San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-05-02

point for miles around. IL Is not until tho
traveller sees such bluffs Us this that no Is
fully able to appreciate the term broken land
which western people use It looks as II II
might have becn ridge from which ono side
had been cut away and the remainder had
then been bent around until 1t split open into
chasms and gulches, with precipitous blood
red sides. Tho effect on novice Is startling.
At tho foot of the cliff there Is a narrow
meadow land. Then comes the broad belt OF
yellow sand, with here and thero patches and
threads Of water, that forms tho river bed
with fringe Of scraggly trees TO mark the
further bank. Beyond this Is another narrow
grassy bottom land, and then begins the
gentle slope that rises and swells In countless
undulations and knolls. league on league, to
tho ragged line Of the timber covered ridge
that marks tho horizon. Everywhere trees
and shrubs dot the knolls and valleys, or
stretch away like hedgerows, or spread out
In clumps and groves that look In tho hazy
distance almost like cloud shadows lying on
the yellowish brown prairie grass.
Even tho stolid Chiclasaw Indian, who
sometimes goes to this bluff on tho Canadian
and gazcs on tho sceno spread out before him,
is compelled to express his admiration. Open.
ing his lips, ho says;
Oklahoma"-beautifu land.
This towering bluff on the banks Of the
Canadian Is tho Mount Nebo Of mighty
host Of homescekers, and Oklahoma-the
Chickasaw term for pleasing landscape
is the name Of their Canaan, which lies
Just beyond the sands Of their River Jordan.
Tho Santa Fe has had limo In operation
directly through the heart Of the country,
running from Arkansas City, Kan, to
Gainesville, Tex, for two years. Tho Rock
Island has laid out and Is building two exten-
sions, ono to tap Texas and the other to extend
to Mexico. Both Of these traverse tho entire
width Of the proposed territory. The Union
Pacific has also surveyed line. Tho Santa
Fo has another line In operation across the
northwest corner Of the territory extending
into tho Texas panhandle and ultimately To
be built to FL Paso. All these roads, existing
md proposed, viii be found on the map
One Of the surveyors presents this estimate
Of tho available land: "There arc l2,000, ,00O
acres now unoccupled and 10, 100000 included
By tho bill, which is being occupied by less
than 0,01O Indians. Allotted lands under the
Indian soveralty aro allowed 400 acres for
each family of five persons or two and one
half as much as Is allowed the whites by this
bill. This would give less than ,0oo, 900 acres
to the Indians, leaving surplus of q, 200, 900.
Now then this gives us 10000 farms, or a
farming population Of 100000, and taking in
the city population would leave 500, 900 peo-
plo, or about tho saine rs now live In the
great state Of Kansas"
A queer feature Of the Oklahoma business
Is that nll that part Of tho country controlled
by tho Cherokees, and much Of tho rest, Is
used for the herds Of vast cattle syndicates,
whose lenses lavo been repeatedly declared
illegal and who have been peremptorily or.
dered to leave, and yet they are still there.
OF course they are opposed to opening the
lands to settlement. Nearly oil tho Cherokee
strip is incloscd by bnrbed wire fonces.
1t is not possible to give complete list OF
tho cattcmen who havo ranges In tho now as
well rs old Oklahoma fenced In, without
travelling further than tho information Is
worth Tuttle 6 Co., however, fenced up
tho old Abilene cattle trail last fall, the trail
having been abandoned since the Santa Fe
limo wns completed across tho territory. The
strip thus gobbled Is thrco miles wide and
forty long down to Pond Creek from Buffalo
Springs, say 10000 acres In all.
Tho Cherokee Strip Cattle company is the
leading concern Of oil, but tho company owns
not hoof, but only n lease Of tho Cherokee
strip, for which 1t pays tho Cherokee nation
:200, 900 year, or about ~ cents year per
nero for something over 0,000, ,0o0 acres. This
land itsublcts to anybody with cattlo, and the
sum realized is estimated at from 100000
to e150, 900 per annun. The company is not
telling how mitch it makes.
Another feature OF tho cattle business here
Is tho fact that n large amount of English
money IL invested In 1t.
Tho life of tho cattlo owners when they
come TO tho ranges at certain seasons was Of
u sort to arouse the indignation of tho boom.
ers to the highest pitch. Every range had
sheltered nook, and ranch build.
ings and corrnls wore erected there. One Of
tho buildings was invariably fitted up for the
owners. 1t was made Of logs usually, but
there was large ball on tho first floor with
n long table in 1t, al aInplo kitchen at the
rear, and dugout cellar handy by On the
second Goor were u number Of bedrooms fur
nished IN style 10 suit the taste of a Partisan,
or parisienne for that matter.
Tho face OF tho country Is varied, chang
ing from sandy plains and treeless prniries In
the west TO billy country and well tiinberod
regions in tho east The whole country Is u
gentle slope. From tho foot Of the hills OF
the Rocky mountains the slope turns In a
southeastcrly direction and most OF the rivers
and streams run that way. As tho con.ral
portion is reached there are some groups and
ranges of mountains, most OF them between
the Rcd and Canadian rivers, known rs the
Wnshita, Sansboys aud tho Poteau ranges.
The northwestern section Of tho Cherokee
strip consists Of grassy plains, lacking sono
what in rainfall for agricultural purposes,
but supplying excellent food for cattlo. In
the eagtern portion there nrc broad and fer
tile valleys on each si,ic Of the rivers, fro
1uent overflOws from which keep the soil well
irrigated and constantly addinz to IL nlluviI
deposits Back Of these valleys are undulat-
ing uplands. most Of them valuable agricul-
tural and timber landA
For many years tho Indian territory was
considered great hunting ground After the
luffalo retired west Of the Missouri river
their favorite ranges were from the northern
portions Of Texas, between the i0Sd and Soth
degrees q longitude, 20 tho British line In
Montana They were found IN considerable
numbers In the western portion q the terri
tory, a. were also the other large game Of tbe
prairie sections. including the Wild bora The
buffalo and antelope have 20 a considerable
extent disappeared, and they are very rarely
found: but der, black and brown bear and
other game are found In TIE timbored regions
and aioug the streamN Of the En.aller game
the via TURKEY, ags be-s and q great va
riefy q birIis q prey are stil found IN that
sertioa- Ibere is vory Little fistiag 30 Be bad.
boEever, IN TIE territory, f1r Tie ruasJn, %
ss1;ed ab0ve. hat many q t5s river dry
dosn 10 sa1A1loE pools duriag lie szuz1e