The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1892-06-17
KINsLEY. EDWARDS COUNTY, KANSAS, F.
- cHERokEE srRIB.
salient Features or 5he sew Bm openIng
the Laud to settlement

salient Features or 5he zvevF Bm Opening
the Land to settlement
VAsu1SGrOS, June 1.-THE bill open
ing the Cherokee strip to settlement
which the committee on Indian affairs
reported favorably 20 the house yester-
day, differs very much from Chairman
Peers bill, which he first introduced
Concerning it, Mr. Peel said to a cor
respondent;
THE committee suggested I report
just such a bill as I thought best, and
when / gave the matter atteut ton
made many changes and backed 10 with
a report which / am proud Of have
blocked ala EOouers, land gra Dgersr
town lot grabbers. claim jumpers and
have made it possible for an honest
h0meseeIEer to get a home without be-
ing disturbed by this class of iudivld-
uals- No person can take a claim who
has ever taken a claim any place eLses
unless he lost such claim 10y contest
''Ehe president is required to give
thirty days notice before opening to
settlement, and any one going on tho
land before the date fixed not only for
feits all right but is subject TO tIuc and
imprisonment, and government officials
are prohibited from locating on land
ANY one attempting to take land who
is not legally entitled to is subject to
fine and imprisonment.
'It is opened to homestead settlers
only, and they are allowed to make pay
ment OF one-halE at the end of the sec
ond year and Oue-half at the end of the
fourth year. The cast oue-third is sold
TO the settlers for $3.50 per acre. the
middle third, $50 per acre, and the
west third, 81 per acre This is to re-
inn burse the government for money
paid the Indians
1.-The bill provides that before the
country is opened to settlement the
president shall appoint a commission to
locate all county seats survey all towns
into lots and blocks and appraise the
same. When the country is opened to
settlement these lots are sold to the
highest bidders at public auction The
proceeds are turned over to the county
treasurer in the respective counties to
be placed in the school fund
The bill has nothing to say about
creating new land Offices, and Mr. Peel
expressed the opinion that the business
could be done at Guthrie and King
fisher, The bill VIII now go upon the
house calendar and be called up posi-
bly, within a month.
Mr. Peel leaves In few DAYS for Ar
kansas to look after political NATTER
and says he is assured by the commit
tee on rules that ne viii be given time
as soon as ne returns for the cousidcra-
tion of the bill While in Arkansas "a
few weeks go looking after a reuom-
iuatiou he found "a strong feeling in
favor of opening the strip to settlement
This caused him to ia &c the matter up
and place it before the house iIc says
it Will pass the house with little opp9sl-
ton and meet with practically no uppo-
sition In the senate.
The Indians and whites living in the
country covered by tine Ouapaw agency
do not want the bill to pass which opens
I their country to settlement and at
taches 1t to Oklahoma as a county j..
p McNaughton, of the Peoria country,
/ arrived to-day with petitions from Citi-
zeus there requesting that the country,
when opened, be annexed to Kansas or
1 Missouri, but not to Oklahoma The
petitions viii be presented TO the com
mittee haviuE the bill under C1usid -ru-
ton, ANA VI rNuuTE win go lr -a-s the
committee ia behalf OF those opposing
this feature of the bill.