Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-15
BOOMERS LAND OF PROMISE.
How the Cherokee Strip Was Acquired for
Settlers.
Secured From Its Indian Occupants
of Treaties and Litigation.

that part of Oklahoma territory known as
the Cherokee strip takes effect tomorrow.
The New York Times Washington CORES
pondent writes as follows of the history OF
the strip:
The Cherokee strip has history. extend
ing far back In the records of controversies
with the Indians. 1t Is not exciting
history. but 1t has led to much excitement.
the causes of which eastern men can
scarcely appreciate
Under the act of June 30. 1884. 1t was pro-
vided that all that part Of the United
States west of the Mississippi river. and
not within the states Of Missouri and Lou
tsiana or the territory of Arkansas, should
be considered the Indian country" The
territory thus defined. Identical with what
was then the territory Of Missouri. was
part OF the Louisiana purchase from France.
consummated In lSoS and situated between
latitude 50 degrees % minutes and 20 de-
g-ees north and longitude 81 degrees 70
minutes and IJS degrees west, being a
length of 40 miles east and west along the
border and south OF latitude Sc degrees ~
minutes Of about 800 miles The breadth
west OF the one hundredth meridian Is
about 3 miles, and east Of that line about
30 miles. comprising an area OF about Us. :
Gel square miles, somewhat In excess OF
the entire area Of the six New England
states.
When the so-caIIed five civilized tribes"
the Cherokees, Choctaws, ChickasaWs,
Creeks and Seminoles. were removed west
OF the Mississippi river to the lnolan
country, now known as the Indian terri
tory. various tracts were set aside from
time to time for their occupation Inc
Cherokees were finally located upon tract
Comprising 5,CSl,25l acres, with an ease
Inent'' title TO what Is known as the
Cherokee outlet Cherokee strip. on
the north of the Indian territory. Inc
Choctaws received a tract comprising o.
$500 acres, the Chickasaws Assesses acres.
the Creeks 5000, 40 acres. and the Semi
noles $1,000 acres. all OF which IS neid In
common under the tribal relation Inc
Interior Department estimates the total
acreage Of the Indian territory at A,usI,-
332, which includes the area of the terri
tory of Oklahoma, lately carved out OF the
Indian territory.
Tine "outlet'' first came to be known as
such under the provisions OF the Cherokee
treaty of ISIS. by which the Cherokees coded
their lands east Of the Mississippi 10 tne
government, and IL was agreed that such OF
them as would settle west OF the MISSISSIPPI
river should receive their due proportion;
acre for acre, In exchange for such ceoeu
lands. and IN addition should nave an OUT
let to the west Under the treaty OF ls2s
this outlet was again recognized. ana IN
addition to 100000 acres, provided for and
bounded. the United States guaranteed 10
the Cherokees a perpetual outlet west.
which was the first absolute grant OF the OUT
let. the area of which at that time was not
determtnable- The especial purpose OF pro-
President Monroe wrote In Isis to the CHIEF
of the Arkansas branch OF the Cherokee
nation. In which he said:
1T Is my wish that you should have no
limits to the west. so that you may nave
good mil seats. plenty Of game and not De
surrounded by the white people
In ISL Mr.. Calhoun, then Secretary OF
War wrote to the Cherokee chiefs as fol-
lows:
1T Is to be always understood that, In re-
moving the whits settlers from Lovely
let promised you to the west. you acquire
thereby no right to the soil. but merely 70
an outlet. of which you appear to be already
apprized. and that the government reserves
to itself the right OF making such DISPOSE
ton as II may think proper with regard 70
the salt springs upon that tract OF country.
Under the treaty Of May s. iSzs. was
acres thus provided for and bounded. the
Cnirso States further guarantees to the Cher
okse nation a perpetual outlet west and
lying west OF the western oouA ary OF the
seove-dsscribed limits. and as Tar west ss the
.evereignty OF the United States and thsir
Ght of soil extend rr--
4, that period the country lying west Of
,se western boundary Of the Indian terri
sery was unknown and unexplored. and the
arant westward was therefore apparently
kgnftless- Neither was II contemplated th;It
soe advancement Of western civilization
you'd IN less than fifty years enveiop this
unknown area and the territory far west
thu whites. cities built and all the elements
of American progress introduced. President
Monroe's wish that the Cherokees should
not be surrounded by the white people was,
fs due the present cession and opening to
public settlement of the outlet lands.
The Creek nation having selected portion
Of the 100000 acres granted the Cherokees.
\ new treaty was made In 1888. whereby the
boundaries were adjusted with the same
proviso concerning the outlet. but condi-
great western prairie (the outlet) shall
fall within the limits prescribed for the out
let the United States reserved the right to
permit other tribes OF red men to get salt
on said plain in common with the Cherokees.
Under another treaty, ratified In 1886. the
United States agreed that the lands coded
should never, without the consent of the
Indians, be included within the territorial
limits or Jurisdiction of any state or terri
tory: that the Cherokee nation should be
secured the right to make and execute all
such laws through their national councils
they might consider necessary for the
government and protection of the persons
and property within their own country be-
longing to their people. or such persons as
connected themselves with them. provided
that the laws should not be inconsistent
with the Constitution of the United States
and the acts Of Congress that had been or
might be passed regulating trade and inter
course with the Indians.
In lSSs patent was issued for the lands
granted. referring to the treaties Of 1s2S
1855 and 1ss5, which purported TO convey to
the CherokeeS B.5z4.13S.14-100 acres. presum-
ably Intending to cover the 100000 acres
coded in the treaties, and also the so-called
outlet In one entire tract described by
exterior boundaries. extending west to the
then eastern boundary Of Mexico. This
patent recited that the grant was subject.
In addition to the use of the salt plain. to
all other rights reserved to the United
States, subject to the condition that the
lands granted should revert to the United
States II the Cherokee nation became ex-
tinct or abandoned the land. The area Of
the outlet lands was then estimated at $780,
90 acres
Matters stood in this condition. the Cher
okees claiming, meantime, fee-simple title
to the outlet lands. until the war Of the re-
bellion- The majority Of the CherokeeS
took the confederate side. This act practi-
cally Initiated the treaties and left the Chero-
KEGS in bad plight. Inasmuch as forfeit
ure and confiscatton were not pursued
against other persons IN rebellion. a new
treaty was contaminated with the Chero-
KEGS In 1866 which embraced and reiterated
ali previous treaties. but provided that any
within the Cherokee country east OF the
upon such terms agreed upon by the
friendly tribe and the Cherokees subject
to the approval of the President
1t was further provided in this treaty
that all provisions Of treaties heretofore
ratified and IN force and not Inconsistent
with the provisions of this treaty are here
by affirmed and declared to be In full force,
and nothing herein shall be construed as an
nv the limited States or