The National tribune., 1900-04-12
RICH AGRICULTURAL COUNTRY.
Something About the Comanchs and Kiowa
Reservation.

/ beTsi EEpat tnfIl-T tCr1le country ii afnOHSS
( the settlers there would be a strong infusion
of the loyalty and patriotism of the Nation
l have thought 4saR NATIONAL TRIBUNE
would do a goodsWork By giving the reServa
ton a write-dp ana@ealing the veterans
attention to it, so they may post them
selves in time on tie best way of securing
100 acres of the richest land in the world.
| The reservation is bounded on the east
| by the 9Sth piscidian.srunning from the
southern line of Oklahoma to Red River
| for % miles: on the1srqlNl it is bounded by
Red River. on the north by Oklahoma and
on the west by reerfCounty. Tex. The
Rock Island Railroad Tuns within mile
or two along the eastern line. and the reSer-
Walton is easy of access from the towns on
this railroad. The mean elevation of the
whole countryS tss&something over 1,00t
| feet
The heat of'the Summer is tempered by
a steady breeze, from the south. In COM
mon with the rest of this Western country.
| it is subject TO bIiZzards from the north
| during the early Spring. The country Is
| well watered bs a number of fine streams
Big and Little Beaver, Cash Creek. Medl-
cine and Waslfta Rivers. Some of these
streams rise in the bold apd rugged Washita
Mountains: in Tic fT6Tffhern part of the
reservation, 9ad,sgssEst EstaettG leads the fine,
Nearly ait>the fstkssRrsssftre Iayger towards
their heads than at their mouths. Most
flow into Red Rfver..ss 'f,.-,...ses
is T Fort %a8f f Esffa % Ss d B rs FessfSs'R Sc Se f6
most ro!agltiaaal. .tkeGlsQag and heaIthi-
est military post in the United States.
Old Geroui ma a nd j X A1F,ld are here There
are some 5000 Apaches. Kiowas and Co
mancheS cssHfped around Fort sill They
are all blanket Indians yet; civilization
seems to have done very little for them 50
far. Some Of the Older. warriors took part
when boys and young men in the raids
made in every. light Hloon-into Texas.
The land of the reservation belonged
originally to the ChoctaWs and Chicka-
saws, and was leased from them by the
Government 9or military reservation and
for place to corral various tribes Of wild
II d ans. \ provision was made in the
lease allowing the Government 10 acquire
title by a further payment.
After many failures in that direction
with the Comanches and Kiowas a treaty
passed the House during the last session.
and was sfaXorahlX reported upon by the
Senate Committee ON Indian Affairs, and
only failed~tO become azIaN or account OF
the great rush Of business during the clos
ing days OF Congress. Binder this treaty
the Comanches and kiowas received
allotments of lands. and 3.O0o,OOO acres
were to be opened for settlement, each
settler paying Sl.25 per acre, and the
so raised was TO be turned over 10
Jile ChOctaWS and ChIckaSaWS
The reservation is Immediately west Of
the town of Comanche. on the Rock Island
Railroad. First comes a belt of broad up
land prairie, the soil red sandy loan. with
clay subs0il, exceedingly rich and perfectly
level. Next is a belt of timber-oak and
pecan-and the rich creek bottom of Dry
Creek; then comes another belt of high
prairie, until the bottoms of Walker Creek
and Big and Little Beaver are reached
These bottoms are exceedingis rich, some
u them ti1nbered, some Open.
There is no place in the Territory or okla
homa where so much rich and strictly first
class land can be found in body: i'm fact
while one may fancy one place more than
another. there is realryno choice-it is all
good.
The vast prairies. river bottoms. pleasant
copses Of timber shelter a great variety of
game. and the hunter finds Il richiy-stOcked
game preserve at all seasons. The woods
are alive with squirrefs. Jack-rabbits
and the toothSome ''cotton-tail" are ALWAYS
in evidence. Wild turkey hunting is good
from Aug, /. Quails are plentiful always;
droyeS of piovers cover the prairie for six
weeks in the early Spring. During the
Fall and Winter great. Faunt timber wolves
as Weli as coyotes are very plentiful. The
streams abound in fish. channel cat. black
bass and many other varieties.
The writer has in his mind certain sue
ceSsful camp hunts of which he was a
member, one especially. during the Winter
The party was a cOngenial one. six jollv-
good fellows. Ail.day The hunt vent on over
the prairie. The wind was sharp and biting
from the north, getting colder towards
night. All the hunters We're in luck
There was a rich string Of all kinds Of
game-Several magnificent tiir-keyS, rab-
bits. quail. squirrels in abundance one enor-
nous coon and the skin of aain1her wolf The
days being short, the party had not stopped
tor dlnner and,when night came on every
one was rayenOus. Luckily the outfit was
in charged 'oldstffn6r:e an ideal spot for
a campingaground Wa,F found on the banks
OF Big beayer. The change from the biting
cold and ro2rings%Tind on. the prairie To the
warmth and stiffness of Beaver bottom,
with only faint singing of the wind in the
s2ps oi rae tai. srses 49, marysous In
ing game, and sod ifis fri Sleasant odar ,pSS Of
meat roasting oger Eve-eaals pervaded the
Then the. dinner. 149si4itfs ~,sont vour $40
dinners; they are simply not in it com
pared 10 a camp fnlfft "dffneretin the Co
inanche ReSery3tlon; .ThelsJle stories Of
Indian raids aid adve}ftiifes. aud finally
the dreamiess sleep of exhaustion-thi is
rest and recreation for tired brains indeed
On a clear day the towering masses Of
the Washita Mountains can be seen for 81
miles, looming up blue against file horizon
these mountains are said to be fun Of gold;
all pro5pectors are jeaIouslY kept out bv the
United States, authorities. however.
There is no doubt that before long this
country viii be opened 10 settlement. and
when this is done a few months win change
everything. II will he simply beautiful
rich farming country. but the charm Of tha
prlmeval forest, glen and prairie. with it's
wild denizens. will foreyer be gone. C. VI.
B., COmanche, Ind. 1y.