Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-03-30
GRAND RUSH.
Prospective Settlers Ready For It
in the Cherokee Strip.
A NEW PLAN TO BE TRIED.
The Free For-AII Scramble an AcknowI-
edged Failure-Sooners Stnl Being
Sent to Prison For PERJURY
Delays Expected.

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan, March 27.-J.
w. Gilingswater, representing the in
| terror department., and j. H Cisney, of
the Indian land commission, who were
| sent to the Cherokee border to investi-
gate the conditions existing, have just
completed their first tour of the Indian
lands soon to be opened. The govern
| ment officers went dir ectly from here
! to the Oklahoma side and made the
circuit of the entire western division.
They found the same conditions pre-
vailing everywhere which exist here.
More prospective settlers have located
on the southern border than on the
Kansas side and have everything in
| readiness for the grand rush for
homestead.
There is very little difference in the
character and wealth of the settlers, so
the officials say. They are with few
exceptions very poor and have used
| what little means they brought with
| them in providing food for their fami-
lies and stock. Few, if any, of them
have taken any steps toward renting
land and putting in crop, for
all expect the new lands to be
opened this spring Every small creek
| that flows into the strip from either
| the Kansas or Oklahoma side is lined
| with prospective homeseelSers and
every day brings additions to the rest
less colonists The prospective home
| Steaders almost without exception eX-
pect to make a rush for the interior
| lands, just as was done when Oklahom a
| was opened. but if this policy is pur-
sued by President Cleveland it will be
against the protests of nearly all the
government officers who have made a
study of the conditions
| Although it has been impossible to
get any expression from either Presi-
dent Cleveland or Secretary of the In
| terror Smith regarding the plan which
will be pursued in opening up the new
land, the reports which have been for
| warded to Washington are indirect pro-
tests against the free-tor-a1 scramble
which took place when Oklahoma and
other new lands were opened 1t is
| thought by those who have been
charged with the investigation that an
entirely new policy will be pursued.
| The plan which meets with the most
favor among the government officers
who have prosecuted offenders and
been in position to judge of the I'M
satisfactory results attending former
| openings, is to have all prospective set
! tiers enrolled and all agents appointed.
"A plan will then have to be devised by
which prospective homesteaders can
draw lots for their pieces of land. The
records in the Oklahoma land Of
| fee and United States courts have
| been overhauled and it has been
| found that contests have been en-
| tered against One-half of the lands
! located upon. Only last week nineteen
| persons were sent to the penitentiary
for perjury united in an attempt to
| hold lands which SOonerS filed upon
and there are 1.500 more cases on the
docket One of the government agents,
in speaking of the old plan of having
| free-for-all race, said:
sit is admitted on all sides that the
Oklahoma opening was a fat failure.
Secretary Noble so recognized it and 1
am satisfied would never have consent
ed to similar plan with the Cherokee
| lands So far as the coming opening is
! concerned the whole matter rests with
| President Cleveland and he has given
no indication of the course he will pur-
Sue'
| Notwiths landing the statement sent
| from Washington that an attempt will
| be made to open the land in time for a
SpFAHS CTOO, IIdHy CHlupS udFS dTtSeH
which will cause delay. Tuesday the
| Cherokee council will meet at Table
| quah and advices received here are that
the sale will be ratified without much
| difficulty, but no end of trouble is be-
ing experienced with the seventy
Indian allotments, which must be
made before the lands can be
opened. According to the provisions
| of the bill, there We're 20 Indians
who had improvements in the strip.
each of whom is entitled to select 16O
acres of land. 1t will be necessary t
appoint an agent or commission to
settle the controversies which have
| arisen. More than 300 Indians will
| contest for an allotment under this pro-
| vision, each claiming to be one of the
| original 20 Land Inspector Cisney
stated to-day that he did not believe
matters could be adjusted before fall.
Mr.. Gillingswater, who represents
| the interior depart ment, however, is of
| the opinion that after the Cherokees
have ratified the sale everything can be
| rushed through, so that the lands may
be opened by May 90 An opening at
| later date would do little good so far as
| a spring crop is concerned The
] boomers who have settled along the
! border are daily becoming more rest
| less, but there is no talk of invasion,
| Every section of land in the strip
| is patrolled once a day by United
| States troops. and the steps taken to
| identify the sooners has deferred the
! prospective settlers from entering on
the strip lands The company organ
lied here to invade the strip has been
! dissolved and the boomers have sys-
tematically gone about presenting the
| necessity for an opening in time for a
| spring crop to the interior department.
| There are "a, 900 farms OF 100 acres
| each in the strip, including the lands
of the Tonkawas and Pawnees, which
| will be opened at the same time.
Antt-Truck Law Unconstitutional
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo-, March 27.-The
] supreme court to-day declared the state
law prohibiting the paymento of employ
ees through the medium of ''truck
4