Omaha daily bee., 1893-09-17

IL became a part of Oklahoma Territory
when the president issued his proclamation
thrcc weeks ago aud is now under its laws,
IL makes Oklahoma's area 8q.3OS SQUARE
miles aud raises that territory TO the dig
nifty OF being larger than twelve different
states OF the union.
With the hOmcscckcrs who added them.
selves to Oklahoma's population today, that
territory has good reason to demand admis.
sion to the SistCrhood Of states, which de
mand is now being pressed upon congress by
Delegate Flynn.
For nearly two centuries the Cherokee In.
dams have resisted the march Of civilization
Westward. AS early as l12l their land on
the eastern coast was encroaChcd upon by
tue whites, and they began selling of their
territory, retiring Westward, step by step.
uhti thcN became cornered in the COMPARE
IlNeiN small area finally allotted 70 them in
iuulah territory. In li2l the Cherokecs
nominated vast tracts Of land in the east
anu southeast. In that year they coded To
NouJh Carolina NJ, 61g,O 900 acres. Since that
.'Ht' JhcN nave sold and disposed of by
grcAlN' III intervals OF from five to twenty
uNc Years, no less than SI.3Ol,OD acres to
North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia. Alabama.
MlsSiSSinpi, tennessee, Kentucky. kansas
ard the United States. The Cherokee In.
diln Is not much of a business man. Out OF
all these transactions, exclusive of the Cher.
okcc strip. he has received but -. uOn.OuD
For the Strip he received $4,000 900, but only
after a hard fight with the United States
government.
After oklahoma was opened for settle
ment the boomers began at once an arita
ton for the opening OF the Cherokee strip
The ChCrOkcCs aud the cattle Oaruus who
had rented the Strip for grazing purposes
resisted the agitation, but the boomer car
RED his point, and Uncle Sam bought the
AND and has now distributed it among ms
family.
Prices uf Particular Portions.
Cuclc Sam is n thrifty old relative, and
ne doesn't propose TO lose money by the
transaction. He doesn't give the land away
by any means. He sells it to his people for
cold dollars and makes them pay the costs
OF abstracts and deeds to boot. 1t costs the
boomer about $50 TO file his preliminary
papers, and from 81 to 81 per acre to prove
up his claim.
The prices set upon the various portions
OF the lane make a very good index of it's
worth. The extreme eastern portion of the
strip will cost the settler $3.50 per acre.
the middle portion Sl.5O per acre, aud all
west of that 81. The extreme eastern
portion contains the most valuable
lana. 1t Is good, rich farming land, well
watered and fairly well timbcrcd. The mid
die division is fair land, but south of the Ar
kansas river there is a scarcity of water.
The western division is good Tor little but
cattle grazing. 1t partakcs of the character
of the Texas Panhandle. No Mans Land and
southwestern Kansas. Prairie dogs and
coyotes flourish there, but farmers will find
1t a struggle to exist.
The Strip is watcrcd by the Arkansas and
'lmarron rivers, several smaller streams
ami many creeks. Settlers will not lack
TRANSFORMATION facilities. The Santa Tee has
Two lines through the country, one passing
through directly south from Arkansas civ
and The other diagonaily from Kiowa to
the southwestern corner. Between the
santa FEES lines the Rock Island passes
through from Caldwell, Kan, in a north and
south line.
Tho tsailntrN has h,pp tyiyi3nl i,,, .,r,,,