The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-16
CHEROKEE STRIP LANDS.
The President Proclaims Them Not
Open to Settlement Yet.

WASHINGTON, March 15.-Ths President
to-day issued the following proclamation:
To iohom it may concern:
The lands known as the Cherokee strip are
not open to settlement. The bill peniing in con-
greSS, and intended to provide a civil govern
ment Tor the country known as Oklahoma, does
not provide for opening the Cherokee strip or
outlet to settlement, and has not as yet
received the vote OF the two Houses of con-
grsss or tine approval of the President The
entrance OF settlers upon these lands unlaw-
ful, and all persons are HEREBY warned against
entering thereon. When these lands shall be-
come open to settlement prompt public notice
will be given of that fact, but in the meantime
1t IS my duty to exclude all pc sons therefrom,
and those who enter unlawfuily will only in
volve themselves in Improbable trouble, as
they will be Immediately removed.
BENJAMIN HARRISON.
Executive Mansion, March IS, 1890.
Adjutant General KelJon has telegraphed
Gen. Merritt at Fort Leave lwortl, Kan, to
use troops If necessary, and win prudence
as heretofore to enforce the foregoing proc
lamation. This order is sent by direction
Of the Secretary of War.
RUSH OF TILE BOOMERS.
ARKANSAS CITY. KAN, March 15.-The
boomers were stampeded into the Cherokee
strip much the same as ths cattle were
ampeded out Of it. They went wi hout
any preconC eived plan or meth0d, and
plunged into the outlet without order or
reason. They misconstrued the passage of
the Oklahoma bill by the House of Repre-
sentatlves into an act providing for
the immediate opening of the country
to settlement, aud each colony of
boomers. alarmed lest it would not
be the first on the ground to select the
choicest town sites aud claims, rushed pell
NELL over the border, regardless of c)nse-
quences. The cattle men are completely
routed, their fences cut. grass burned, cattle
stampeded, and their range destroyed, for
the near future, at least. Taey will be
compelled to get their cattle together as
well as possible and hunt other pastures.
SCHOOL, LANDS SEIZED.
Prof. CooDeck Of the Indian children's
school telegraphed last evening for troops
to expel he boomers from the Indian school
lands, as many, ig GRANT of their boundaries,
located thereon. Prairie fires could be seen
all over the strip last night. No casualties
have occurred so far as known. Within
the first forty-eight hours of the invasion at
least 5000 persons have invaded the
Cherokee strip from different points
along the border. Nearly every
quarter section of land for eighteen miles
sou of this city is at present staked off,
and many of them are occupied by squat
ters. AT o'clock news that the President
had issued proclamation ordering all set
tiers off the strip was received. Some
counselrd prompt compli lance with the
Presidents order, but others insisted that it
was a wise plan to hold their claims until
expelled by troops, and then as soon as the
bluecoats were out Of sight TO return and
begin farming operations.
A SMALL ARMY NEEDED.
Should the soldiers attempt to remove the
settlers there will be no organized resist
| ance, but it will take an army OF 5000 men
to keep them from settling back on the
strip. One pc picking trouble the soldiers
| will labor under will be to distinguish be-
| tween the home seekers on the strip and the
home seekers in Oklahoma. The movers
have a right to pass through the strip on
! their way to Oklahoma. Ask any nun in
! the strip where he is going and his answer
| invariably is "Oklahoma," though it is
known that 80 per cent. are hunting claims
| in the strip.
The cattlemen here did not receive the
| news of the Presidents proclamation, order
| ing the invading settlers out of the strip,
with much. interest. To them it was like
| locking the door after the horse was stolen.
| The settlers seemed to think that the easiest
| way to get possession of the strip was to
drive the cattlemen off, and the easiest way
to do that was to fire the prairies, and fire
| the prairies they did. These prair es
fires served double purpose. They drove
most of the cattle before them, and also de-
stroyed the fodder which those remaining
might have fed upon. Therefore the cattle
men are naturally depressed over their
| gloomy prospects. The damage is already
| done the cattle cannot he marketed. II
| left in the strip they will starve and 60,0CC
| head of cattle be good for nothing but
hides, glue and bone dust.