Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-06-23
THE CHEROKEE STRIP.
Salient Features of the New Bill Opening
the Land to Settlement

Salient Features of the New Bill Opening
the Land to Settlement
WASHINGTON, June 14-The bill open
ing the Cherokee strip to settlement,
which the committee on Indian affairs
reported favorably to the house yester-
day, differs very much from Chairman
Peefs bill, which he first introduced
Concerning it, Mr.. Peel said to cor
respondent:
The committee suggested report
Just such a bill as L thought best, and
when gave the matter attention
made many changes and backed it with
a report which / am proud of. have
blocked all sooners, land grabbers,
town lot grabbers, claim jumpers and
have made it possible for an honest
homeseeker to get home without be
ing disturbed by this class of individ.
ualS No person can take claim who
has ever taken a claim any place else,
unless he lost such claim by contest
'The president is required to give
thirty days notice before opening to
settlement, and any one going on the
land before the date fixed not only for
feits all right, but is subject to fine and
imprisonment, and government officials
are prohibited from locating on land
my OAO W kdhS 1dn0 n12O
is not legally entitled to Is subject &c
line and imprisonment.
ut is opened to homestead settlers
only, and they are allowed to make pay
ment of one-half at the end OF the sec
ond year and one-half at the end of the
fourth year. The east one-third is sold
to the settlers for $50 per acre: the
middle third, $3.50 per acre, and the
west third. 81 per acre. This is to re-
imburse the government for money
| paid the Indians
''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 will now go upon the
house calendar and be called up posi-
| bly, within q month.
Mr.. Peel leaves in a few DAYS for Ar
| kansas to look after political matters
and says he is assured by the commit
tee on rules that he Will be given time
| as soon as he returns for the conSidera
ton OF the bill. While in Arkansas {
few weeks ago looking after a renom
ination he found a strong feeling il
favor OF opening the strip TO settlement
This caused him to take the matter W
and place II before the house. He says
it viii pass the house with little roppOsi
ton and meet with practically no oppo
sition in the senate.
The Indians and whites living in The
country covered by the Quapaw agencl
do not want the bill 10 pass which opens
their country to settlement and at
taches II TO Oklahoma as a county. J
2. McNanghton, of the Peoria country
arrived to-day with petitions from citi
zens there requesting that the country
when opened, be annexed to Kansas o.
Missouri, but not to Oklahoma TIL,
petitions viii be presented to the com
rnittee having the bill under cOnsidera
ton, and McNaughtOn viii go before tn
committee in behalf OF those cppOsin,
this feature of the bill.