Wichita daily eagle., 1885-10-06
THE NEUTRAL STRIP.
The New Ell Dorado-Oklaho-
ma Outdone---Interview
with a Greek Indian.
A Land not Flowing with Milk and
Honey, but Astounding in Beautiful
S,reams-Splendid Water Power
Rich Alluviai Valleys and
Fertile Plains

guest al the Arlington hotel, Douglas ave-
nue. His dress is somewhat shabby and a
| mere cursory glance would lead to the i'm
| preston that he was an old peddler OF some
sort, but in conversation one soon discovers
that he is no ordinary person. His language
and bearing at once suggest an educated
man, both in respect to book-learning,
worldly experience and intercourse with
men An EAGLE reporter wishing to know
something of his history rs well rs bis busi-
ness was introduced to him at the hotel
| He said his name is VIM. Harrison Gier, o!
Okmulgee District, /. T. That lie
| is halt breed Creek Indian;
is &C year old; was born in Ufaula, North
Carolina, where the Creek nation then lived
| He removed with his tribe to the Indian
Territory in 1899. He graduated in the
| Greek and Sac Gloss of '42 at ST. Charles
Catholic college, Baltimore, Nd He Is d
doctor among the Greeks, not the ideal In
dian medicine man, but one skilled in medi-
| cal science. In answer TO question, be
said that they had very fine mission schools
| in the Creek nation, and that all their peo-
pie were engaged in some kind of industrial
pursuit. Their industry is about equall,
divided between agriculture and stock-rais-
ing Nearly all the societies known in the
states are represented there They have 30
Masonic lodges. Referring to the ultimate
destiny of the Indian Territory, he thought
in time it would become two states in the
Union, and that every Indian would be al
lotted 160 acres and be compelled TO make
their own living. In answer 10 the ques-
ton: "What are you here for?" the doctor
said he had been unwell for some time
and he wanted change OF
climate, of water, of food, of everything,
but that he had also another mission: TO try
to enlist some solid men TO settle in the un-
occupied territory known as the neutral
strip. He drew very graphic picture OF
this land of promise, which, il true to na-
ture. is by far a more inviting country than
Oklahoma, and if Capt. Couch and his col.
onists are really dssirous of getting home:
here is a field open for them. This old In.
dian doctor, hunter aud trapper has Travelled
Oklahoma and {he Indian Territory, alsc
this Neutral strip, which he says is scarcely
| known, no white men save few trappers
having traversed any considerable portion oi
It He says it abounds in beautiful living
| streams on which are numerous fine mil
sites. He SAYS it comprises territory about
$50 miles long and fifty wide; is watered by
the Beaver. Cimmaron, Bear Greek, Turkey
Creek, Guyenes and several smaller s.eams
Fish and game abound. Timber is plenty
and he tn inks it contains vast coal deposits
| The doctor says what is needed is few
solid men to build mills, the necessary set
tiers can be easily found.
| The way to get there - Th'
best way to get there. the doctor said was. t,
go from here to Pierce City, No, and there
take the Frisco to Red Fork on the Arkansas
There take the freight road TO the Sac and
Fox sgency ,lesvinS chat road nine miles from
Deep Fork, on the Canadian, and turning
north on the Cimarron cattle trail, eros
the Cimmarron and strike due west to Sal
Fork, thence west by north to the Guyenea
and from that due west TO Bear creek, anC
then you strike the promised land This, b,
said. was the best route. but one could go by
Arkansas City and from there make for tn
mouth of Big Turkey creek, on the Arkan
sas, and there strike the Ft. Sill trail at TIM
crossing of big Salt fork, leaving Ft. Rem,
about sixty miles to the south. By thi
route you would strike in the neutral STRIP
about seventy miles northwest Of Oklahoma
The following clipped from an exchang
is on the Same subject:
An organization has been formed a
Englewood, Clark county, for the colonies
ton of the Neutral strip. Ii has obtained
charter, one of the provisions of which is Il
Survey and locate towns on the publi
lands in southwestern Kansas and the Neu
trail strip and to colonize and make settle
ment on government lands in Southwestern
| Kansas and the Neutral strip, subject TO /
tlement under the land laws of the Unites
States
The Englewood Chief. in referring to tn
strip" says:
This, by nature, highly favored section o
country, ia thirty-six miles wide and ont
hundred and sixty miles long. is bounded OF
the north bv Kansas and Colorado; west
New Mexico: south. Panhandle of Texns,anc
east BY the Indian Territory. Ii is wei
watered BY the Beaver and CImsrron rivers
with their tributaries, the former having con
siderable timber.
This country is bound TO prove gres
agricultural and stock raising country, tn,
valleys and level lands for the former, th'
more broken portions the latter. Thes,
lands being unQuestionsbly government
lands, with no Indian right or title hanging
over them, the boomers were quietly taking
il by sauatter's right, who will then have
| prior right TO homestead when it is opened
a. it surely will be within few months.
The Chief furthermore says that ''alread,
boomers are pouring in. passing through
Englewood, to get first choice of lands"
In view of the vast qusntity of unsettled
land in western Kansas, and this lsrg,
neutral strip occupied only by few squat
| tiers, the falacy of the nation so prevalent il
the east, that all the western land wortl
having is taken up, is apparent, and Horace
Greeley's advice still stands good.
As a rule the wrong sort Of people come
west: young men without dollar looking
for Jobs. There are too msny such here
now The men for the west are those with
some mean. who are bent 10 secure home
and are willing to undergo hsrdships and
privations for season while hewing out 6
home in the virgin soil. Men like the pom
iers Of this valley who had TO travel all the
wav TO Emporia for flour and coffee. Thess
are the men to come west and good homes
await all such.
Since the instantaneous delivery system
wen, into operation. the girls have caught
on TO new dodge by which they can trans
NIT their sweet nonsense TO their lovers in =
hurry by putting ten-ceni stamp on theii
little notes. This scheme is likely TO devel-
op a good deal of fun. The delivery chaps
were KEEP; on the dead jump yesterday, and
they will probably be on = deader jump du-
ring the holidays and funny season. Go 1t,
gals, the delivery boys are hired for YOUR
accommodation.
SOL SMITH RUSSELL.
This eminent comedian will appear a: The
ora-a borsa ,,ax- Thursday uirht the S.h