The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-11-03
THE FORT SILL COUNTRY.
Three Million Acres of Rich Farming Lands
For Future oOmer

Three Million Acres of Rich Farming Lands
For Future ONE
People generally got the idea that the
Cherokee strip affords the last of the bic
openings of Indian Territory reserva.
tons. This is a mistake. The Fort Still
country is yet to be divided. 1t is a far
richer prize for the homeseeker, by all
accounts, than the strip. In round
number Of acres the Cherokee strip looks
more imposing. But the western third
contains wastes of sand hills. The west.
ern half of the strip is fit for little else
than grazing. With the Fort Sill coun.
try the case is different. The proportion
of fine farming land is much greater.
Prospectors who have roamed over the
Fort Sill country since the Comanches
became quiet enough not to be trouble
some say 1t is II region that SURPRISES Ok
lahoma and the best of the strip. The
Fort Sill country lies in the southern
part Of the Indian Territory. 1t borders
on Red river. Just across the river are
the Texas cities Of Wichita Falls. Iowa
Park, Vernon and Quanah. The famocs
Panhandle wheat belt of Texas is along
the Fort Sill reservation. The latter
possesses the qualities of soil and climate
which have made the former famous.
In addition it has more timber and Wa
ter. There are about 5000, 900 acres of
Fort Sill country.
Those qualified To speak say that there
is more first class farming land III this
reservation than in the strip. In one
valley, the CacitO, is rich land for -. 900
farms. After the Comanches and Apaches
are provided with their allotments lOO.-
600 white people can find homes in the
reservation. The Fort Sill country has
i'll abundance what is so often lacking in
the southwest, and that is plenty of tim
Der of good quality and springs and beau
tiful running streams. 1t has mountains
and minerals, "a diversity of climate and
which the northern part of the
Indian Territory does not possess. Adj
joining the reservation Of the Comanches
and Apaches, with whom the commits
sioners have already entered into an
agreement for the purchase Of the sur
plus lands, are about 900. 600 acres occu-
pied by 900 Wichitas and Caddocs.
This minor reservation is nearly ready
for opening. In fact there are those in
Oklahoma who hold that no legal rea-
sons stand in the way of settlers moving
right into the Wichita country. When
the Wichita and Fort Sill reservations
are occupied, there viii be continuous
white settlements from the Kansas line
to the Red river. The same pressure
which forced the opening Of Oklahoma
and later of the Cherokee strip has be-
gun to operate against the Wichita tract
and the Fort Sill country. The longing
eyes of the boomer are already upon
these two fair regions of the whole
Indian Territory. Organizations of in
tending settlers have been formed all
along the north line of Texas. Around
Wichita Falls, Iowa Park, Verona and
Quanah is a country which raises mil
lions of bushels of wheat and which is
worth from $40 to $50 an acre. Just
across the river from this great south
western granary is Il country leased to
cattlemen for about 8 cents an acre.
Before another spring the cry of "On to
Fort SLIP will be hearG from all parts
Of the border. and it will be irresistible.
st. Louis Globe-D Democrat.