The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-30
Nmomg the Club Womem.

essarv to understand both sides of the
question, and here are the facts given
by Acting Indian Commissioner Tanner
for the government and Captain Hews
for the Wichita mountain boomers. the
governments side of the story being
first presented:
sThe Wichita reservation. Oklahoma,
embraces 1880 acres. The reservation
is occupied by the Aienai or loni. Cad
do. Comanche (komantus), Delaware,
Kiteai. Towakarehu. Weeko and Wich-
tia Indians. They are generally spoken
of simply as the Caddo. Wichita and
Delaware tribes: and for census pur-
poses they are so ciassed The census
of 1896 gives the population of the three
tribes as follows: caddos. 4Tb. Wichl-
tas. 1856: Deawares. 81.
All the United States Indian agents
in Oklahoma and the Indian Territory
have been instructed to exercise the
greatest possible vigilence to prevent
any threatened invasion of said reser-
walton and to report to this office from
time to time whatever reliable infor-
nation may come to them concerning
the matter. In addition TO this, Cap
tain Baldwin. the acting agent Of the
Kiowa and Comanche agency Ito which
agency the Wichita reservation is at
tached) has been instructed to make
prompt call for military assistance,
in the event he finds his Indian po-
lice inadequate to prevent an actual in
vasion.
L "If the threatened invasion is actu-
I.ally attempted, and cannot be re-
PEELED by the Indian police, this office
will make immediate call for military
q ssistance. A. c. TANNER.
Acting Commissioner of Indian At
I fairs
+ Here is what Captain HewS has TO
say:
THE Wichita mountain boomers are
! trying TO get simple justice. The
United States government bought from
| the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians,
| on the 2Sth day of April, 1866 all lands
| west Of the 9Sth degree, west long~
| tude. owned or claimed by them, for the
sum of $1,000.
| This was bought specifically for res
| eryation purposes for the wild tribes.
! In October, 1892, all the Indians occupy
| ing said lands Cor wild lndans) entered
| into an agreement with the government
] to take aflotments of 100 acres each
| within five years from date of treaty.
| For the residue of the land the govern
ment agreed 10 pay $2,ooD,0 600.
| This period has elapsed and the
| Wichita mountain boomers claim thar
| the homestead law passed in 1861 gives
all citizens of the United States the
right To secure for themselves home.
| They also claim that the universal min
ing law approved May TO- 1872, gives
them the right to prospect. if possible
| and prove up upon the same. We pro-
| pose TO lay this matter before the
! American people. who we firmly believe
will insist that justice he given us
I'VE also believe that the great
| American congress is animated by the
spirit of honor and right. and we VIII
! continue to so believe until they prove
| themselves false TO their constituents.
| If we go into the Wichita mountain
country and congress denies us our
| rights according to law, and the troops
| attempt to prevent us, the Great Jeho-
yah only knows what we VIII 90 ula
| not say that if the troops tried TO stop
! us there would be blood. but | did say
that before | would submit to see my
men Inundated ! would order my men
to fire in return
Il meant by this that if any trooper
| should attempt to drag one of my men
by chain or rope hitched to the rear
! end of "a wagon. or the pommel OF a
saddle. that would either fire on him
I or them myself. or il more convenient
order my men tn instantly do so.
| meant every word of il, and claim that
any white man who would stand idly
by and see human being treated like
a dog is a miserable coward, no matter
! who was the assailant
THE country principally desired tc
be opened by us is the country oc-
cupied by the Kiowa, Comanche ano
/ "A
beautiful and imposing sections of oui
land Jagged rocks or powders inden
the sides of the mountainous district
Quartz leads can be plainly seen seam
ing many of the volcanic looking noun
tains While, strange to relate, {
heavy growth of mountain fir, cedar
and mesquite adorn the slopes and ever
the tops of many of them, crystal cleal
water trckles into the gravelly streams
below.
THE home of the rabbit. the squirrel
the deer and the wild turkey, 1t reminds
us of the Indians famous hunting
grounds.
THE valley and beyond, the range o
mineral-laden peaks. is one of the fines
agricultural countries the sun eve
shone upon. In the valleys of thi
Wichita the farmers could swap joke
and live i'm luxury off the great oppor
tunities Of this fertile section. Their
are great many people who live on o
near the boundary of this great hear
of our nations wealth. who long a
ardentIy for tire restitution to them
selves of this long deferred right to EN-
ter the promised land as Cuba longs fo
its already earned liberty. There ar
thousands who live many hundred mile
from its border that are homeless to
day. Land. land. is the cry OF most Q
them They don't care much so long a
they can get home.
Most of the land in this country tina
should be classified as agricultural i
frst-class land. well watered and tim
bered or course, some people will &c
a little poorer hand than others. Bu
this is all part of the lottery of life
Il Every person who settles in this couii
4 try will be rejoiced. in my humb
I opinion. by the fact that they will b
! in the midst of land of plenty wher
every man has a chance to make o
break.
Very little has been mentioned b!
me concerning the minerals concealed
in the Wichita mountains. However
; | will say i'm conclusion. that | an
amply prepared and willing to demon
strate, beyond a doubt. that the valu
able ores exist in such quantities am
, richness that when developed will pros
this country TO be the Klondke O
America