Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1889-02-14
WHERE NO MANS LAND IS.

forests, where the pterdactyl famed the
languid air with leathery wing and the
mylo1on robustus basked and browsed
on the miocene shore. The people of No
Mans Land have done this service for us
by organizing government on purely
original principles, without a congress
SIGNAL enabling act or anything from
state or nation. x*x
The scene Of this political evolution is
tract of United States territory half a
degree wide and three degrees Of longi-
tude in length, which was accidentally
left out in giving the adjoining territories
straight boundaries, in this wise: When
the Cherokees moved west the govern
ment guaranteed them the land north of
Red river and westward to the Mexican
line; that line was then the Tooth meri-
dian from Red river to the Arkansas, 81
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 36 degs. and 80 min., for
the Missouri compromise was to the effect
that there should be no slavery north Of
that line, SO 36 degs. 80 min. is the north
boundary of Texas. In laying off New
Mexico congress thought only of giving
it square boundaries, and so it's eastern
border was located on longitude 103 degs.
Similarly latitude 81 degs. 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 degs., west by 103 degs.,
north by latitude 81 degs. and south by
86 degs. 80 min.
The tract contains s,7oo, 900 acres and
about 1000 people. It was long called the
Cherokee Neutral Strip, because every
one supposed it was part OF the Indian
territory, and the Cherokees claimed
that the grant of land "as 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
land as the United States had at the date
Of the grant. After the railroads were
built through Kansas 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 teamsters, where they
recruited their stock. Therefore in
March, 1880, James Lane, bold from
tiersman, established a ranch at the
Beaver crossing and built sod house,
with plastered walls, glass windows and
a roof of rafters covered with prairie
hay. 1t still stands-the first house in
Beaver City. x*x
Others came to enjoy the profitable
trade with teamsters and Texas cowboys,
and the metropolis of the neutral strip"
became a place. In 1889 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
certificate to that effect from the depart
ment of the interior, and the inevitable
"town company" was formed at Wichita.
They compromised with Lane and laid
off Beaver City in 1886, 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
in trust, who decided to all bona
fide holders. And this is fair sample.
But the Wichita boomers failed to get
their relief" as there was no govern
ment survey and no land office with
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
q great place of attraction for Texas
wboys, and promiscuous shooting be-
caAe a favorite amusement. The visitor
usually rode into town at a gallop, yell
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