The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-23
At THE SANE TIAE
Wichita Country to Open
With the KiOWa Lands.
THIS is Mr.. LANES OPINION
No Starving or De8titutiOn
Around the Border.

John r. Lane came in from the Kiowa
and C0manche country in Oklahoma last
night and was scene by a reporter for
the Eagle Mr.. Lane lives at Mountain
View on the northern border Of the
Iliowa and Comanche land and near the
western border of the Wichita reserva-
ton Ia speaking of the land and con-
diti0ns of these reservations he said:
since the decision Of the supreme
court against the Choctaw Indians in
their claim to the Wichita reservation it
is supposed that that land viii be open
ed with the Kiowa and Comanche land
This viii greatly increase the number Of
rich farms that may be secured in this
run. The Wichita country is heavily
timbered and contains rich agricultural
and But it is in the Kiowa and Com
anche reservation that the chief interest
is cente-ed This land not only offers
Inducements to the farmer, but the miner
has lonc waited with Turing hopes for
the time when ne could seek for earth s
treasureres that he believes to be buried
beneath the rocks OF the Wichita noun
tains It is my opinion that as soon as
this land is opened rich deposits of coal
and oil viii be discovered or rather their
discovery VIII be revealed TO the world,
for scores of cid 'nesters" have been
waiting for years graceously guarding the
secrets they have learned by quietly do
ing a little prospecting when they could
escape the viligence Of the Indian police.
Gold likely exists I'm a low grade Of ore
but do not believe that asy gabulously
rich veins have been discovered"
''Wiu there be homes for all who make
the rum was asked Mr.. Lane
Certainly not. There are a large num-
her Of good farms that viii be secured by
the fortunate ones. and a few viii be
passed over that viii not be worth hay-
ing. There are not many Of the latter,
and the man who waits until after the
rush in the belief that he can get a good
nome viii find himself badly left. Greer
county. on the west. was settled up years
ago when it was a part of Texas Wash
tia county, on the north is thickly set
tied and some of the quarter sections in
Washita county near the line Of the res
e-vati0n could not be bought for three
thousand dollars. IF the country is open
cd with a run. and believe 1t VIII be,
thousands viii get left Out those who do
succeed may consider themselves lucky
Where viii those who make the run
start FROM"
con all sides. but more will start from
Mountain View than any other point.
There are several reasons for this. Noun
tain View is built right on the border
near the best part Of the reservad lions.
One reservation is directly south and the
other only q few miles east This makes
more Of the land nearer to Mountain
View within any given distance than to
any other town Our town is hum
mor and IS growing every day.
"The reports regarding vast crowds on
the border and in a starving condition
are an overdrawn. Most Of the people
come and look and go back home to get
ready to return when the country opens.
Some Of them stay and wait but most
of these go into business or find work at
good wages.
"Io one can tell exactly when the coun-
try win be open. but think it is safe to
figure that it win not be later than Aug
ust The work of auoting the Indians is
to be resumed about the first Of the year
and 1T ought TO be completed within
few months"
To a question regarding which side of
the river the run would start from. Mr.
Lane said "The Washita river forms
the north boundary Of the reservation
az far west as Mountain View. The line
should be drawn up along The south bank
as during some seasons Of the year the
Washita gets out of its banks and could
not be forded"