Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-26

quail, cnlCKenS, rice bras, etc.
Indian NeighbOrs.
Prospective settlers in the strip may now
prepare to get acquainted with the Chero-
KEGS, Creeks, Choctaws and other tribes or
nations OF Indians in the territory, who,
with the white homesteaders of Oklahoma,
will be their nearest neighbors. These In
dams are Of high order for their race.
They practice agriculture and many Of the
farms, OWL great herds of cattle, ponies and
horses live in good houses. run mills and
factories, conduct excellent schools and
academies and maintain good roads in &C
cordance with legal enactments. They are
as tribes exceedingly wealthy. and have
credit in the United States treasury. on
which they receive interest annually. They
are now rapidly adopting American man
newspaper exerting wide influence is pub
lished at Tahlequah. the capital Of the
Cherokee nation, one side being printed in
the Cherokee tongue and the other In En-
glish. The Choctaws, to the southeast, are
governed by written constitution. They
elect their principal chief every four years.
and have a regularly organized judiciary,
with trial by jury and the right of appeal
10 'ne supre e e Sou Inc NUM- fbe
Creeks 1900 and the Cheyennes and Ar
apahoes 1000 and all the other tribes % 900.
making altogether $1,000 Indians resident in
the Indian territory.
The Cost Of the Land.
The price to be paid the Cherokees by the
government for their REIMBURSEMENT Of the
strip is IS, sos. 736, of which s295, 1873 has al
ready been appropriated and made available
by Congress, and 100000 authorized to be
paid hereafter in five equal installments,
beginning on March next and ending
March 4, 1899, with per cent interest, pay
able annually; There being S.144,6s2 acres
of the land. the net price per acre is I.O5.
BY some this may be deemed entirely too
small. in view OF the fact that the prices at
which the government is required by law TO
resell 1t to homesteaders are fixed at $3.50.
$3.50 and 81. according to ocation: But ii
has long been contended that the Cherokees
never owned the title of property in perpe-
tuity in the land, following back the long
line of treaties and agreements of past
years, but merely possessed an interest, or
easement in it-a right of passage over IT
to the western lands owned by the United
States. AS far back as 1921 John c. Cal
houn, having charge OF Indian affairs as
declared positively to the Cherokees that
they had acquired no right to the soil, but
simply to an outlet. In recent years, how
this point have been construed differently.
so that in the presence OF conflicting views
as to the nature OF the Cherokee title the
price OF 81. 05 Der acre is generally conceded
to be easonable, il not generous.
The purchase was effected only after
much discussion in Congress and prolonged
negotiation between government commits
sioners and the Cherokees, and was brought
about in pursuance TO an agreement con-
cluded at Tahlequah on December l9. 1881.
by authority previously granted by Con-
eress The immediate parties to this agree
ment We're David II. Jerome, Alfred NJ.
ers for the United States. and Elias c.
Roudinot. Joseph A. Scales, George Down
ing, Roach Young. Thomas Smith. William
Triplett and Joseph Smallwood, commits
soners for the Cherokee nation. They &C.
cupied twenty three weeks in reaching the
agreement. while in actual session, and
and completion Of their work. This agree
ment was ratified by the National Cherokee
council and approved bv the PRINCIPAL chief
on January T. 1892 and was accented with
slight amendment and enacted into law by
the United States Congress on March last.
IN the Indian approximation act for the fiscal
year ending June 30. 1894.
How IL VIII he Settled.
BY the terms of that act no person is per-
mitted to occupy or enter upon the land ex-
cept in the manner prescribed by the Presi-
dents proclamation opening ii to settle
ment, and any person otherwise occupying
or entering upon it forfeits all right of &C
QUESTION in the future. All tntruders al
ready on the ground are required to be re-
moved as trespassers but provision is made
that such as occupied houses and had barns
fences, crops or other improvements prior
10 August II, 1885, should, before their re-
moval, be Unidentified by the Cherokee ma
ton for their improvements upon an APP
praisement of their value by a board of
three experts especially appointed for that
office by the President OF the United States
such improvements thereupon become the
property OF the Cherokee nation. The
amount paid for them must NOT exceed
$3.50 900 In ALL and the appraisers in deter
mining the value of the improvements NAV
consider the value Of the occupation of the
land. VIZ
The Cherokee Aiiotments.
Citizens Of the Cherokee nation who
prior to November ], 1884, had made perma.
nent and valuable Improvements upon anv
portion OF the strip for farming purposes
have had the right to select one-eighth Of a
sectlon or land each, in conformity with Tho
EOrsrnnent surveys, upon the sites of their
improvements, and their wives and chill
dren have been at liberty to make similar
seleetions OF lands improved by their hus-
taking allotments must forfeit SIP from hts
or her per capita share of the purchase
money received by the nation for the strip.
The number of such allotments is Restricted
20 seventy, not TO exceed in the aggregate
o.ooo acres. and the sum OF 81. 10 per acre is
70 be deducted from the full amount due
the Cherokee nation.
These allotments to the number of sew
enty as permitted have now been selected,
and permission has been given to the own
In their support at the interior Department
until september l next. The delay in open
slowness with which the allotments We're
selected and located An original man.
showing the location of each allotment
the department for the Information and
suidsagce or prospective settlers, and will
De distributed at all the principal points in
the neighborhood of the strip.
Open to Settlement.
Aside from these allotments to Indians
and the $3.50 acres reserved for the use of
the Chilocco school. together with two Sec
tons of land plumbers 10 and 36) in each
township. set apart for public school DUR
poses practically the whole remaining
body of the strip will be thrown open for
settlement to homesteaders upon the date
announced in the Presidents proclamation
Each settler on the new lands, before re-
ceiving patent for his homestead.
is required by law to pay, in addition TO the
for land between parallels Sc and 81 l-2. the
sum of $50 per acre for land between 81 10
and IS IL and the sum of 81 per acre be-
tween IS 1-2 and 100. together with 4 per
cent interest on the amount from the da re-
OF entry to the date of final payment some
of the land between parallels sc and 81 10
particularly in certain tracts directly east
of the ChilOcco reservation is worth ar
least $50 per acre in its present wild state
1t Is splendfdly watered and within easy
distance of several thriving towns in Kan
sas and Arkansas, and every foot of IN is
capable Of cultivation.
Keeping Out Boomers.
The government agents have been on the
ground all summer. Most of the strip has
been surveyed. the county lines have ALI
been located and the county seats selected
Land offices, as named in the Presidents
will be established at CON-
venient points. and registers and receivers
will be apDOinted at once so that fbax, No..