 100000
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 tho shadow OF n
doubt in my mind, and | think the 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 Con. Sam Houston nt
the battle of San Jacinto. The bound
airy adopted by the u eaty of annexation
being the same as that adopted by the
treaty of 1919 between Spain and the
United States, which treaty makes the
Sabine and Red rivers the northern
boundary as far west as the Tooth meri-
dian west from Greenwich, and CON
cludes in the following language: "All
as laid down on NuliSh'S map of the
United States, published i'm Philadel-
phia in 1916 and improved to the LIST of
January, 1878, which is herewith filed
and made part of this treaty" This
map lays down Red river from where
the eastern boundary strikes it gs 4
river without tributary to little be.
yond the l0lst meridian, where two
streams come together from the north
west, and are laid down as rising north
OF tho 3Ith parallel north latitude and
west Of the l05th meridian, with no
stream between the Red river and the
River Arkansas.
1t is impossible for the Prairie Dog
Town Fork OF Red river to be the river
laid down on NuliSh's map, for IL was
never known until Capt. Marcy discov-
cred 1t IN 1872, and lac places its source
in latitude a north, whilo tho river of
the Nnlish lmap IN in latitude 81 :.
Again, Capt. Marcy, IN tho report of his
expedition, claims to be the discOvcror
OF the Salt Fork of Red river, and
describes the country at its junction
with Rcd river. The mountains, m,
post-oak timber are all so miuui,,,
described tut there can be no doubt
toits Identity with the stream now cul....
Elm. In order to carry out the idea that
the Prairie boz is tie true Red river the
namo of Salt Fork has been transferred
to stream omptyiug into it that is laid
down on our state map as rising In Car
son county. Now the truth is, this is
fresh water Stroau aui is known Az
Firain river, while fho true Salt Fork
rs named ny It's diSrCvcrcr,is very SALTY,
81 much so that stock Wli not drink uf'
It at low stage Of water, Below the
great suit spring, which is In this cOuu-
~ near the western line, tho water of
which Is 50 S'rpur - 90 loo really o
tiurturod sputiou %. ALT, va tn thrco
barrels of the water making ono Of pure
SAT-. other facts Just ~ pointed are in
existence, but for fear Of tho waste bas-
Ret ! close. Very truly yours,
II. {, SWEET.