The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-08-25
ALL REAL Y.
The Cherokee Strip Proclamation In tn o
Presidents NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of the
Coveted Lands.

The Cherokee Strip Proclamation In tn Q
Presidents NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of the
Coveted Lands.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 10. There was
forwarded from the interior depart
ment to President Cleveland at Gray
Gables yesterday a formidable docu-
ment, some two feet in length and six
inches thick. for his examination. All
that is needed is his signature to make
it the official proclamation opening up
for settlement the Cherokee outlet
After much consultation, research
and trouble the secretary of the inte-
rior and the commissioner of public
lands have hit upon scheme which
they believe will largely prevent the
gross frauds which have heretofore
been perpetrated in settling new coun-
tries. There will be the same mad rush
when the Cherokee outlet is opened
that was witnessed in the opening of
the Oklahoma lands, but there will
be a vast difference in the makeup of
the prospective homesteaders- Here is
the entirely new plan, which has prac-
tically been agreed upon:
lands he must be provided with a cer-
tifcate from one of the land offices,
showing that under the laws of the
United States he is entitled to home
stead. In order that the government
officials may recognize him at once he
must have on the lapel of his
coat a badge which the govern
ment will provide for that purpose.
The land officers will be supplied
with all the records of past openings,
showing each of the claimants. BY
this means the old timers who have
made the race at every public land
opening during their generation will
be effectually frozen out by the pre-
liminary examination at the various
land offices, the town-site spectators
who have given so much trouble in the
past will be squelched and bona fide
settlers protected.
DESCRIPTION OF THE LAND.
Nine out OF ten OF the homeseekers who enter
the Cherokee strip on the opening day will go
in between the east line of the strip and An
thonv on the Hans rs and Ingalls, and Hennessey
on the Oklahoma side From Kansas the
choice claims lie Just south of Arkansas
City about fifteen miles, near the town site OF
Kildare, at what is known as Willow springs,
and also along the Chikaski and Bodark
rivers. a few trees skirt these streams, but
with this exception the country is prairie.
From the south the great run will be made for
the land along the Black B EAR and the town
sites of Wharton on the Santa Fe and Enid on
the Rock Island. Most of the land rs far west
as the Rock Island IS moderately good, with
the exception of that which lies along the blum
side of the Arkansas river, which is very broken
and quite rocky. township just
hard-pan, as is also consider
abs land just north of the town-site of Pond
creek. Few runs will be made for the land
west OF 9I1s degrees west longitude, which
marks the west line OF the 50 per acre land.
That which lies between OK and psh degrees
west longitude, known as the sl.i0 per acre
land, is poor enough. but when you pass that
line and step into the 81 per acre land, 1t does
seem that the government ought 10 build
house for man as an inducement TO get him
10 live there
Special Agent Swineford spoke the truth
when he sale he did not believe IA country con-
tanning l,2JO square miles, which the western
Counties will contain, would support hfty fam
flies. Thus IL will be seen that of the 5000 100
acres TO be thrown open not over :.uO0,0JJ acres
will be considered good farming land Quar-
ter sections in Comanche county. Kansas,
bordering on the north. with residences
barns, wells and other improvements there
on, can be purchased for from $3.50 to $40. and
in soil they are much better than the land
found in the western part Of the strip: besides,
they are near good trading points ana railroads
Many people who are sacrificing all they have
to get 10 the border will be sorely disappointed
when they get here and become thoroughly ac-
Quainted with this body of land, which they
have been taught to believe is the richest body
of land in the universe.
The Pawnee land is farther TO tine east and
is q body Of land containing over 22i ,)0J acres.
or this IL, 100 acres have been allotted To the
Indians, leaving 1900 acres for settlement
The surplus land has been purchased by the
government al cost of SsI,U1O, ana will be
opened when the Cherokee strip comes in. 1t
is bounded on the north By the Arkansas
river, the course Of which at this point forms
nearly half circle, affording many miles of
wide bottom ladds, where the soil is exceed
ingly fertile. Through the center the Black
Bear creek fed by many springs and smaller
streams, courses its way. making vale, from
two 10 three miles on either side as rich as the
best of the Missouri land This stream is
fringed with timber, such as post oak burr oak
and black jack. For fifteen miles south one
drives over rather rough country but in
which much good land lies. The country is
mostly prairie, but enough timber grows in
the valley to keep the settlers in fuel il proper
ly used.
At the end OF this fifteen miles you get into
the edge of the only good timber that will be
found in the entire country TO be thrown open.
For six or seven miles and until you get 10 the
Cimarron river, which is the south border line,
you pass through heavy timber that would soon
make saw-mill man rich. Along this stream
it is all timber land, oak, walnut hick DRY, ash,
pecan, blackberry, cottonwood and cedar being
The varieties.
But now comes the rub The Indians have
had the entire country TO pick over and the best
half of it has been allotted to them When
there were high prairies they were left for the
white man ana the valleys and best timber
lands have all been gobbled up You may take
Black Bear creek for instance. and there Is
hardly q claim that borders thereon that has
not been allotted Then the valley land
along the Arkansas river and the timber
land along the Cimarron river is most
ali marked allotted" Another disadvantage
OF this country is that the few white men
who take claims will have all the taxes TO pay.
The Indian allotment cannot be taxed for Pc
riod OF twenty years Down in the Cheyenne
and Arapahoe country The same state OF affairs
exists, but there the land thrown open was abb
solu;ely free 10 homesteade-s, while in the
Pawnee the homesIeader must pay $50 per
acre This country is from thirty TO thirty-fve
miles from the Santa Fe railroad. Red
Rock being the nearest railroad station
on the west and Tulsa in the Creek nation.
a distance of forty-five miles on the east. is
also railroad town, being on TIE Norett S
Vinita branch OF the Frisco The rainfall here
is much greater than in the strip proper. The
Pawnees have been farming this land since
le7j, and, IL is said, have never failed TO raise
good crops since their cultivation of the soil |
The Pawnee lands and the Neg Perces and |
Tcnkaw3s are the only reservations that will |
1e ouened when the strip proper is opened |
he kickapoo. the Ponca, Otoes and MissourIs |
have hot been treated for as yet