The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-07-16
TIE CHEROKEE STRIP.
TIE Trouble About Driving Cattle Through
the Leased Lands - Secretary Lamar's


TIE Trouble About Driving Cattle Through
the Leased Lands - Secretary L2mar's
Action.
ST. LOUIS, July s.-The fight over the
right-of-way through the Cherokee Strip in
the Indian Nation between the lease holders
of the strip and the cattlemen of Southern
its notoriety, and involves questions of law
of interest to the entire cattle-raisinz indus
try of the country. The controversy has
been laid before the Secretary of the In-
terror. and while he has decided upon one
very material point, it is expected that he
may go further into detail and put the
whole question at rest after a more thorough
investigation. Mr. ]. w. Hamilton Of
Wellington, Kan, who is one of the nine
original lease holders of the Cherokee Strip
and member of the Board Of Directors
having its management in hand, ar
rived at the Laciede Hotel this morn
ing On business in connection with
the extensive cattle interests of the
Cherokee Strip Cattle Association To
reporter who approached him upon the
questions in controversy between his COM
pany and the Texans. he said: "A con-
densed statement of the difficulty is simply
this: The Cherokee Strip Association, of
which there are nine members. has leased
a tract OF over 6, 900, 900 acres of land IN the
northwestern part of the Territory, extend
ing something over 10 miles along
the Kansas border, with a width of
about siXty-siX miles. We hold the land
for five wears and have leased it for
the purpose of grazing cattle on it, and
we intend to do 50 irrespective of what ANY
one will say to the contrary. l hardly
think our right and title TO do as we please
with the land can be disputed. This tract
is sublet by us to 1O2 cattle companies,
each of which is composed of from four to
twenty stock holders all owning and graz
ing cattle on the Cherokee Strip. Now, of
course, it is patent 10 everybody that with all
Of these cattle roaming at will over that
country it would be the height of folly to
permit diseased cattle to cross it, and we
claim to have good grounds for believing
that the cattle of Southeastern Texas are
afflicted with a contagious fever, hence our
hesitation in allowing them on the strip.
Secretary Lamar decided a few days ago
that we had right to prohibit the passage
of diseased cattle over our land, but the
law is perfectly clear upon that point and
while the Secretary has given decision in
our favor, still we don't intend to be bull
dOZed by him or any other public official so
long as We have the law on our side. The
Cherokee Association stands upon the
broad ground that all cattle wintered south
of the thirty-fOurth parallel and east of the
one-hundredth meridian, which includes
the southern and eastern part of Texas,
are unhealthy and diseased with
climatic fever. In fact, am sure that they
are. and 1t rests with the Texas cattlemen
TO prove that we are wrong. We have sig
nified to them our willingness to listen to
ANY evidence which they may have to
bolster up their claims to health and sound
ness for the animals, but thus far they have
made no effort to do So Should
they persist in their attempts to force
a way through the strip, we will
throw the matter into court and
ask for an injunction restraining them
There is not the least bit of hostile feeling
between the cattlemen of Texas and the
Territory, individually. We sill understand
the situation clearly, and have about agreed
to make test case to settle the question
once for all. 1t is simply useless for them
10 attempt to show that their cattle are
healthy. They can't do tit is impossible,
and therefore we feel perfectly safe in GO
ing into court"
LAMAR'S LATEST ORDER.
WASHINGTON, July 9.-The reported OBJ
structon of cattle trails through the Indian
Territory by settlers Upon the Cherokee
Strip is engroSSing the attention of the Sec
rotary of the Interior. In answer to COM
plants made by drovers that they were not
permitted to take their cattle over estab-
lished trails, the Secretary telegraphed
that no one had a right to ObStruct
them. Nevertheless it appears officers
of the Federal Courts in Kansas
whose jurisdiction extends over the
Cherokee Strip have disregarded these tele-
grams, and persisted in excluding Texas
cattle, under the act of May "A, 1884, which
fOrbids anybody to drive cattle on foot
through any State or Territory, knowing
them to be infected with contagious dis
eases. Secretary Lamar has now requested
the Attorney General to instruct the court
officers to cease their opposition to those
using established trails and to refrain
from interfering with cattle drOvers while
on trails in the Indian Territory.