The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-04
The ag ehita Tally Eno Saturday ylor.no August A. 900

4 inCnoSF OF the trlpe over the age OF J.
years shall have the right to select 70,
| himself or herself Is 0acres OF land. to be
held and owned in eseveralty to conform
| with the legal surveys in boundary The
| father, or, If he be dead, the mother. Il
members OF either Of said tribes of In
| dams, shall have the right to select a
| Ike amount OF land for each of his o,
her children under the age of Is years
and the commissioner Of Indian affairs
or some one by him appointed for the
| purpose. shall select a like amount OF
land for each orphan child under the age
OF Is years belonging to either Of said
tribes
| With all this generosity in allotment
| TO the Indians of land and in severality.
| and OF special aHotments to white per-
sons who have inter-married with the
/ Indians, and amounting to nearly 4ooo
acres in all the total Of all aIlotments
reaches 1880 acres. THINKS is a large
body of land to take out o6 a tract en-
oracing in all less than 100000 acres
NO protest have ever been made by the
whites. however, to alotments which prac
tically take out of their reach, before
the opening. the finest lands in the coun-
try In the first Oklahoma there were
no allotments regarded as inviolate. The
entire country was vacant, and had been
so for more than two years. In the
Cherokee country and in that Of the
Cheyennes and Arapahoes, there were al
lotments in severalty under the same gen
eral plan as that now to be followed in
thenew opening. On all occasions where
allotment has preceded opening it has
been found that the Indians have made
most excellent use of their opportuni-
ties and have selected not only the best
land, but those most favorably situated
as TO prospective town sites. All this
has been accepted as a matter Of course.
and as being entirly natural under the
circumstances, and 1t has been well under
stood ever since the agitation of the
Fort Sill country began, more tina nten
years ago. that when the country should
be opened. one-sixth Of the land, and
including the best of it in every locaii-
ty would be set apart TO the Indians
before white man would be allowed
to set foot across the boundary
This has been accepted philosophically,
and with apparent if not perfect resig-
nation. What arouses the boomers
wrath and what led him to a vigorous
protest eight or nine years ago, when
thes agreement which had just been rat
fled by congress was first drawn up,
is the clause setting aside to Indians
uses vast area larger than the total OF
lands allotted in severalty, for grazing
purposes. Thdbooner has always insisted
with eloquent profanity in many instan-
ces, that the clause setting apart 49,
coo acres Of Indian grazing lands is de-
vice of his old enemies, the cattlemen,
to retain a large portion Of the country
for their herds. Not only has the boom
er had the best OF the argument on
this point Of the contention, but little de-
NAL has been made OF what is almost
an obvious truth. 1t is settled in adj
vance that the cattlemen will retain
under the India nleases much OF the
fine grazing land. nthe country. In all
the Wichita mountain valleys miles Of
are to be seen. Much of
this will disappear after the opening.
but too much Of 1t will remain for the /
peace of mind of the boomer, who re-
CARDS the catteren as the sum of al !
The agreement under which the land is
ago. but it failed in ratification untr the
closing holrs Of the congress which adj /
iOurned q few weeks ago In the begin
ming the boomers we're as actively oo-
posed to III qualification as was the cat /
tlenen. because of the grazing clause /
t was soon found, however, shat so long
rs the Indians were disposed TO insist /
upon this concession the government /
would remain committed to IT as one
II the conditions of opening As there
vas little or. no disposition to take the I
ands against the Indians protests.
IND as there was opposition in many guar
ers, to opening the country under any
the tribes were in a posi-
ion to dictate tetrms and one condition
# the contract they could not he induced
o relinquish. was the one concerning the
grazing land. The boomers soon found I
hat thei ropposition to that part Of the
igreement could not defeat IT, while it
night easily defeat the opening Of any
'art of the lands. They accepted condi-
ions with the best grace possible.
The Indian grazing lands which are
lot to he divided among the members Of
he tribes, but held in common as tribal
nents in severalty, take out nearly 1000
m acres from the total The government
around Fort Sill IS 10 H.
lude o,oo0 acres. These items. large and
mall, swell the total Of reservations 20
354.7 III acres. leaving the number Of acres
pen TO entry and settlement 1s14076
his is nearly 100 Oo0 acres less than was
obtained in the original Oklahoma. al
hough, in extent. the Fort Sill country
nearly twice as largeas the old Okla
ona the day IL was opened There is
nore good land IN the Fort SIT country
han was 10 be found in old Oklahoma
ut there viii be les sof such land open
q entry as after all the reservations are
7ade the number Of good quarter sec !
ions left in the country viii Zoe few The I
mount Of available lands include Only I
bout 100 quarter section tracts. and as
UGH Of this is not arabic. and propor-
lon must be given NJ for townsites,
can be readily seen that there Is not J
n algring prospect for the horesteader.
Yet all the indications point to one
T the creates runs" ever seen at anv I
pening One Of the largest movements
ill be westward. from the Indian Terri 3
Try into the promised land. bat the z
estern and southern part ot Oklahoma {
I'll contribute largely 10 the movement &
exas will perhaps be mora largely rep
ssented in this invasion 81 Indian land :
ian she has ever beer in any - the c
recedirg boons. Since he acquisition o, r
reer county by Oklahoma under the de-
sion ~ he United States supreme court .
ae Oklahoma boundary Tuns down 70 :
lat II Texas c1 the southwest 4 part 8
the mining fKredstious which l. & o
legged has bes1 committed stree the =
.fFea tfr-, N. n.,r r-ess H-erA IN r.-n-rasr 8