Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1893-09-06

the Indian Territory in 1921. They
were granted 100000 acres of land
and a perpetual outlet west and
the free and unmolested use Of all
the country lying west of the west
ern boundary of the above described
limits, as far west as the sovereign
ty of the United States and their
right of soil extends"
That treaty was made when the
western boundary of this land was
Mexican territory. 1t has been a
question whether it belonged to the
Cherokee tribe or was simply an
outlet for them. The Indians rent
ed it to the cattlemen in 1883, CIV
ing five-year lease at annual rent
al of 100000. This brought up
the question of actual ownership,
and in 1889 Congress appointed a
Cherokee commission to negotiate
with the Indians with a view of
purchasing their rights in the land
and opening it to settlement. In
1891 Secretary Noble served notice
on the cattlemen to vacate the strip,
but it was some time before that
notice was fully obeyed, if it ever
has been.
The strip is about sixty-four miles
wide and 200 miles long, containing
100000 acres. Only about two
thirds of the land is fit for settle
ment, as the western part is arid
land. There are four sections in
each township reserved for school
purposes, and in each of the seven
town sites that are to be surveyed
fourteen acres are set apart for park
and courthouse purposes. Then
there are to be deducted seventy
allotments of eighty acres each
which go to the Indians. This will
leave about 100000 acres for
homesteaders, or farms of 100 acres
for $4,000 people. In the seven
town sites there will be provision
for 5000 or more. BY the rules of
the land commissioner the home
steader may locate either 100 acres
of farm land or town lot. This
will provide homes for not more
than $4,000 families all told, and
there is probability Of more disap-
pointments in the rush for the
Cherokee strip than there were in
the great rush for Oklahoma.
There will be two lines from
which the rush into this strip can
be made, Kansas on the north and
Oklahoma on the south. The Land
Office has tried to guard against
spectators by providing that every
one entering the territory must first
make affidavit that he intends to
live on the land he locates. This is
to prevent spectators from hiring
men to go and take up valuable
land for them. Another provision
has been made to give every one an
even chance in the race. This is in
setting apart strip 100 feet wide
on either boarder for the common
use of all the home seekers as a
starting point, and allowing no one
to locate on land within 100 feet of
either the Kansas or Oklahoma
line.
It might be interesting to have
Land Commissioner Lamoreaux ex-
plain what is to be the final DISPOSE
ton of these valuable strips OH the
borders Of the Cherokee outlet. All
the land is open for the homesteaders
and a strip Of land 100 feet wide
and 200 miles in length would be
of some value. His arrangements
would be all right, but it is doubt
full whether he has the right to re-
serve such a strip along the whole
border. The railroads that run
through the strip will not be allow
ed to run trains on the day Of the
opening to give advantage to those
who can purchase tickets. 1t is to
be rush from the borders sixty
four miles apart toward the center.
The army, and not the United States
marshals, will have charge Of en-
forcing the law, and several COM
panies of cavalry will rendezvous at
the center the day before the OPEN
ing, ride to the border where other
troops will patrol, and drive out any
persons who have secured admit
lance. The bugle will give the
signal at noon and there will be an
army of home-seekers along the
whole 200 miles of the border. 1t
will be such battle line as has
never before been seen in our coun-
try or any other, with an army Of
men, women and children peacefully
L AZ L., Il. <.:.a..