The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-05-02
OKLAHOMA.
How tho New Territory was Opened.

ma Is upeu ! 1ue peopl6 IGsueu AL Aho
a cyclone aud are still fighting over the
lands. It is a rich country,ibut like all
others there are some very bad lands in
it; and right here it will not be amiss to
say something about the history of Okla.
homs.
In the thirties, when the Indians were
removed from Georgia and other South
ern States, they were taken othe Indian
territory and forty million acres, mbrac.
ing the entire Indian territory, was given
them by the United States government
in place of the land from which they were
removed.
The land was more than the Indians
could use. They occupied the eastern
portion of the territory, or twenty million
acres, and the remaining twenty million
acres were left unoccupied. That is, the
Indians could not occupy it themselves
and consequently leased it 10 q large
cattle syndicate for 100000 annually for
grazing purposes.
Mont of this land is very valuable, and
when the surrounding States became
thickly inhabited there were many who
looked upon this land lopgingly: Then
it was, some twelve years ago, that the
first expedition of "boomers" was organ.
lied, and an attempt made to settle upon
these valuable lands. They organized
large bodies and sought to 60 through the
Cherokee outlet and locate thereon, and
also or the land just opened. These
boomers, under the lead ofPayne, Couch
and Harry Hill, we're each time driven
out by United States troops, but they
would form larger bodies and try again,
and thus it has been going on for many
years. :,
About eight years ago the "boomers"
seeing the chances of getting into the
territory for settlement was against then,
commenced work in congress to get bill
passed opening the territory for settle.
ment.
At the opening of the 10th congress,
four years ago, bills were introduced by
both General Weaver, of Iowa, and the
late Mr.. Townshend, of fIllinois, to open
the entire Indian territory to white set
tlement. The bills were referred to
sub committee of the committee on terri
tories, of which Representative Barnes,
of Georgia, was chairman. Major Barnes
Immediately commenced fighting the
bill upon the grounds that the title to
the Indian territory had been granted by
the United States government to the FIVE
civilized tribes-the Cherokees, Semin.
oles, Choctaws Chicasaws and Creeks
and the title which had beer granted
them had been confirmed by the title OF
the United States in consideration OF
having abandoned their homes east OF
the Mississippi river.
Major Barnes then argued that fol-
these reasons the United States govern.
ment could not open the lands TO white
settlement without first acquiring the
title fror1 the Indians.
These tribes are, however, not to be
looked upon as Indians such as those
now found in the Dakotas. They have
made great progress. They have church;
es, schools and governments modelled
after our State government Many OF
them are men of wealth and education,
and taken as whole the Cherokees are
the wealthiest people on earth.
! There are many whites among them
s'squaw men,, as they are called. These
whites, by marrying Indian squaws,
became equal owners in the lands of the
| territory with the other Indians. Among
the number is brother of Senator ~. G.
Butler, of South Carolina. Mr.. Butler
married squaw some twenty-five OF
thirty years ago, and Bushy Head, an
| ex. chief of the Cherokee nation, who was
in Washington during the last two Ses.
sions of congress, working against the
passage of the Oklahoma bill, married
| bis daughter.
Bushy Head is, by the way, a remark.
ably handsome and intelligent fellow.
Tall, with broad shoulders, high cheek
bones, remarkably high brow and jet
black hair, he is a model of the American
Indian. he has thorough knowledge
of law. Busby Head is about one.fourth
white.
But as to the Oklahoma bill. The orig.
inal bill in the forty.ninth congress
never reached vote on account OF the
decided opposition of Major Barnes,
Judge Crisp, General Hooker and 9th
ers.
When the fftieth or last congress met,
"Oklahoms Bill" Springer introduced a
bill to open all that portion of the Indian
territory west of the lands actually occu.
pied by the Indians and including No
Mans Land, making total of nearly
twenty. four million acres Of land. Then
it was the great fight commenced and the
corruption became evident.
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
and other big western railroad corpora.
tions were deeply interested. The Santa
Fe had lire through the territory which
was dead loss to them as the country
vas closed to the outside world. They
employed q powerful lobby consisting Of
ex. congressman and newspaper men, and
rumor was rife around the capitol that
no less than half dozen congressman
who came to the front in advocacy of the
Oklahoma bill, we're in the pay of this
and other roads. Some were, aud some
were not, but the leaders knew their
reward would come when the bill passed.
Well, the bill passed the house just
after Christmas, and then there was great
rejoicing among few congressman and
the lobbyists. They had worked it 80
well and quietly that it was not until
then it was definitely known who were
the lobbyists. There were fifteen lobby
ists in the corridors when the bill passed.
They were wild with joy, and that night
q grand spread was given. Representa-.
tiVes Springer, Weaver, Warner and
others were bhere, besides the horde of
lobbyists. Champagne flowed freely, and
it has been insimated that pile ofswag'
was divided among the lobbyists. Any.
how they received handsome sums each,
whether it wap divided then or not.
The bill went to the Senate. There it
was smothered by the efforts of Senators
Brent, Platt and others.
However, in the meanwhile, the United
States government and the Creeks and
Seminoles entered into negotiations which
resulted in an agreement by which the
United States acquired the right to open
to settlement all that portion of the
Creek and Seminole lands west of the
lands actually occupied by them. This
constitutes 100000 acres, and is the
Oklahoma territory just opened.
The lobby did the work. During the
last two days of the session clause was
inserted in the Indian appropriation bill
to open this land which has just been