The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-03-28
BOOMERS SEE THE BARRIERS FALL.
Lands of the Seminole and Musco-
gee Opened to Settlement.
on April 22nd the Impatient Thous-
ands May Take Possession
And Stake Off Farms On the Red
Mans Hunting Grounds.

WASHINGTON, March 27.--The President
today issued the following proclamation,
opening the Oklahoma lands:
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA; PROCLAMATION:
Whereas, Pursuant to section 8 of the act Of
Congress, approved March 3, 1885, entitled an
act making appropriations for the contingent ex-
penses OF the Indian department and for fulfilling
treaty stpultions with various Indian tribes for
the year ending June 80, 1886, and for other pur-
poses, certain articles of cessIon and agreement
were made and concluded at the city of Washing
ton on the 18th day of January in the year of our
America and the Muscogee or Creek nation of In
dians, whereby the said Muscogee nation of In
dlans, for the consideration therein mentioned,
ceded 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
Muscogee nation in the Indian Territory lying
west OF the division line, surveyed and estab-
lished under the treaty with said nation dated on
on the 4th day of June, 1886, and also granted
and
RELEASED To THE UNITED STATES
all and every claim, estate, right 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 Muscogee nation as lies
east of said line ofdivision surveyed and estab-
lished as aforesaid, aud then used and occupied
as the home OF said nation, and which articles of
cesslon and agreement were duly accepted, rati-
fed and confirmed by said Muscogee nation of In
dians, by act of its council. approved on the 31st
by act of Congress, approved March 1, 1889, and
whereas, by section IL of the act entitled an
&C making appropriations for the current and
contingent expenses of the Indian department
and for fulfilling treaty stpulations with various
Indian tribes for the year ending June so, 1890,
and for other purposes, approved March 2, 1889,
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 In
0ianS might have in certain land cQdad Nv artic1a
of the treaty between the United States and said
nation OF Indians, concluded June IA, 1866, and
PROCLAIMED AUG. 49, 1866,
said appropriation TO become operative upon the
execution by the duly appointed delegates of said
nation. specially empowered to do so, of 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 satisfac-
tory to the President of the United States; and
Whereas, said release and conveyance, bearing
date of March 16, 1889, has been duly and fully
executed, approved and delivered; and
Whereas, section IS of the act last aforesaid,
ton 13, 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 SO of each
township, whether surveyed or unsurveyed are
hereby reserved for the use and benefit of the
public schools, TO be established within the limits
Of saidlands under such conditions and regula-
lions as may be hereafter enacted by Congress.
That tie lands acquired by conveyance from the
and thirtysixth sections, shall be disposed TO ac-
tual settlers under the homestead laws, only ex-
section 2Soi Of the Revised Statutes Shall hoe an.
ply; and provided fnrther. that any person who
having attempted TO, but for any cause failed to
secure title in fee to homestead under existing
laws, or who made entry under what is known as
the commuted provision of the homestead laws,
shall be
QUALIFIED TO MAKE A HOMESTEAD ENTRY
upon said lands; and provided further, that the
al.
sailors in the late civil war. as defined and de-
scribed in sections 23o4 and 23o5 of the Revised
Statutes, shall not be abridged; and provided
further, that each entry shall be in square form
as nearly as practicable and no person be per-
mitted to enter more than one quarter section
thereof, but until said lands are opened for settle
ment by proclamation of the President, no per-
son shall be permitted to enter upon and occupy
the same, and no person violating this provision
snail ever De permitted to enter any of said lands
or acquire any rights thereto.
The Secretary of the interior may, after said
sites. under sections 23S7 and 1883 OF the Re-
vised Statutes, but no such entry shall embrace
more than one nali section ot land That all the
acquired from the Seminole Indians. including
the provisions pertaining to forfeiture, shall ap
quired from The Muscogee Indians by articles of
cession and agreement made and concluded at
the city OF Washington on Jan. 10, in the year of
our Lord. 1885,"
Now, therefore. 1, Benjamin Harrison, Presi-
dent of the United States, by virtue of the power
IN me vested by SAID acts of Congress approved
March 2, 1889, aforesaid, do hereby declare and
make known that so much of the lands as afore-
SAID acquired from, or conveyed by the Muscogee
or Creek nation ef Indians, and from or by the
Seminole nation, respectively, as contained with
in the following described boundaries Here
follows long description of the limits of the ter
ritoryl will at and after the hour of IL O'clock
noon of the
TwENTY-sEcoND OF APRIL
next and not before, be open for settlement under
the terms of and subject to all the conditions,
limitations and restrictions contained in said act
of Congress, approved March 2, 1889, and the
laws of the United States applicable thereto.
And it is hereby expressly declared and made
known that no other part or parts of the land en-
braced within the Indian territory than those
herein specifically described and declared to be
open to settlement at the time above named and
fixed, are to be considered as open to settlement
under this proclamation or the act of March 2
1889, as aforesaid and
I Warning is hereby again expressly given that
no person entering upon and occupying said lands
before said hour of IL noon, on the 22d day of
April. A. ID. 1885, hereinbefore fixed, will ever be
permitted TO enter any of said lands, or acquire
any rights thereto, and that the officers of the
United states will be required to strictly enforce
effect In witness whereof, have hereunto set
my hand and caused the seal of the United States
to be affixed,
Done at the City of Washington, this 23d day of
March, in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty-nine. and the inde-
pendence of the United States the one hun
dred and thirteenth.
BENJAMIN HARRISON.
By the President,
JAMES g. BLAINE,