Wichita eagle., 1888-11-18

the agency the next morning. When we
had nearly reached the agency,w were met
by Mr.: King, a United states marshal.
when gave myself up This is the first
time ever got into any trouble OF any
kind.
HARRY HILL TALKS OKLAHOMA
As an EAGLE man stepped into Harry
Hills office yesterday he saw a crowd be-
sieging him for Oklahoma information.
One said: ''What do you know about Okla
homa? How far from the state line is the
country commonly known as oklahoma"
ssFifty-seven miles due south. OF course
YOU know l have taken no active part in
opening Oklahoma since 1880. rs saw we
had to wait till the press at large took up
the subject and agitated it enough to force
congress to take some action for or
against"
!. do you think Oklahoma will open this
winter"
ayes, the Oklahoma bill will pass very
soon, as it is first on the list of unfinished
business. Think it will be acted on and
sanctioned by the president as the people
at large are ciamoring for it.
What effect do you think it will have
on Wichita!''
1.-THE best in the world. 1t stands today
Chinese wall on the south OF US, barring
all business from that direction"
1.-The impression prevails that these
lands belong to the Indians?"
II know that is the popular impression,
but it is not So The lands we call Okla
homa are no part of any Indian reserva-
ton but exclusive property OF the United
states"
Are these lands in the Indian Terri
tory?"
"They were portions of the Creek and
Seminole reservations until they sold them
to the United States by their treaties OF
| 1885,
How much land did these Indians sell?''
The Creeks sold 2250. 260 acres, the
Seminoles sold q 1853, $50 acres, making IN
| all 5,.l9,540 acres"
Glow much did the United States pay
these Indians for these landss"
''They paid the Creeks S915,7 res and the
Seminoles S325, 362
"How do you get these facts?"
From the treaties you will find in the
! fourteenth volume of the statutes at
large"
"Were these lands not bought for the
purpose of settling other Indians on them?''
1T was the intention of the government
| at the time the treaties were made to use
the lands to settle other Indians on them,
but since then congress has passed laws
prohibiting such settlement.
when We're such laws passed."
''In 1877 and 1878 it had been the policy OF
the interior department to move all the
| Indians of the country into the Indian
territory, and some small tribes have been
moved there The Poncos, Nesperses,
Pawnees, Modocks and other remnants OF
other tribes were placed there by executive
order. In 1857 the Indian department was
making preparations to remove the SIOUX
| Indians on these lands, but through The
| efforts of Mills, congressman from Texas
! inserted provision in the Indian appro-
priation bill forbidding such removal. In
! 1878 the secretary of the interior asked
congress to appropriate money to enable
! him to remove the Indians to New Mexico
and Arizona, and instead of granting tbs
money congress forbid him moving q
/ single Indian"
''How do you know all this?"
''You will know it is right if you IIIM
examine the Indian appropriations of the
years of 1877 and 1878, then in 1879 the
commissioner of Indian affairs recon-
mended the removal CT The
! Utes Indians to the territory
| but congress sat down ON that project. 81
! you see it has laid an idle waste evel
since"
There has been so many wild rumors
about this rountry; do you think it is a:
good as they generally picture i.?"
"Well of course it is a splendid country
and beautiful in the extreme, as there arr
belts of good timber, hills, valleys, springs
and swift running streams that makes i
| a picturesque country, and has some val
| leys that cannot be beat in the world"
''Why do you think it will settle up a:
! fast as they say it will?'
Because it is in the rain belt and the
last opportunity for the poor man to get {
! home in a country where he has timber fol-
! building and fences and firewood, anC
where he can raise what he plants. e The
| climate is good, water pure and soil I'M
surpassed"
| .'What about the coal they say is there'
II will see you later in regard to where
the coal is"
"How much land was in what was the
original Oklahoma country"
Fourteen million acres"