The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-09-14
READY FOR THE RUSH.
Thousands Waiting ear the
Signal to Enter the Cher
okee Strip.
THE LAND sPLENDlDLY SITUATED
Soil Fertile and Productive and The
Climate Delightful --urders and
Regulations.
TIE LAND spLENDlDLY SITUATED
.special 10 he Jersey CIR Mus.

gest body Of purely agricultural land on
tie American continent that remains
unsettled and uncultivated, will be
thrown ooen to settlement under the
homestead laws and between noon and
nightfall of hat eventful day. a hundred
thousand people will find homes upon
that land. The excitement incident to
these thousands registering was told in
last nights JERSEY CITY NEWS.
This body OF land * known as the
Cherokee Strip or GU =. aud is fifty
seven miles wide and 1s5 III length. SON.
tanning about eight million acres, In
1se4 the Cherokee Indians were given
this land as tt hunting outlet to the West
but have not used it for that purpose for
a number of years. OF late they hay e
been claiming absolute title TO the land,
but Tue courts overthrow this claim aud
decided they could ouly pass over the
land when going upon hunting tours,
and could use 1t for no other purpose. At
ter several years Of dickering che Indians
fiuasly sold their rtghs in tins land to the
government for 5000, 600. and Congress
brought JOY To the hearts of waiting
thousands last spring by passing q bill
providing for the opening OF the land co
settlement.
That portion OF the strip which it is
proposed TO open exteLds from the
Arkansas River Oh the east 10 IN, mans
land" on the west, aud contains the most
fertile land In the Indian territory.
Kansas toachss it on the north and the
Oklahoma country on the south. The
small reservation OF the Otoes, Mtsourias,
Osages aud Poncas In the eastern part
Will not be- opened until the Indlan com
mission treats with these tribes aud
fnYnan1 fhn m M hare tn foRn THAR lando
IN seyerality.
A FERTILE SOIL.
The soil Is Il rich sandy loan very fertile
aud productive. both on the lowlands and
uplands. the quality being mucn better
throughout thHu that ia Oklahoma. The
ground is covered with a rich carpet of
grass. while tue principal streams are
lined with timber. The Salt Fork of tue
Arkansas. the Canadian and the Cimar-
ron, all flowing in southeastsrly direc-
ton, are the principal stream,
and all nave numerous tributaries.
which make a uetwork or running
water euveloping the entire country.
The eastern half of the strip is the best
adapted to agricultural purposes. and If
a person picks II claim west of the Santa
Fe Railway anywhere for sixty miles. he
will have a good farm, whether he gets
on uplsn or lowisnd. East of the rail-
way there is some poor land, int the
ciaims in the rich valley OF the Arkansas
Will be among the very best. The timber
along the streams consists OF oak, ash
ptcan. elm and walnut. and the mustang
grapevine abounds. The western portion
OIL The strip is more broken, and while the
upiands there are more adapted to graz
ing. the streams are bortiered with the
richest of bottom lands. In this part are
also found forests of good timber.
In tie northwest part OF the trip are
sel erai salt marshes which Indicate i'm
nseI,se deposits of salt. n the water of
several OF the large streams is made
salty by them. There are undoubtedly
rich coal fields underlying the central
and western part of the country aud at
several points indications OF lead and
iron have been found.
LIMAT DELIGHTFUL.
The climate IL lsiiInlfai here as it is
throughout OKlanonia and indian terri-
t1ries. and the farmer can work outdoors
ten months III the year.
Men from California have lately pro-
bounced The Cherokee strip to be as we'll
adapted to fruit growing MS Southern
California. and within an Incredibly
sholt lerjod of time what is now a vast
waste will become an orchard, a vine
yard and a garden, the like of which has
never been seen.
Tbs man who secures a farm on the
Shakaska or ~neighborlng streams will
have as fiue and fertile a farm as human
mind can conceive and yet he will be but
little better off than the thousands who
secure claims altnost any where in the
eastern hnlf of the strip. About 80 per
cent. of the strip ia first class farming
and fruit land, and the balance is exc.l
eut for stock raising.
Wheat, corn aHd oats can be raised in
abundance and all kinds of vegetables.
Including sugar beets, can be grown with
great profit. Sorgham Is a good paying
crop. and even cotton aud tobacco eau
be produced to advantage. The entire
strip Is covered with a luxuriaut growth
of blue stem gama, buffalo aud other
grasses yielding ine pasture aud excel
lent hay. Excellent water is found at a
depth of % feet. The timber supply is
sufficient to supply all domestic wants
Cor many years. and first class building
stone is to be found on all sides.
II STARTING POINTS.
Guthrie, the capital or Oklahoma aud
the land Office Tor the entire eastern por-
ton of the strip, is the best Quitting
point. aud from there will start many
thousands who go Into the promise
lands. Orlando on the Santa Fe and
Hennessy on the Rock Island are just on
the southern border of the Strip, and will
be g. arting places for great numbers.
Arkansas City. Caldwell aud Kiowa will
be headquarters for those going In from
the north, the first city bsing the largest
aUn most accessible.
The Santa Fe railway crosses the east
y u O4Ab VI tAo t1HAA $A49 AgOSA4 lau bhO
ceutial part and a branch OF the Santa
Fee extends from Kiowa southwesterly
across it.
In accordance with the BILL passed by
Congress the land has been devlded into
seven counties. DESIGNATED as, counties
i, L, NJ, N, O, p and @. and near the
crptre Of each county 800 acres of land
have been reserved for a size for the
county seat. These cites have all been
surveyed and st liked of iuto lots, any
MIN Der of which eau be secured fres by
the first person to get on and improve
them on the day OF opening.
Numerous other town will be startel
by. town companies aud colonies. the
most i'm portant of which will be Cross
and Ponca on tna Santa Fo. Mound City
on the Frisco extension and Wauhomis
on the Rock Island. +
THOSE ENTITLED TO HI LAND.
Any person (niau or wotnau) the head
of "A family or twenty one years old can
eiete a homestead Of 100 acres upon The
Strip. provided they have not already
euj eyed the benefits OF the ftomestal act,
aud ME either citizens of the United
Sites Or have fiIsd their declaratory
statements. II you nave made a home-
steni entry previous 80 March 2, 1889.
and failed to perfect title TO sams up to
tais time, or have obtained land under
the straight presumption OF. timber cult
ure acr. you are still eligible to take a
homestead in the Strip. provided you dc
not own 1850 acres OF land, for ary person
owning this amount of land in any state
or territory is barred out from entering
any l4nd 10 Oklahoma