The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-02
Cherokee strin storias.

One of the most enterprising OF the Chero-
kee strip boomers, G. W. Milton, was at the
interior department yesterday says the
Washington Post, to make complaints about
the management of the opening by the land
office officials Mr.. Milton made the run
from Colorado, was one of the first party to
reach Woodward, and was elected mayor OF
the city thirty minutes after his arrival
There was a railroad station of the Santa
Fe line at Woodward with round house and
l25 inhabitants before the strip was opened.
Mayor Milton says that the special agent of
the government, instead Of locating his booth
at Woodward, the natural site Of the city, To-
Gated it a mile west establishing the govern
ment town there by the booth.
Although Woodward is twenty miles from
the border with country of hills and sand
between, claim to. quarter section 30. on
which the best part OF the town stood, was
entered twenty minutes after noon on the
10th, when the strip was opened. Forty
three minutes afterward a man named Fran k
Morgan arrived on horseback and entered a
claim to TINS same quarter section. Mr.. Milton
said to a Post reporter that Singularly enough
the first claim disappeared from the books in
Morgan S favor and his was entered. Not un-
til an hour later did the main body OF settlers
arrive.
Mayor Milton makes no direct charges but
thinks that there must have been collustOn to
explain the location of the registers office a
mile from the village, the fact that Morgan
arrived so much sooner than any one else
and that his name was at once entered in
place of the original entry.
Under the laws for opening the strip a
party desiring to take town site must file
with the Secretary of the Interior a plat and
evidence of his ability to perfect tile under
the homestead laws, aud deposit with the
Secretary of the Interior $40 for each acre OF
the land.
Two days after the opening Morgan re-
Celved his filings from the land officers Mean
while 800 people had settled there who
thought they were entitled to the place and
that his claim was fraudulent, so they sent
the mayor to Washington. Yesterday Mayor
Milton laid the case before Commissioner
La noreuX, of the general land ONCE who
prom ID to telegraph an order to Woodward
Suspending the homestead proceedings The
deposit of 81 600. had been brought before the
, Secretary of the Interior, but had not been
passed upon by the land Office on 1ials. The
100 acres in question already have 10000
worth of Improvements, with several stores
and a hotel.
Special Agent Womack. of the Interior de
partment. who had charge of some of the de
tails of the opening, returned from the Cher.
ol5ee strip We Sterday Speaking of the ar
rangements he said The history of former
openings discloses that many people have go &c
on the lands before the time liked by law Sc
curing fraudulent Advantage over the hon
est home seeker. To forestall frauds OF this
kind in opening the Cherokee strip the Secre-
tary Of the Interior adopted the plan of regis
tration, which has proved a success
The booths were opened for five days be-
fore the day of opening. Meanwhile the in
terror Of the strip was Iairolled by Soldiery
SO that all persons could be accounted for.
While some succeeded in violating the law
nlnetenths of the mischief was prevented
The reports regarding the scarcity of water
af suffering from the crowding together Of so
MANY DeODle.