The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-24
THE INDIAN TERRITORY.
FIVE DEPENDENT sOTEREIGSIIEs
WITHIN A REPUBLIC.
The 100000 Tenants OF 10000 Indinu
Lnndlords-A New Era ComiuE-Ister-
esting Features OF an Important Region.
Prom the 81. Louis Globe. Democrat

Prom the ST. Louis Globe Democrat.
wAsHiSoTos. Jan. 1.-THE finest Job NJ
detailed surveying ever made for any part OF
the United States is that which is progressing
rapidly to finish in tho Indian Territory.
When the members OF tho Five Nations take
their land in severalty no one OF them Will
have any doubt about the boundaries NJ his
farm. There are twenty parties. numbering
200 men. now at work on these lines. They
will continue. in the field all winter. They are
Offered and directed by the Geological Sur
veys That Is what insures the thoroughness
and &C ,uracy OF tho "sec tionizing." Most OF
the public land surveying heretofore has been
done by contract The result Is that In places
the section lines ziRzae across the country like
q rail fence. A man who buys quarter soc.
ton OF land In the West and accepts the cor
ner stones may get 800 acres or he may get
ITO acres. He rarely ands himself In post e.
sion Of the correct and legal 100 acres. Ths
survey OF tho Indian Territory Is going TO be
a model. The only thing TO be regretted is
tina, IL comes after the public domain has been
sectioncd and quartered. 1t will serve to
show what should have been done great
many years ago.
The Indian citizen will also have n sure
hing on tho points Of the compass. The main
lines Of the territory survey are determined
first by accurate observations of latitude and
longitude. These Government surveyors do
not wait for clear night load wagon with
stones, drive toward the.north star. dropping
q stone every mile. and call that q section
line. They lay out grade meridans and stan
dard parallels. With such beginnings they
divide tho land into blocks Of twenty-four
miles. Tho next division Is into blocks OF six
miles, making townships. Then come along
the mie.sauaro sections and the quarter. AT
the same time that the section lines arc es-
tabiished there Is being made by still other
parties n triangulation and Typographical sur
vey. One survey is a check on the other and
errors are impossible. At the corner OF every
feet In the ground. On the top Of this post is
shown the height above the sea OF that partic-
ss;nbsh.d along ali Of n. railroads sn at short
Intervals. and on the east and west township
lines at the corners.
gun, and some progress was made. II will be
resumed In April. end; when concluded, will
raj resources OF the Territory. II is a com.
mon impression that this great region, lying
between Kansas and Texas. partakes or the
degree this is wrong. The Government sur
veyors are now running lines through a large
country is 30 rough that wagons have been
abandoned. TRANSPORTATION can bc provided
S az paG sy lint bey be
topography of the Southwest fairly well. IL
is, however. q Ia:t that the Government has
Indian Territory burros sufficient, in number
70 form three pack trains In order to outfit
such provision was found to be necessary is in
the southeastern sorner OF the Territory.
For several years a good deal OF coal min
thirds OF the distance south from Kansas TO the
Texas line. The mining was begun unuer
ernment. The more these deposits have been
tAS Within ss this sd
tn ha val FIJI goki In
dian Territory coke Is now exported to Mex
leo. and IL used there by the smelters. Near
CONTRACTED. The geological party which be-
gan work last fall as under DR.. HUI. prac-
OF Texas. and who had much to DO with the
State. DR.. Hin had for .nerly made = pros
west OF that occupied bv the Five Tribes. and
knew some Thing of the character. In his re-
spring. lie went far enough TO satisfy him that
the Indian Territory coal fold will prove to be
far Indicate. His theory is thai the coal
measures will be found as far torth ms Mus
coRee. This would give field equal To about
coal. DR.. Hill predicts that there will be found
oil In that same region. He says the geologi-
these sIpeotatlons.s shall be realized the Indian
Territory, subdiyided and allotted and thrown
ep;n sS rs @ m9rs
some persons 70 learn that the Territory, SON n
population Of six whites to every Indian.
The strangest Typographical feature In this
Limestone Ridge. Out of tie face OF the Ter
ritory humps itself this narrow. high mass Of
Limestone, At the base the ridge may be only
nifty feet In PLACES. IL has a height varying
some THAT. but averaging ABOUT 100 feet. This
freak has tho enormous length Of ninety miles.
. great stone snake Countless springs OF ine
water pour out OF tho base OF the ridge. In
places there ar are gaps through which river.
the ridge would probably look like huge stone
wall. Studied on either side It seems TO nave
earth. which forced this long. narrow mas Ia Of
stone upward; above the surface. from a con.
below the coal measure. ' and to h s' foresd
that up and out Of place, The ,o,l vein CO mes
20 an end nGa, the sass begins again
Three experimental wells for I'll are being
bored IN the Territory At Mp,cogse. Eufauia.
making the venture; Thus, far nothing is
known IL, IN detail h Of the results; Some y..rs
w North or Ssf'f ns IL
able oil was found. Tho theory Of the geol.
osi.ts who wers In tho Territory Last year i.
an offshoot OF the Territory oil fields.
m The Governmeht surveyors have found the
seen an abundance OF game. The curious fact
about this 10 that the white men do most of
.ho hunting. II, The Indians .eem 70 have driited
turkeys are there in greater numbers than in
any other part Of the United States, probably.
., July viii SEQ the survey finished. SO far a'
Choctaw. aud the Seminole nations. Many
years ago q survey by contract was made Of
that not mora than half OF tho landmarks can
DO found. II 10 expected that tho present
Congress Will make provision for the Same
kind OF survey OF tho Chiokasaws' land which
ID being concluded In tho other nations.
The relation these five tribes have sus-
tanned to the United States has been anomAl.
GUS. Chief Justice OF tho United States Su.
prone Court once described In fine.sDun legal
terms dependents sovereignty" as Il there
could DO such . thing. BY common consent
the Government recognizes the Indian Territory
IS collection OF dependent sovereignties
Tho relationship did very. well so long as the
United Statos had plenty OF room for honIe-
steads ana offered o great variety OF oppor-
tunities for restless enterprise. But a Few
years ago the tide OF migration set In toward
this .par1ely settled and attractive region. To-
dAy there are six intruders for every Indian
Of whatever shade on these reservations Tho
United States was forced TO set up its courts
In the Territory. Practically all OF the law
there is there now is applied by the United
States Government Communities OF from
1000 to 6.ooo white, people have gathered
and remain without title other than suffer-
anoe. and without local government other