The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-07-01
BY MARCH FIRST.
President Will be Asked for
Early kiowa Opening.
BEST FOR THE SETTLERS
Reservation of Additional Pas
ture for indians a Blunder.

Ell Reno, 0. T., June 9O.-The opening
OF the Kiowa and Comanche country is
going TO be badly oyercrowded event. In
the cities in this part Of the territory hun
dreds Of men now in mercantile lines
have resolved to get them farms in view
of the fact that Oklahoma farms are now
such profitable affairs. Oklahoma alone
will furnish enough runners to gobble up
the Kiowa and Comanche farms. But
the Oklahoma home seekers Will not have
a monopoly on the claims. Already in
quiries are pouring in from the drouth-
stricken states Of the north. from people
who want to get farms in the new coun-
try. Kansas and Missouri will furnish
hordes and Texas on the south will have
multitude 1t is reckoned here that the
opening will far surpass anything Of its
kind in the past.
An effort will be made to persuade
President Mckinley to have the country
thrown open at a more propitious date
than was chosen by former presidents for
similar events. The business of allotment
can be finished ia six months, and by
January l next the president can issue
his proclamation. Settlers want the land
opened the last of February, or at least
b. the first of March. The opening of
original Oklahoma was on April e, which
was palpably too late In the spring. The
opening of the Strip came in the middle
Of September. during a hot period which
caused unnecessary suffering. The Kiowa
and Comanche country is good ways
south and spring is opening by the first
OF March
There is much complaint over the reser-
walton of 4S0,00 acres which the Indians
are to have for pasture land in addition
TO their allotments. This reservation is
TO be made by the secretary of the in
terror. The land will be in body and
of course will be the finest Everywhere
this provision for reservation is looked
upon as a blunder. The settlers natur-
ally want it for farming land. while those
who understand Indians, like Mr.. Seger,
the venerable Indian farmer, pronounce
it a sad mistake for the Indians. The In
dams will lease this land to the cattlemen
and derive from that source a revenue.
which will be sufficient to make them idle
and prevent thrift and industry on their
allotments.
The reported number Of prospectors
now in the Wichita mountains has been
greatly exaggerated and people here
laugh at the expected clashes between
sooners and the United States authorities.
A single company Of regulars could clean
out the country in a very short time and
the soldiers would not be opposed.
The men who believe that under the act
of congress they have right TO go in and
take mineral claims deny that the words
after the passage OF this act" were sur
reptitiously inserted in the measure. after
it had been in the hands Of the confer
ence. They declare that it was in the
house report and was in the senate's act
before it went 20 the conference commit
tee.
The miners believe also that the mineral
laws of the United States already extend
over the Wichita mountains and that they
have a right to enter upon them. But
inasmuch as the department rules other
wise and warns them off. they will keep
away. although believing that they are
unjustly excluded.