New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-20

THE INDIAN TERRITORY.
ryaos srAyr oonrEsroNpEsr on rm TnmuSE.1
~ /.
THE OKLAHOMA COUNTRY!
Arkansas City, Kan, Aprfl 1s.-Ths next fsw days
viii witness an important epoch IN the history OF this
country-aA least thfs section Of IT, Colonies have
been formed before the wilderness has been made to
Yield to The perseverance Of man. and communities and
States have baen founded but never under exactly tho
Same or even similar circumstances to those which win
attend the opening Of the Oklahoma country on the
22d day Of April Think Of 10000 men Sftting. many
OF them tor two years, around the borders or within
sht of the promised land Think Of the trials, the
bardships the disappontments they have undergone
Think OF the men who penetrated into the very heart
OF THIS Territory there titled the soil and erected their
modest homes, only 10 be driven out after fcw
months occupancy by tho soldiers at the command Of
tho cattle ownerui Think Of the great rush ct
on Monday next when the proclamation OF the Presi-
dent takes effect; The race Of hundreds Of men on
swift ponies securing the woods, crossing the hills.
foring streams, to "locateS the best land the en-
counters. the contentious, e Quarrels which sure
to follow the appeal arms, the Winchester and the
shot gun. and the shedding Of human blood 10 settle
the question Of title Surely, under suoh conditions
portion Of this continent ever opened for set
Element The pioneers Of the West have frequently
been called upon to defend their claims against the
Indian; in comparatively few GASES they have had
to " stand Off quarrelsome neighbors who presumed
to ecrosch upon their section; but never before have
so many settlers rushed simultaneously and after
weeks months, and even years Of preparation upon
30 small Of territory. The Oklahoma lands
cover 1887 800 acres and there at least 10000
people around the border Of tho Indian Territory
waiting 10 locate claims. Even IL acre Of land
IN Oklahoma were fertilc-which is not-there would
be but 1es acres for each settler. According 10 the
BEST authorities, however, than half OF tho okla
hpma country Is unfit for agricultural purposes.
Much Of II Is timber growing rocky hillsides, and
some OF 1t is good only for grazing. There win be
many disappointed hopes. / fear, and many people
win leave the Territory poorer than they vent In.
This at least seems to to be tho logic Of the StuA
ton.
HISTORY OF THE "BEAUTIFUL LAND"
sokiahoma" -Chclasaw for Beautiful LandS-is
situated IN the heart almost Of the Indian Territory
few words to It's history may not DO amis at the
present time.
Tho Indian Territory-and with It. Of course, oka-
homa-was part OF the Louisiana purchase, that
vast tract Of country which Napoleon sold in 1903 TO
The United States in order to secure money to carry
on his European wars. By proclsmations Of tho
President and acts OF Congress in 1880 and 1884, 20
much Of the land lay east and west Of the Mississippi
River, and not within the States of Missouri and Louisi
the Territory OF Arkansas nor within any
state in which the Indian title had not been ex-
tngutShod, was declared to be Indian Country"
The immediate causes which led TO tho establish.
mont Of the Indian Country" were the troubles which
attended this discovery Of gold early as 1928 IN
Georgia and Alabama, on lands occupied by the
Cherokees, Semnoles and Creeks Their lands were
invaded by the white man. melted by cupdlty, and
countless ouTages attended the invasion Tho Indians
complained They appealed to tho State authorities.
Their appeals were ignored: the people of Georgia
and Alabama had higher IDEAS Regarding tho
rights Of an Indian then. than has tho Western
pioneer Of to-day. From the State authorities they
appealed to the National Executive for the protection
guaranteed them by treaties with the United States
They Jared very little better here Indeed tho temper
In which their remonstrances we're received may DO
gathered still from the record Of the proceedings In the
Senate, where apeton for redress presented by tho
Cherokees was characterized in debate by Senator
'usvthc. OF Georgia insolence." "impudent
dacty,S and attempt to board the Government"
II was In vain that men like Clay and Webster and
Frelnghuysen attempted to defend the justice X tho
claims made by the Indians They wore powerless to
protect them.
"The indians must go"-that was the universal cry.
And go they did
Under treaties practically forced from these helpless
people, these Indiana 10 whom the transfer most
repugnant removed TO the Indian Country"
Other Indian tribes, at different dates, were also
located on the Indian domain, all of them involv
| ing heavy expenditure Of tho National treasure,
THE ACREAGE AND POPULATION OF THE INDIAN
TERRITORY.
| Tho original boundaries OF the new country. e.
umated in 1880 as embracing 1876 900 square miles
or l24 100000 acres, have been greatly reduced by
the formation States What is left lies between
the parallels Of "a degrees and 81 degrees north la
tude and the o. degrees 80 minutes and 100 degrees
meridians OF longitude west II Is bounded on the
north by Kansas, on the east by Missouri and
Arkansas on the south by Texas, and the west by
| Texas and the so.caled Public Land Strip" No
Man s-LandD 1t Is estimated by the General Land
ofce TO contain 62, 253 square miles, or 4O4el 600
acres. Besides the FIVE civilized tribes or nations
| the Cherokees, Creeks Chickassws, Choctaws and
eemnolesthe following Indians are located on reser-
| vat,ons within the Territory Tho 0sages, Kansas
Raws) Pawnecs saes and Foxes, Pottawatomics
/ Tonkawas Poncas, otoes and Mssourias, Iowas
4 Kiekapoos, Cheyennes and Arapahoes, Wichtas
| Kiowas, Comanches and Apaehes etc., comprising
population Of 1924 located on reservations contain
ing IL 1856 o35 acres The following table Is taken
o,o the animal report OF the Commissioner OF Indian
| Affairs for 1885, showing the whole number Of acres
| In thu Indian Territory east and the whole number
west Of longitude % degrees, and the distribution
populstion:
n,. nuunbaY of acres in Indian Territory a. f0o 0A
Eunber of acres In Indian Territory west OF 80, m
Nu an seg ~ q 3o2 30
NTT5et o. as ssss Of ss GeSoes 8esseo
NuSSe ss 2. saoians N inaan 7e1
Number s o. Indians IN inaisn aetY es1s
ro nSapss 81 Indians in inisa Territory 1910
III Eurnbar "a each indian would have II un'
II Socapiei lands east OF 9S degrees were oil.
ytded equally among Indians now living west .s
Number OF acres each indian would have All
II lands east of 90 degrees were divided equally a.
| among ell Indians now In Indian Territory 90
The foiowfnr is from the Same report respecting tn
| n'o o'AA01 ''''0"' Acres 10
r,pa Acres Population. each Ind
| @f'oe' t...-- Yidual.
1 ChefOkees' ,Voli opp1 1TUSH 30