Omaha daily bee., 1889-04-13
THE OKLAHOMA LANDS.
Some Letters of Interest TO Persons
Contemplating Settlement.

WAsHINoToN April 12.-The commissioner
of the general laud Office made public to-day
several letters as being of general interest to
persons contemplating settlement in Okla
homa. Commissioner Stockslager, in re-
plying TO letter from o. NJ. Wilson, at Ar
kansas City, Kan, saws in part:
~ have TO state that the lands in question
arc to be disposed of to actual settlers under
the homestead laws only. A party desiring
to become an actual settler under the home
stead laws, may initiate his claim by entry
at district land office after properly ex-
aminiug ane selecting the land desired, in
which case he is allowed six months from
date OF entry in which to establish his actual
residence on the land; or, IL he so elect,
he may initiate his claim by actual
settlement on the land, which must consist
of some act or acts connecting himself with
the particular tract claimed, said act or acts
to be equivalent to announcement of such
intention and from which the public gencr-
ally may have notice of his claims. There
fore he is allowed three months within
which TO make his claim of record by entry
in the district land Office.
Another letter TO Senator Ingalls, fiom
Commissioner Stockslag er, IS as follows:
"1 have had the honor to receive by reference
from you, and herewith return a letter
addressed to you by G. T. Sommers, dated
Oklahoma Station, Indian Territory, on the
Goth ultimo. In reply have to state that the
| uCb VI NldrCu =, lOou, W WHICH DOUllilcES Ic-
| fers provides as he states, that no one shall
| be permitted to enter or acquire any right to
| any of the Oklahoma lands, to be disposed OF
thereunder, who violates its provisions by
| entering upon and occupying the same prior
| to IL o'clock noon, April % the date fixed in
| the presidents proclamation of March % for
| said lands to become open for settlement
| The statute makes no exception to this pro-
| vision, am inclined to think, howevever,
| that when q person was already within these
| lands ut the date of approval of the act by
| authority, his presence there should not be
| regarded as a violation of this provision Of
| act. The primary jurisdiction to act upon
| application to enter rests with district land
| offices, and Sommers may present his appli-
cation for entry to them, with proper proof
of his allegation. Should they refuse to per-
init entry, he may appeal from this action"
| Commissioner Stockslager to-day ex-
pressed the opinion that 10000 persons
| would enter Oklahoma within n month after
| April %. For these 100, coo people there are
| only about 10000 homesteads. The newt
| able result of this tremendous influx, the
commissioner thought would be great
! mary contests and personal conflicts. A
| further result, he feared. would be the
/ spreading of this immense surplus over the
| adjoining Indian lands from which it would
be difficult to dislodge them without much
trouble and possibly some bloodshed. Ii the
commission appointed to treat with the
! Cherokees for a cession of the Cherokee
| outlet could complete their labors within the
next few months, so that the new tract
| might be open TO settlement before congress
| again meets, this might, and probably would,
| relieve the pressure. Otherwise he feared
that matters would become complicated and
equilibrium restored with difficulty.
The Boomers Jubilant.
WINFIELD, Kan, April 12.-Hundreds OF
Oklahoma boomers, camped along the Wal
| nut river here are rejoicing at the order OF
Secretary Noble, allowing them to drive
across the Cherokee strip before April %
| Most of them will break camp next Wednes
day, to go into camp on the border of Okla
homa. The final rush has set in, and every
train brings in scores of men from all parts
of the country to await here the Oklahoma
opening day. No less than 5000 strangers
are now in the city waiting for the 22d.