The sun., 1889-12-16
OKLAHOMA AND rHE oHEnoxEKS.
A New Territory whish WIN Gradually
AnnaE Itn esurrouna1pra

Annex Its surroundinEa.
| WASHINGTON, Dec. 15.-The population Of
the Oklahoma tract is now estimated to be
| about 5000; It's area is considerably less than
| 100000 acres, which 10 not very extensive as
Territories 60. But there can ba little doubt
that 1t will receive q regular Territorial Gov
eminent from the Fifty-6rst Congress. and
probably such Government will be estab-
lished during the present session. Ono OF the
earliest bills introduced into the Senate was
designed for this purpose, and 1t sought to OBJ
viate the objection to elaborate ma
ohinery for 30 small q community by
adopting modest scale OF expendi-
lures and cutting the coat according
to the cloth. It provides for the usual Terrific
rial officers, including Governor. whose sal
ary ie $4,000. There is o Council OF nine men,
bers, which may be increased to twelve, and q
House OF Representatives OF thirteen members,
which may be increased to twenty-four. Their
term OF office ls to be two years, and the leRis-
lative sessions are to bo biennial. and OF not
moro than sixty days duration. Tho appor-
tionment for members is on the basis OF popu-
lation, excepting Indians not taxed. Another
bill, prepared in the Interior Department. pro-
vides for adding other lands tothe Territory.
Cherokee and ChickRsaw domains being par
ucularly In view.
The ground OF the proposed legislation is the
action OF Congress last year. which opened to
settlement this tract, now the home OF COM
munity having many flourishing towns and
villages. At q recent date 1t contained thirty
eight churches and twenty-nine schools and
published twenty-five newspapers while the
various other institutions OF older communities
are also found there. Secretary Noble, In his
Mhi6h ah9Sai report; put very well the oRligation
Ing this land to settlement:
good 30 S % % sySSa 20, Sd 6S
reason 70 leave them in their present condition longer
o, hsp "a and the use Of hs military there should
Ss 2 ss G sg
shSuld be formulating system Of government for
pons Of minor Ss "a as
well as the higher courts near the centre Of population;
tSTnS Sf faG 0'A and the pro-
One disappointment IL the failure Of the
oSs Th 1fe Eli n the s
nTaded hs tract Witch Is
under the same Government, Indeed the ulti-
land al % around % Il L East 70 Of Ok and
between the Cimarron and Canadian
and and
these are the sacs and Foxes. with all these
either for their taking land in severaity and
selling the surplus TO the Government at about
62S an or for being to the
This latter Solution aSS Would seriously M nterfeTe
others. v ho 6 have thus far thwarted he Gov
ernments purpose to acquire the Cherokee
one way or the other. the boundaries OF Okla
homa will soon be carried further to the east.
madam Rvep we oome to the sress G6Easaw
reservation. The Chckasaw Legislature at
sSsd e Tes gG to
l60 acres to each Chickasaw citizen, and to
buy the remander at sl.25 per acre. II is true
to share in the lands. and nd this ' may W form % one
ment: but at all events the signs are promising
that Oklahoma will soon cross tho Canadian
Southwest f Of Oklahoma nSITf are the Kiowas and
e ,p;,ah 9kiahoma the ArEapahoes Cheyennes and
and, there is no doubt that, a great gain can be
made for Oklahoma in that direction, The
ganized. will help develop this country. and
the i R3ck 2k, Island road is rapidly pushing to-
tion in the Arrapahoe region short distance
west Of Oklahoma.
tract popuSry called No Ia1s Lend aresds
the home, Of considerable community. and
Of fo orer be
main Of law is shown by the fact that now
m rey
the Cherokee Strip. 1t was once sug-
gested by Mr.. Carlisle that il there
should be no other way of coming to
appraised like any other land that the Govern
ment needs for its purposes. 1t would. how
ever. be desirable to reach inatead satisfacto-
ought to be made to understand that the Gov
is not going into the matter as a real
estate speculation, hut that 1t must refuse to
give q price SO high in proportion to all other
pub lie lands that settlers cannot afford to buy 1t
ect OF the whole transaction.