The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-04
The Final Distribution of the
Domain of the Nation.
The Significance Of the Opening
of the Cherokee Outlet.
Whittier Shall the Farmer of the
Future Turn His Faoe2

history OF ManAktnd-Its Bearing on the
Future or the United states-vve Must
Feed Ourselves, who win Food tho
wsrld s-The Most Portentous and yrmi.
nent Of All tho Great Problems or Human.
ity. and or Them All the Most Unhesdea.
Camped for many months along the north
ern border Of tho Indian Territory, scat
tered among the farms Of southern Kansas.
and travelling from all parts Of the CONT
nent In wagon. or cart, or ambulance. and by
Pail, are thousands Of homo seekers, anx-
iously awaiting signal from tho Hon.
HoK1SMuH to invade tho last considerable
remnant Of the arabic portion Of the public
domain and settle there.
So keen Is the desire for farms and homes.
! 90 scarce the available lands. so numerous
the land-hungry. 30 sharp tho competition
for this remnant Of vast arabic area. and
30 common tho belief that the Cherokee
Outlet affords tho "last chance" that thou
sands Of these people have been upon the
border many weary months. Their
slender means having become exhausted.
and labor In the vicinity Of the border being
30 abundant as to render employment
unobtairnble. rather than retreat, tho
more sorely pressed and least sorupulous
have taken to looting the farms and poultry
houses Of the Kansas Populists, who are so
heartless as to desire legal tender In ex-
change for chickens and grain.
When the Cherokee Outlet shall have been
divided among a fraction of this horde Of
homo seekers, there will come an end to the
greatest and most peaceful movement OF
agricultural population the world has ever
witnessed. and the future Of American devel-
opment will be hedged about by many Of the
limitations 80 long prevalent In other lands.
Heretofore when an American rural dis
trict became overcrowded the redundant
population could choose between the neigh
boring town and the vacant Western lands.
Whenever tho difficulties attending the
earning Of livelihood In the towns were
increased to an unpleasant degree by rea-
son Of the adoption Of some labor-saving
device. the disconnected or displaced arti-
san and Iaborer could. and often did. resort
to tho public domain.
This recourse has had tho effect Of main
tanning and. at times. Of advancing wages;
but when the Cherokee Outlet shall have
been occupied, such chance for the home
less will have forever disappeared and the
territorial extension Of American agri-
culture will have come to an abrupt end.
From and after the occupation Of the
land about to be thrown open to settlement
amounting but to some 100000 acres.
only two-thirds Of which Is in the area Of
fd4ly distributed NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. pro-
duetion can. In effect. increase only in tho
limited way and tardy manner which will
follow from the adoption Of better methods.
And by bringing under the plough such
portions Of the older farms as are now lying
waste or but partially utilized. Additions
10 the cultivated portions Of existing
farms will necessarily be slow. as well
Is limited. for the rapid increase OF
the urban population necessitates great an
iraught animals. and this necessltates pro-
portionate additions to meadow and pas
lure. 30 great have been the added require
ments In this direction. that the rich grain
bearing lands OF Illinois and of other central
states are converted Into pastures.
Whatever may prove to be the additions
10 tho productive areas by bringing under
cultivation the unlmproved lands OF exist
ng farms. there will not result such found
hg OF new homes as has obtained upon the
bubllo domain since the middle OF the
seventeenth century; and the Hon. HoKR
iHTH will have the distinction OF pro-
laiming the end Of the most impressive
bhase OF American development.
1t is true that the public domain will be
ar from exhausted when the Cherokee
outlet shall have been occupied: but. for
'ther than pasturlng purposes. the vacant |
ands arc mostly valueless except as here
ind there may be found some small fraction
the arid area reclaimable by irrigation. |
lIrsome swamp that may be drained. In |
'rolving much OF time. labor, and money. |
dHer process implies a scarcity OF good |
anAs capable OF being reduced to cultiva-
ton A. low cost. Tho land susceptible Of |
riga ion at reasonable cost is so limited |
quAptity, as We have recently shown.
IS to warrant the assertion that the area |
vhich can be added. within the span Of an |
Iyaro{cxe life to the nroductIva axnaneo nv,
his p} ocess is not likely to double the
Isol.oOE acres under irrigation in 1885,
At tho South. in Maine. in Michigan, Wis
"nsIn and Minnesota s'vamps of consld-