The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-12
THE OPENING OF THE CHEROKEE
STRIP.

The time has arrived for the opening
of the Cherokee outlet. Lying along the
southern border of Kansas are more than
six million acres of the finest unsettled
lands on the American continent. 1t is
a domain, immensely fertile in soil,
saIubrious in climate and possessed of
magnificent resources. The time has
come for congressional action. Well did
the committee on the territories of the
last house of representatives declare, in
reporting bill for the opening of the
Cherokee outlet. 'This is a situation
not borne with liberation, or looked upon
with equanimity by the poor people of
the country seeking homes, and is Que
that should be remedied by the govern
ment at the earliest possible hour"
The lands of the Cherokee outlet will
make homes for 1885 families of 100
acres each. The lands of Oklahoma
proper, consisting of 1 1857, 800 acres were
settled as by magic, almost in a single
day.
In about sixteen months after their
settlement, by the census of 1890, these
lands contained population of 81 1884
people. The Sac and Fox, Iowa and
Pottowatomie lands have recently been
settled, and the Cheyenne and Arapahoe
reservations will soon follow.
The public domain of arabic land has
been narrowed to the very smallest area.
The best land in the entire domain of
the government is in the Indian Terri
tory. The choicest land of the Indian
Territory is in the Cherokee outlet.
The subiugation of this entire con-
tinent by the whites is inevitable. Their
progress is as irresistible as the Christian
religion. The ebb and flow of the great
waves of population in this country
means the rapid submerging of the
newer states and territories, and the
rapid settlement of the Indian lands, to
the entire extinction of all of the tribal
relations.
The western idea of the Indian is vastly
different, from the Quaker idea of the
east-here we know him as he is. Red
Jacket, Tecumseh, Black Hawk, the
noble warrior, and the Indian princess
have passed away. Scar-Faced Charley
and John are here, and How John"
is the common salutation. No man who
has ever resided in the west has ever
seen an Indian princess; most of us have
seen an Indian squaw, wearing pair Of
WORKOUT soldier cavalry pants.
In an early day, the place faces intro
duced fire-water among the red men, but
it was reserved for the higher type of
civilization existing in the present CEN
fury, TO initiate the noble red man into
the mysteries of the deadly cigarette. A
passenger riding upon any of the lines of
railway, leading through the Indian
country, will find today, at the various
railway stations, bucks, squaws, and
even small papooses, putting cigarettes,
with all of the reckless abandon of a
Western Union Telegraph messenger
boy. Such are some of the present con-
ditiohs of the Indian country. These
will change, like the views of magic
lantern, under the benign touch of civ
ilization, and the dissolving of the tribal
relations.
Striking southwark from Arkansas
City, the traveller crosses the Arkansas
river, and in moment the train crosses
the Kansas line The beautiful Cherokee
outlet spreads before him. Hereis an area
OF country sufficient to make twelve
counties. Two great trunk lines OF rail-
way, the Atchison and Rock Island cross
the outlet. Open the strip to settlement,
and as by magic, towns Will spring up
along the lines of railway named, and
corner lots will be ssaked for sale above
old Indian graves" i large number of
people are waiting all over the western
country. to settle on the Cherokee strip.
many are in camp now along the south
ern border OF Kansas, looking with long
ing eyes into the promised land. Ten
days after the opening wiz suffice 10 put