The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-01-19
IndIan anda in OkIahoma.

WASHINGTON. JAN is-The secrc-
tary Of the Interior has today sent to
tho senate In response to resolution
Of that body a description Of the lands
embraced in certain Indian reservations
IN Oklahoma. their character and area.
The secretary state.
"I have TO report that the lIowa, Co
manche and Arapa hoe reservations is IN
the extreme southe.n part Of Oklahoma.
being bounded on .4e south boy Texas, on
the west by Greer county, ON the north
by Washlta county and the wichita res
ervation, and on tbs ast 10y the Chi1Ka-
saw nation. T,o Rei river forms tho
boundary line or tle south side and the
north fork Of the Re1 river ON the west
side, and the washlta river about half
the distance ON the north side. Beyond.
north Of the center, extendh.s northwest
erly, "a little within the reservation, are
the Wichita mountains. SO FAR as 1 am
advised these mountains have never been
surveyed spqrately Umt their area is es~
umated at from 100000 60 10000 acres
They are described as exceedingly rough
and rocky. un.nhabited by either Indians
or whites, wholly unfit for agricultural
purposes. and OF but little value Cor
Frazine. a few small streams have thelr
source in them, and there is some timber
In the north corner OF the reservation are
the Keechi hills, which are also describ-
ga as rough, rocky and sterile, totally
worthless for agriculture and possessing
lNtle n any value FOR grazing The area
within the hills Is mot known, but it is
perhaps as much as 5000 acres.
Lying within the Indiep reservation. a
f,tle east of the center is the Fort Sill
reservation, containing approximately co.
600 acres. upon which the army post or
Fort snI is situated. and also upon which
Gercnimo's band OF Apaches IS being held
ass prisoners Of war and given start
in stock raising
"1t is estimated by competent officials
Of the department. who are familiar with
the reservation that ii does not contain
more than 1880 acres OF agricultural
land or this class e Is estimated that
% 5,32O acres are situated in the valley OF
the Washita, between the Chickasaw na-
ton and the village % Auadarko, which
is the seat OF the agency Ten thousand
acres are also In the valley Of the Wash
lta, west Of the agency consisting OF
small valleys that perhaps IN no case,
contain more than 800 or 400 acres IN a
body, and found mostly in the bends OF
the river and along the small streams
emptying into IT. On the Little Washita
are about A., 900 acres. These two valleys
are said to be the best in the reservation.
They aggregate 4O,120 acres. In Beaver
Creek valley. in the southeastern corner
of the reservation, it is estimated, are
about 300 acres Of land. In the Cache
Creek valley, also in the southeastern
corner Of the reservation, are 29,250 acres
OF agricultural land.
1T IS the Judgment OF persons Of long
residence in the reservation that even the
valley lands classed In jhis report as
agricultural lands, because OF the insult
nciency OF rain, cannot be depended upon
for crops other than one or two years In
six or seven years, The country Is im-
measurably better for grazing than for
agriculture. According 10 the best infor-
nation ] am able TO obtain IT may be
classed as follows
''UnB for agriculune nut valuable for
grazing. 2.nA553 acres; wichita noun
talus, worthless for agriculture and OF
little value rlr grazing, 10000 acres;
Keechi hin of the same character as the
Wichita, 25,00O acres; Fort sin military
reservation 5000 acres; agricultural
lands. 79.4O5 acres.
OF the whole amount 21s3952 acres are
leased 20 white men for grazing purposes
al AN annual rent Of S2163Os.l5"
The secretary sent TO congress also a
memorial from the Kiowa, Comanche
and Apache Indians OF Oklahoma, pro-
testing against the ratification by con-
gress OF the erOme treaty, made in Sep
tember 1892. Because those who signed
the treaty were misled by those who rep
resnted the government"