The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-10-21

west. from the Chickasaw country 10
Greer county, Oklahoma and contains
about 100000 acres OF land. Through the
middle OF the tract are the Wichita
mountains. the last southwest hills of
the Alleghanies which extend in so Ions
a line across the country, The range in
ciudes the Blue Ridge. the ozarks, and
the Kentucky and Tennessee hills. and
here they are as rugged as elsewhere,
though not approaching the Rockies IN
height. The scenery is striking and
there is evidence Of mineral deposits.
The mountains have not been surveyed,
but there is an abundance OF pretty, val
leys and fertile land. North Of the moan
tains extends a comparatively level plain.
capable of supporting a large population
II is more suitable TO crop raising be-
cause the hot winds. which are the ter
ror of the farmer, are stopped by the
high hills Numerous streams run both
north and south and give well wstered
country. Two parks. Ike Estes Park OF
Colorado. exist in the mountains, sur
rounded by peaks 4.e0o 10 500 feet high.
Beautiful valleys are occupied by the In
dians; Quanah Parker. the wealthy chief
~N-~-N-tN-A~Sr A1fAAA5 HIS ANa0AA~AAt
ers in one OF these.
Under the terms OF the new law open
ing these lands several reservations must
be set apart In the first place each In
dian receives his allotment" This con-
sists of 100 acres wherever he may choose
it. The surveyors are making plots OF the
country now with difficulty. fer the on
cial survey was made in 1872, and many
of the corner-stones are gone. The sur
veyors are also fixing allotments In adj
dition 10 his 100 acres the Indian gets an
other 16O for pasture land. but this is not
to be adjoining his farm-it is put In a
great pasture Of 4S0.0O0 acres, there being
approximately 3OO0 Indians They OBJ
jected to this plan and so did the settlers,
for it is held 10 be a scheme of the cat
tlemen to get a great pasture Of rich
land. They will lease II of the Indians at
20 cents an acre and this will pay them
more revenue than they now receive.
Then there are sections in each township
reserved for school purposes, and 4So acres
for each townsite. There will be left
about 1900 farms of 100 acres, including
the mountain districts. There are not all
good farms and probably not more than
10000 families can be provided for. There
are reservations for Fort Sill and the
Anadarko Indian agency On the whole
there is about the same opportunity that
was given when Oklahoma proper was
opened eleven years ago-and that is a
magnificent gift. No wonder people are
excited over 1t. They are excited--even
now, for wherever one goes it is the sub
ject of discussion.
But there is another side to II. The en-
tire reservation is west Of line passing
through central Kansas and Nebraska
VIII there be rain enough?" is the Ques-
ton that comes naturally to those who
are interested in the new country. A
good many people think central Kansas
is just a little too far west, and will not
consider going farther towards the Rock
les. These argue that the deficient rain
fall is sure to affect the new lands. and
that agriculture will be no more than an
experiment and a doubtful one at that
This is not certain, for the farther south
one goes the better becomes the agricul-
tural conditions propOrtionately 10 the
rainfall The rain belt is farther west in
Oklahoma than in Kansas, and there Is
every indication that it will be farther
west in the new reservation than IN old
Oklahoma.
1t is a curious thing that most OF the
land in the territory Is for sale.
Yes" said a real estate agent. "a
great many people are coming here all
the time and are buying farms at prices
ranging from 1880 to 5000 a quarter"
But you say there is a family on every
quarter. What becomes Of those who sell
out?"
They move on. Every man in Okla
homa is a Spectator. He has tried Il
somewhere else; perhaps two or three
times. He wants TO sell and buy and
you always find him willing to change
He will sell out his claim and move on
to newer and cheaper lands. There he
will build new home and sell IL again.
Just now he is getting ready to make
run into tho Comanche country"
That is the story all over the territory.
The wandering foot Is not yet quieted.
The roaming spirit is yet abroad in the
land, and the mover and Spectator has
his price. People are coming in-plenty
OF them-and the settlers are loading up
their families and going on to begin
again
Colonel Mitchell. who has had charge
of buying government lands for the Fort
Sill reservation, and who has spent the
best Of twenty years in the territory, and
knows the reservation perfectly. says
that It Is "a better, surer. and more sat
country than old Oklahoma /
have purchased lands on which eighty
bushels OF oats have been raised % the
acre; also sixty bushels OF corn. and
three-fourths to a bale OF cotton DO
not take much stock in tho stories o.
gold and silver In the mountains. but /
know there is copper and coal. asphalt
tum and gypsum" Colonel Mitchell says
the condition OF some Of the Indians s.
shameful under previous treaties OF the
allotment Of lands to the Cheyenucs and
ArapahOes ne says: 1t has been a grand
failure. They were supposed . select
their own lands. but IN fact. FOR the
sqCaws and children as well ~ for rnanv
men. the Indian agent or an ARM oficsr
did IL for them On alternate sections
were white families. and u the 5e latter
could not succeed-what might an In3ian
expect? IN fact. the whites IN many IN
stances. owing % the poverty - She
lands. etc. did not succeed: neither "a
the Indians. The government built litf'
houses for the Indian. b.. the rfdskia
,upers;itious and flied with radical rTejg- (
lice. did not occupy the hoUse n Ninety /
1iue cases out - a hundred. Bat JEFF q
Empty while ne pitched BIS teres bes -
K 50 the Klowas md Camanches are (
fearful o. the new experiment ans wsr i
< not for tbe fact that the tresy hss +
been made ard the law Is o. Tire statute
.nrka -LaE n-l-a =. b -re..aH D. ~ |