Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-04-03
MADE A NEW TERRITORY
President Harrison Issues the Ok
lahoma Proclamation.
OPEN TO SETTLEMENT In APRIL.
Terms Under Which People May Take
Up the Lands-A Restriction
Against "Boomers" and Law
Breakers-The Document
In Full.

In lie
WASHINGTON, D. c., March N.-The
President to-day issued the following
proclamation, opening the Oklahoma
lands:
WHEREAS, Pursuant to Section 8, Of the act OF
Act Making Appropriations for the Current and
Contingent Expenses of the Indian Department
and for Fulfilling Treaty stipulalions with vari.
1886. and for Other Purposes certain
articles of cession and agreement were
made and concluded at the city OF
Washington on the 10Th day of January In the
year OF our Lord, eighteen hundred and eighty
nine, by and between the United States Of Amer
lea and the Muskogee Tor Creek nation of Indi-
ans, whereby the said Muskogee Tor Creek) ma
ton of Indians, for the consideration therein
mentioned, coded and granted to the United
States without reservation or condition. full and
complete title to the entire western half of the
domain of the said Muskogee Tor Creek nation in
the Indian Territory, lying west of the division
line surveyed and established under the treaty
with said nation, dated the 18th day
to the United States all and every claim, estate
ris or interest OF any and every description in
and to any and all land and territory whatever,
except SO much of the former domain of said
Muskogee Tor Creek nation as lies east of said
line OF division surveyed and established as
aforesaid, and then used and occupied as the
home of said nation and which articles of ces-
sion and agreement were duly accepted, ratified
and confirmed by said Muskogee Tor Creek) ma
ton OF !ndians by set OF its council. approved
on the S1st day OF January, 1889. and by the
United S States by act of Congress approved March
!, 1885, and
WHEREAS, By section u of the act, entitled IAN
Contingent Ex penses of the Indian Department,
and for Fulfilling Treaty SupulatioDs with Va
Isoo Indan be FOR the year ending go
2, 1889, a sum OF money was appropriated to pay
In full the Seminole nation Of Indians for all the
right, title, interest and claim which said nation
of indians might have in and to certain
lands ceded by Article of the treaty between
the United States and said nation of Indians
concluded June IA. 1866, and proclaimed August
16, 1866, said appropriation to become operative
upon the execution by the duly appointed dele
gates of said nation specially empowered to do
SO, of a release and conveyance TO the United
States OF all right title, interest and claim OF
said nation OF Indians. in and to said lands in
manner and form. satisfactory to the President
of the United States, and
ing date the 10th of March. 1889, has been duly
and FULLY executed. approved and delivered,
WHEREAS, Section Is of the act Last aforesaid.
relating to said lands, provides as follows THAT
the lands acquired by the United States under
said agreement shall be part of the public
domain, to be disposed of only as herein
provided, and sections 16 and IS OF each
township whether surveyed or unsuryeyed, are
hereby reserved Tor the use and benefit OF the
w
its OF said lands under such conditions and regu-
1ations as may be hereafter enacted by Congress;
that that the lands acquired by conveyance from the
Seth sections, shall be disposed of to actual
settlers under the homestead laws only
except as herein otherwise provided lex.
statutes shall not apply, and provided further
that any person who having attempted to, but
for any cause failed 10 secure a title in fee to a
homestead under existing laws. or who made en-
try under what is known as the committed pro-
vision OF the homestead laws, shall be qualified
to make homestead entry upon said lands; and
provided further, that the rights of honorably
discharged Union soldiers and sailors in the late
civil war as defined ard described in sections
twenty-three hundred and four and twenty
three hundred and five of the revised statutes
shall not be abridged; and provided further,
that each entry shall be IN square form nearly
as practicable, and no person be permitted to
TO enter more than one-Quarter section thereof
but until said lands are opened for settlement by
proclamation of the President no person shall
be permitted to enter upon and occupy the
same, and no person violating this provision
shall be permitted to enter any of said lands
or acquire any right thereto.
The secretary of the interior may, after said
proclamation and not before permit entry OF
said lands for town sites, under sections 2,SS7
and 2,388 of the Revised statutes, but no such
entry shall embrace more than one-half section OF
land.
That all the foregoing provisions with refer
ence TO lands to be acquired from the Seminole
indians, including the provisions pertaining to
posal of the lands acquired from the Muskogee
Tor Creek Indians by articles of cession and
agre ement made and concluded at the city OF
WASHINGTON ON the 10Th day OF January, in the
year of our Lord, eighteen hundred and eighty
nine.
Now, therefore, 1, Benjamlmin Harrison,
president of the United stats, by virtue of the
power in me vested by said acts of Congress- ap-
proved March 2 1889, aforesaid, do hereby de-
clare and make known that SO much
OF the lands as aforesaid
quired from of conveyed by the
Muskogee Tor Creek) patton of Indians respec-
lively, is contained within the following
described boundaries, viz: Beginning at a point
where the degree of longitude SO west from
Greenwich as surveyed in the years 1858 and
1871, intersects the Canadian River; thence, north
along and with the said degree to point where
the same intersects the Cimarron River; thence
up said river, along the light tank thereof to
point where the same is intersected by the south
line OF what is known as the Cherokee lands,
lying west of the Arkansas River. or as the
Cherokee Outlet said line being the north line
OF the lands ceded by the Muskogee Tor Creek)
nation of Indians to the United States by the
treaty of June IA, 1866 thence east along
said lire to point where the same inter-
sects the west line of toe lands set apart
as q reservation for the Pawnee Indians by act
OF Congress, approved April 10. 1876, being the
range line between ranges four and five, east of
the Indian meridian; thence south on said line
TO a point where the same intersects the middle
OF the main channel of the Cimarron River;
thence up said river along the middle of the high
channel thereof 10 a point where the same
intersects the range line between range one east
and range one west (being the Indian meridian),
which line tOIms the western boundary of the
reservations set apart respectively Tor the Iowa
and Kickapoo Indians by executive orders,
dated August 10, 1854: thence south along said
range line. or meridian to point where the
same intersecIs the right bank of the north
fork of the Canadian River: thence
up said river along the right bank
thereof to q point where the same
is lntersected by the west line of the reservation
occupied by the CT izen band of Pottowat-
tonnes and the Absentee Shawnee Indians set
apart under the provisions of the treaty of Feb
ruary ~, 1867, between the United States and the
Pottawattomles tribe of Indians, and referred to
in the act of Congress approved May %, 1872;
aforesaid reservation &c a point where the same
intersects the middle of the main channel of the
Canadian River thence up the said river along
the middle of the main channel thereof,
to point opposite TO the place of beginning,
and thence north to the place OF beginning (sav-
ing and excepting one acre of land in square