Omaha daily bee., 1889-04-13
THE IMPATIENT SQUATTERS.
Soldiers Kept Busy Ejecting Them
From Oklahoma
WAITING TILL BARS ARE DOWN
Land Hungry Crowds Are. .Anxiously
Looking Forward to the Day
When They Will Be
Free to Enter.
A Plot Against renderrcet.

lands to settlement, and the United States
troops are kept busy patroling the country
|, and ejecting impatient squatters who are un-
willing to wait for the opening day, April %.
Men are rushing in here with the same
avidity that they rush into the booming min
ing camp, and every one seems afraid that
somebody else will get hold of better
quarter section than he will be able to get IL
he waits They are kept moving on, how
ever, and are not permitted topitch their
tents and camp. But the opposition only
seems to increase their anxiety. ana serious
trouble is apprehended in consequence.
Thousands of homesteaders are camping
along the line in Kansas, ready to rush
into Oklahoma at daylight on the 22d, and
unless there be large force of United
States troops and deputy marshals at hand,
the fight for spois may become a serious
matter. Many veteran boomers who have
been hungering for Oklahoma for the past
five years, and braved the hardships
of Captain Paynes campaign, feel
of lands, and many assert that they will have
the land formerly located, at all hazards.
They have selected and watched their claims
for years, and now, fearing that the new
comers may get the best of them, they have
become desperate. They hold their meet
ings in the various camps and seem to have
decided on plan of action, but just what
course they intend to pursue is not known
OutoiuS Va phSii sahS. ~ hto pOCu IuhoiCo
here that these men have banded together
and intend burning the bridges and trestles
on the Santa Fe railroad on the night before
the opening day, in order to oDstruct the IN
flux of homesteaders until they can make
perfect their clam to the land they desire.
A notice to this effect was sent by un-
known parties to the Santa Fe agent, and
force of detectives are said to have been
brougSt here lby the railroad, and to hold
themselves In e'diness to prevent damage
to the company's properly, and every possi-
BILE precaution Is being taken. But the BOOM
ers say they do not pre- )ose to jeopurdize
their chances by allowing flood of tender
foots to drop in on the land they have
selected. Tuey"look upon these lands as
tn IT rights which they say they will forcibly
maintain.
There are already about twice as many
people on the borders as cali be accommo-
dated with homesteads In Oklahoma, and
more are arriving every day. They are
living in tents, dug-outs, wagons and every
kind of shelter, and some are camping out in
the open air. Many of these people repre-
sent colonies from Nebraska, Colorado, Kan
sas, Missouri, and various other states.
These colonies are said to number from
twenty to 800 persons each, ana it looks like
all the world wants to settle in Oklahoma.
The Santa Fe road is preparing for the open
ing day rush and every available car on its
entire system Is to be put in readiness to use
on the 22nd. Many. who can afford it are
engaging private cars for their colonies and
pose of binding the contract.
One of the veteran Oklahoma boomers,
who has been dod gng the soldiers for sew
eral days, speaking of Captain Paynes efforts
to open this territory several years ago, said:
Captain Payne, had he lived, would doubt
less have carried his point by his determined
persistence and bold daring. He was a man
of wondrous will and brave as a lion. A
giant IN stature with little education and no
personal neatness; he was as gentle rs a
woman, and was greatly beloved. by all his
followers, over whom he reigned with i'm
perial sway. His word was law, and none
ever questioned his right to rule.
After having been arrested twice by
United States marshals Payne and his fol-
lowers again entered this forbidden spot and
built village there. company of the
remove them and destroy their village The
torch was applied and the village Of Okla
homa was soon in ashes and the leaders
were taken to Fort Smith to be tried IN the
United States court there. But after con-
siderable correspondence between the differ
ent departments, the president found that he
had an elephant on his hands, for these men
were guilty of nothing but trespass, and were
soon released. Payne then brought suit for
unlawful arrest against Lieutenant jackson,
the officer IN command of the troop of United
States cavalry that arrested him, but the case
Observation-Disclosures and the bold plans
of opening Oklahoma by force were aban-
doned'
Another part of the Indian Territory is
sought to be opened by anxious home e-seek-
ers, for it is certain that the Oklahoma lands
included in the presidents proclamation are
not enough to go round. This is what is
commonly known as the Cherokee outlet"
or Cherokee strip" 1t is in the northern
part OF the territory and is considerably
larger than Oklahoma proper.
The title to the "Cherokee outlet" en-
bracing over six million acres, is peculiar and
anomalous. When the government ceded
the Oklahoma lands to the Cherokee nation
the strip known as the ''outlet" was also en-
braced in the deed, but a mere gratuity
without consideration, not for occupancy,
but for the purpose of affording the Indians
an outlet to the hunting grounds of the Rocky
mountains. The outlet was supposed to be
necessary in order to give larger area for
hunting purposes; but, not being necessary
now, the Oklahoma agitators claim that it
equitably reverts to the government. This
strip has been profitable source of revenue
for the Cherokee nation for number of
years, and Is leased to cattle syndicate for
grazing purposes for $3.50 900 year. This
lease has been made source for complaint
by parties who seek to open this territory.
and Attorney General Garland, in an official
opinion, sustained their views He held
that, as the Cherokees used this "outlet' for
purposes other than those for which 1t was
donated, they forfeited all right and title to
their lands, which, therefore, reverted to the
government.
Renewed efforts are now being made to
open the Cherokee outlet to settlement, and
President Harrison has appointed commits
| sion to treat with the Cherokecs and induce
| them to relinquish all claims to this terri
| tory. This movement is being vigorously
| opposed by the cattlemen who lease these
| lands from the Cherokees for grazing pur-
poses, and they are bringing every influence
| TO bear against opening them. The demands
| of homesteaders are SO great, however, that
| all other pressure will have to give way and
| many people now camping on the Kansas
| line realize that they will be unable to get
| homestead until the Cherokee lands are
| thrown open TO settlement.
| Many of the best citizens of the Indian
| Territory favor the sectlonizing of the entire
| territory, dividing the lands in severalty and
seeking admission TO the union as any other
| territory.
One thing is certain, the organization Of
| the terrtory.of. Oklahoma would tend very
| materially to decrease the amount Of crime
committed in the various Indian nations. In
| its present shape, the Indian Territory offers
| u refuge to criminals from all over the world,
| for once within its borders they are safe
| from arrest, no matter what their crimes
| may be. There are no extradition laws to
facilitate the capture and punishment OF
| criminals who roam the forests of the Indian
Territory. Here they are as safe-safer in
| fact-than IL they were in the wilds OF Aus
trala or Central Africa. True, they can be
/ Dunished for crimes committed within the