Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1889-01-26


forests, where the pterdactyl famed the
languid cir with loathery wing and the
mylgdoi robustus taskcd and browsc5
on Tic pioconc shore. The people Of No
Mans L5nd l.ave doc TVS csryicc forus
original principles, without a congress
ri eE;aa.,ll.sng ect er anything from
The scene Of this political evolution is
a tract Of United States territory half a
degree wide and three degrees Ct lcngi-
tude IN length, which was Accidentally
left ont in giving the adjoining territories
straight boundaries, in this wise. When
the Cherokees moved west the govern
mont guaranteed them the land north OF
Red river and westward 20 tho Mexican
line; that line Was then the Tooth meri-
dian from Red river TO the Arkansas, SO
the Tooth meridian is declared by the
land office and United States courts to
be the western limit of the Indian terri
tory. When Texas was annexed her
Statesmen agreed to surrender all her
lands north of 80 dogs. and 80 min. for
the Missouri compromise was TO the effect
that there should be no slavery north of
that line, SO 30 dogs. 80 min. is the north
boundary of Texas. In laying off New
Mexico congress thought only of giving
it square boundaries, and so its eastern
border was located on longitude 1903 degs.
Similarly latitude 80 dogs. was made the
continuous southern boundary of Kansas,
Colorado and Utah. The result of this
pairing was No Mans Land. bounded east
by longitude 100 dogs, westby l03 degs.
north by latitude 81 dogs. and south by
30 degs 80 min.
The tract contains 300, eco acres and
about z 900 people. 1t was long called the
Cherokee Neutral Strip, because every
ono supposed it was part of the Indian
territory, and the Cherokees claimed
that the grant of land las far as United
States land extends" carried their border
TO New Mexico; but the grant was con-
strued by Commissioner A. j. Sparks
and Secretary Lamar to cover only such
laad as the United States had at the date
Of the grant. After the railroads were
built through Kansas n very important
trail was laid out from Dodge city south
west into Texas, and Beaver river in this
forgotten strip became the favorite rest
ing place of the transfers, where they
recruited their stock. Therefore in
March, 1880, James Lane, q bold from
Beaver crossing and built n sod house,
with plastered walls, glass windows and
q roof of rafters covered with prairie
hay. 1t still stands-the first house in
Beaver City. -
Others came TO enjoy the profitable
trade with teamsters and Texas COWBOYS.
and the metropolis of the neutral strip"
became a place. In 1882 some one dis
covered that the strip did not belong to
any territory or state, and Mr. W. A.
Starr, of Oswego, Kan, quietly got Q
certificate TO that effect from the depart
ment o. the interior, and the inevitable
town company" was formed at Wichita.
They compromised with Lane and laid
off Beaver City in 1856, reserving for
him the two blocks now known as
Lanes Reserve" Now the custom IN
the far west is to build and boom cities
and sell lots on quit claim deeds until an
act Of congress can be obtained making
these titles valid. The reader curious
about such matters may find in the
statutes at Large" many of these relief
acts, notably one entitled IAN act for
the relief Of the inhabitants of Salt
Lake City There the people had
bought and sold on quit claim deeds,
without the signature of any wife, first
or tenth, for twenty-three years; con-
gress gave title to the whole city to the
mayor, in trust, who decided to all bona
fide holders. And this is a fair sample
But the Wichita boomers failed to get
their relief" as there was no govern
ment survey and no land Office with
jurisdiction-in short, nothing TO tie
to" as the western idiom has it.
When Beaver City had reached a resi-
dent population of perhaps $50 it became
a great place of attraction for Texas
cowboys, and promiscuous shooting be-
came favorite amusement. The visitor
usually rode into town at a gallop, yell