The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-11-09
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THE FORT SILL COUNTRY.
Three Million Acres of Rich Farming Lands
For Future BooLlers.
riod in 1S9.

Three Million Acres of Rich Farmin. Lands |
For Future boomers.
People generally got the idea that the
Cherokee strip affords tie last of the big
openings of Indian Territory reserva-
tions, This is q mistake. The Fort Still
country is yet to be divided 1t is tar
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 quie: enough not to be trouble
l. some say it is region that surpasses Ok
| Iahoma and the best of tie strip. The
| Fort Sill country lies in the southern
part of the Indian Territory. 1t borders
| on Red river. just scross the river are
the Texas cities Of Wichita Falls, Iowa
| Park. Vernon and luanah. The famous
Panhandle wheat belt O. 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 100000 acres OF
Fort Sill country.
Those qualified to speak say that there
is more first class farming land II this
reservation than in the strip. In one
valley, the Cacito, is rich land for 20, 900
farms. After the Comanches and Apaches
are provided with their allotments 1OO,-
600 white people can find homes in the
reservation. The Fort Sill country has
in 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, diversity Of climate and
! resources which the northern part Of the
Indian Territory does not possess. Ad
Joining the reservation of the Comanchei
and Apaches, with whom the commits
sioners have already entered into sr
agreement for the purchase Of the sur
c plus lands, are about ,00O, 900 acres occu
pied by 1000 Wichitas and Caddoes.
This minor reservation is nearly read.
for ofening. In fact there are those il
Oklahoma who hold that no legal rea
: sons stand in the way Of settlers mQvinl
! right into the Wichita country. Whel
e the Wichita and Fort Sill reservation
are occupied, there will be continuou
4 white settlements from the Kansas lin
:, to the Red river. The same peessur
:. which forced the opening Of Oklahom
y and later Of the Cherokee strip has b
gum to operate against the Wichita tylc
and the Fort Sill country. The longin
eyes of the boomer are already upo
&c these two fair regions Of the Who'll
II Indian Territory. Organizations Of II
d tending settlers have been formed q
:. along the north line Of Texas. Aroun
;. Wichita Falls, Iowa Park, Verona an
:. Quanah IL . country which raises mi
- lions Of bushels of wheat and which
u worth from go to go an acre. Jul
D, across the river from this great soutl
l. western granary is Q county leased
ID csttlemen for about 5 cents an acr'
s. Before another spring the cry Of "On
,r Fort Silll' win be heard from all par
- Of the border, and it will be irresistibl
. st. Louis Globe Democrat.