The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-27
HOW NOT TO Do 1T.
WICHITA. Kan, April "a, 49,

WICHITA, Kan, April "a, 1875.
TO the Editor of the Eagle.
Pardon ne for again seeking space in
your paper to discuss for a few moments
the Importance of some different plan of
opening the remaining portion of the
Indian country. Just SO long as the
boomer and jockey insist upon the old
way the true homeseeker must insist
uron something different or get left. |
have good reason to believe that the sec
rotary of the interior is determined to
adopt some method more honorable,
digrIfied and fair, and to that end is
seeking all information possible on the
subject, and whatever improvement
may be made on the old plan of opening
will come from free and fair discussion
of the question through the leading
journals of the country. All good citi
zenS will unite in saying that all contests
should be settled at home, so that when
the settler goes TO that country he goes
there with a contract, or proposition
from the United States TO occupy a GER
tain quarter section of land under the
homestead law, land no man dare to
modest or make him afraid And it
does seem to me that this is the all i'm
portant point in this case.
There is great deal said against the
"abominable lottery business" by the
digniied. moral boomer. But when ap-
piled 10 any of these simple home rene
dies for great evil, it is simply bosh.
The government makes no money out
of any of these plans, neither will it
allow individuals to do so; nor does it
seek 10 rob or deceive anyone. but, on
the other hand, seeks wholly to protect
the innocent settler against this organ
lied band of claim jumpers, professional
Jockeys and sharpers, who have given
the settlers of that country so much
trouble. but who could not practice
their profession if contests and titles
were all settled at home instead of on
the wild prairies of Oklahoma. No man
Of family or occupation can afford to
lose his crop and time To 60 down to
that country and lounge about there
simply to practice horse racing, the use
of his Winchester, hunt and fish, etc,
unless he expects to gain great adran-
tage over others by SO doing. No man
can very we'll afford to fall in line at the
United States land office and hold his
place for thirty, sixty or ninety days
fellows you are likely to meet there.
Then, 10y all means, settle the matter be-
fore you get there.
Much of the land lately opened TO
settlement was OF the class that honest
homeseekers cared but little about: in
fact, rather than take part in any such
unreasonable and unjust scramble they
preferred 10 let the boomer and jockey
exhaust their force upon them, hoping
that this would satisfy them, and eX-
haust their right 10 further efforts in
that direction. But nos So; the same
element, and in many cases the same
fellows, are up and at it again. You
dare rot 90 10 the territory TO contest
any point with these fellows, organized
as they are-and whoever tries it will
find them well fortified and equipped for
any emergency, perfectly familiar with
every good quarter of land in the strip,
and the result will be just What you
would expect from watching a game of
three card monte between tenderfeet
and old professionals. The practical
farmer will go 10 that country TO i'm
prove the country and raise grain and
stock; the other fellows will go to raise
-: Which shall we protect?
Respectfully JOIN KELLY.