Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-17
MUST BE OPENED.
THE INDIAN TERRITORY AND
OKLAHOMA.
What Our Regular Correspondent
Finds Down There in the Way
Of Country, Boomers and
Cattle.

train was made up at Arkansas City to ru
over the completed portion of the lin
which the Santa Fe railway company is e.
tending into the Indian Territory. Owe
eleven years ago during the floods Of 1871:
the writer travelled over the territor
traversed by this line on horseback. swim
ming nearly every creek and river betwee
Fort Sill and the state line. This was be
fore Payne's boomers had made the Terri
tory famous by their futile attemps to opel
it to settlement. Under the circumstance
l was not prepared to appreciate the ricl
soil and beautiful scenery. The only view
that possessed any attractions for me at tina
time was the trail that led by the mos
direct route to Kansas.
Wednesday morning boarded the trair
at Arkansas City with the purpose of graft
flying a curiosity to see a portion of the
same territory from the car window that
had seen years before under much less ad
yantageous circumstances
The first three and one half miles of the
route lies in Kansas Half mile south OF
the depot the Arkansas river is crossed
Then for three miles the train runs through
fine farms, which the farmers of Bolton
township, in Cowley, have by fifteen years
of careful industry transformed into a
garden. These improvements continue up
IN fha ctota linz fhap comoS q cbop ra IN n Z
is almost startling. The Improvements
cease and an unculivated plain as wild as
Kansas was in the days of Coronado
stretches away to the south To the south
west the Cholocco Indian school can be
SEEN Surrounding it is several square
miles of land enclosed with a barbed wire
fence The school is conducted on about
the same plan as the a. ricultural college at
Manhattan.
Three miles south of the line at cross
ing of Chilocco creek, a company of United
States soldiers belonging to the
9th cavalry, are stationed. Their
instructions are to allow no boomers to en-
ter the Territory, or hunters without per-
NIT to carry game out. On the banks of
the creek is fine stone quarry. The rail
road company on the hundred feet included
in its right of way, has secured an immense
quantity of stone for bridging
About ten miles south of Chilocco
creek west of the railroad, is the ranch of
the Standard Oil Cattle company Their
range includes ten miles square, or 100 sec
tons, equivalent to GA 900 acres. as rich
land as can be found in the Arkansas
valley. The ranch has good houses
barn, sheds, corrals and other improve
ments of a permanent character, which
afford ample evidence that the occupants
are there to stay.
A short distance south of this ranch is
the first station in the Territory.
1t is about eighteen miles south of Arkan-
sas City. South of this station the road
enters the Ponca reservation. Most of the
families composing the tribe are located
dCdi tiC dSCuSy. IHclI SettIcIueuG makes
about the same showing. in the way of i'm
provements, that new community in Kan
'as will make in single season. The agency
which are located on high ground |
On the east bank of Salt Fork present a
good appearance from the railroad which |
'uns within about two miles of the Ponca |
,apital. The second station known as
Ponca is two or three miles north of the
agency, and about thirty miles south of the
tate line. From Ponca the road bears
southwest, crossing the Salt Fork and fol-
owing the valley on the right side of the
stream for two or three miles This stream
S somewhat larger than Little river which
t resembles in its general features.
The road so far as passenger traffic is con-
'erned terminates at the crossing of Red
Rock Creek over forty miles from where
he road enters the Territory The track
5 laid five miles further Work on the
trade has extended nearly to the Texas !
inc. The work on the road is being con-
lucted with that cOnsummate skill and !
mercy that has made the Santa Fe the |
'rlde of Kansas and one of the |
most powerful corporations of the country.
If the nature of the soil and natural re-
ourceS of the country tributary to the road |
$ Is only necessary to say that it is similar |
q the territory comprising Sedgwick and |
summer counties, slightly more rolling per
laps, and possessing the advantage of rich |
'oal deposits. Beyond the present termi- |
lus of the road the country becomes more
broken with more timber and water and |
more waste lands.
The present terminus Of the completed
'ortion of the road is now in the Otue
eServatiun. Beyond this reservation the
urvey has been changed so as to run
trough Oklahoma instead of through the
ands of the lowas, hickapoos and Potta
votamles. In answer Ia the oft-rrpeated
question, when will the lands in the Indian
Territory be- opened for settlement. it NAV
Ne answered that it i already opened to ii
ertaiu class The members Of the rich
attic SyndicateS ga and come or remain on
he land at their pleasure and subject only
o their own rules and regulations. The
N ties in this scheme are the
government and the ca,tlemcn. The poor
indian l. only iigure-hea3 No boomer
Ia attempted To invade a foot Of land b,-
onging to the Indians l; j. only The