Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-11-27
VOL. TX. NO. l2.
DEsPoILeRs AT WORK.

Thieves Playing Havoc About Ranches %
the Cherokee strip-The Government
Alone Able 70 Protect tho Property
KANSAS CITY Mo. Nov. 22 Secretary
/ John A. Blair, Of the Cherokee Strip
Livestock Association, is in the city
and tells startling story Of ruin and
devastation now going on throughont
the strip. Having as his official duty
\ tho compiling OF all information regard
( ing affairs in the Strip, Secretary Blair
is well informed OF the happenings
there. Mr. Blair expressed the
opinion that within thirty days from
the time the Strip is vacated by ranch
men all the improvements made there
will be possessed by thieves from Okla
homa and Kansas, unless the Govern
ment orders out the troops to
protect the property. The terms
OF the lease made with the Cher
okees for the Livestock Associa-
tion provide that all improvements
of a stationary character made by
the association shall revert to the use
and ownership Of the Cherokees when
the cattlemen shall vacate the leased
land. The Government has cancelled
the lease, to take effect within few
days This would leave the Indians in
possession of all the improvements, il
their neighbors were less inclined TO
help themselves
The ranch buildings are all good, and
include stables and such out-houses as
would be very valuable to settlers or
the Indians, should that country not be
opened TO settlement by the whites.
Owing to the scarcity Of lumber in that
section, it costs great deal more to
erect buildings than it would in popu-
lated country and therefore the Indians
laid great stress on the clause that pro-
yided for their ownership of the i'm
provements when the association should
vacate their lands.
"rhey little thought said Mr.. Blair.
that by the time they wanted to util-
ize those Improvements that they
would be distributed over hal Of South
ern Kansas and most OF Oklahoma.
That is just what's going on. As fast as
they are vacated lumber-thieyes pull
them down and carry them away. 1t is
the same way with fences Every night
ranches are leveled to the ground and
lt4ittS HIoh AtHn ptCthAHtHJ III AdNb ~
looks now as though one could soon ride
from one border Of the Strip to the
other and not find fence to impede
his progress. 1t cost the cattlemen
about 50 600 to fence every 100, 900 acres
OF that land, and as the Strip contains
over 9. 600, 900, you can see that for fences
alone about S4O0 900 has been spent.
Add to that the cost of ranch buildings,
and the Indians will lose what cost
$500 600 if the thieying now going on
is not stopped
The Indians can only appeal to the
Government for protection and gather
such information as will locate the
thieves who will no doubt be prose-
cuted The Indians have not yet got
possession of the Strip, and can not
therefore, question the right of any one
found within its border. II they could
there would be less thieying done there;
but l am OF the opinion that by the
time the Cherokees are given possession
there won be any improvements left to
protect"
Mr.. Blair reports that there are no
cattle in the Strip east of Pond Creek.
and that only about two train loads re-
main in the western part Of that do
main. Within a week he says that all
cattle and ranchmen will have vacated
the disputed ground and left 1t to the
tender mercies Of invaders.
A question involved in the matter,
and not determined satisfactorily to the
parties interested, is who are RESPONSE
be for those improvements and upon
whom would the duty of insduting
criminal proceedings against the thieves
devolye? IF the Indians don't own the
Strip" said Mr. Blair 1T would seem
to be the Governments business to see
that its wards were not robbed. lnas-
much as the thieving is going on before
the association has surrendered its pos
session of the Strip the Indians if
their title to the lands is good, would.
no doubt, have cause for action against
the association for non-iulfllment of
agreement such action will. however,
hardly occur. the Cherokees realizing
that, without resorting to bloodshed,
the ranchmen could not protect their
property Both Indians and cattiemen
blame the Government for the unfortu-
nate condition Of affairs Meanwhile
the despoilers are at work.