The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-22
NEW LANDS FOR BOOMERS.
the OPENING or THE KIOWA AND
COMSNCHE COUNTRY.
1t VIII BE a Picturesque Rush Over Mountains
and Through CAM ons when the Govern
ment Lets Down the Dan-Lsnds Amount
ing to l.8lA.O50 Acres for Settlement.
From he 81. Louis Giobe-Dsmoerat.

from ne 81. Louis Gtobe-Democrd
OKLAHOMA City. Oklahoma. July l2.-Nex to
the original Oklahoma. there is no land for
which tho boomer has more ardently sighed
than the Kiowa and Comanche country. The
land, though much more mountainous. Is,
in its valleys and level places. az much an
artists dream of beauty as the old Oklahoma,
OF which both artists and poets raved, and
the loss OF which. in It's pristine beauty. they
still mourn.
What adds a distinctive charm TO the country
is the range Of Wichita Mountains. which run
across 1t in its western part. The Wichita
Mountains are the main range OF a large sys-
ten. which includes the Keeche Hills on the
northeast and the Antelope Mountains on the
northwest. The Wichita Mountains proper
cover about 1900 square miles. They are pro-
perly a continuation of the Atlantic coast system.
being really an extension Of the Alleghanies
and Blue Ridge. reappearing as the Boston Noun
tains in Arkansas and as the Shawnee Hills
and under other names in the Indian Terri
tory, The general trend Of the main range
OF the Miclitas is from the northwest to the
southeast.
The main body of the Wichita Mountains
is a well-dcfined twin range. with broad and
Rockies. The lowest Of these parks, enter
ing the mountains from the northwest. has the
general conformation OF the San Luis PARK,
III lOlDTuuO, tlbuRn IL IL, OF course, not lltuIly
so large, il is level and. covered with a luxur-
liant growth OF grass. and is splendidly watered.
There are no roads or well-defined paths across
this or any other of these parks. The second
park, higher up than the one already referred
to. Is n little smaller than the first. The wer
park Is perhaps thirty miles long, and. at its
greatest width, twenty miles wide. and is every
The next park, distant about a day and a halls
travel, and al a higher elevation. seems much
smaller, not only because I is only about twenty
NV fvs miles IN ibaSt ,b by m m,"en M,ii' ,o IN wi ,O
greater height and are much more rugged
than further down. There are splendid forests
In this park. oak, walnut and pecan predomi-
mating. In the distance can be seen, at ire
gular intervals OF months or years. q thin line
OF smoke coming ont of the crater OF the dead
volcano, which the Indians say Is the abode
Of the Great Spirit. In all OF the Wichita country
there are abundant evidences Of volcanic origin,
seT cru This park is a hunter and fishers
paradise There are plenty Of creeks, many
beautiful fishing pools and countless coveys
Of quail and prairie chicken. A.,
Tho upper park is the most heavily wooded
OF the three. rs well as the greatest in altitude.
the height Of ovcr. 400 and nearly 1000 feet.
II is at the foot Of this range Of the Wichitas
IN a beautiful valley. that Quanah Parker.
chief of the Comanches. lives and maintains
miles distant, and indians begin to multiply
in numbers as the agency Is approached.
The land Of the Comsnches is not only one
of beauty in the white mans ewes, For 800
years ii has been to hin an FL Dorado, always
beckoning him on. As early as 1890 expedi-
tions left Santa "a, where the Spaniards had
established themselves, for the Wichita Noun
tajns. known 70 them as the, Sierra Janmans;
They were seeking silver, and that they found
II there are many evidences. but nothing In
dicating that 1t was found in sufficient guam
able under more. modern conditions. Again.
IN 1911, an official expedition came east from
Santa Fe, and another In 1850, and from that
date on for another century there Is evidence
prospector Of the present day will often come
across the ruins OF old smelling. works aud
traces Of deserted and ruined villages. Ban
croft records the building Of some OF these
towns about seventv-fve miles south and east
OF the present site OF Fort Sill. He writes:
SILVER mines existed about the. ~headwaters
Of the Washita, more particularly near the
hunters and traders. near the close OF the Span:
i,h government. procured in that quarter and
produced to the Spanish authorities several
After all the Indian allotments are made.
and after all the deductions Of grazing lands
TO which the Indians are ,entitiicd under the
terms Of the agreement and conditions on sale.
n domain nearly equal 10 the first Oklahoma
In extent. There was a total OF ! 10000 acres
n, the original Oklahoma. out o. which we're
takcn two sections in every township for school
purposes. In the Comanche country the same
number Of sections In each township will be re
served for school purposes, but that IL only
a pnrt ~ the reservations TO be made and set
arnrt before tho boomer can come into his
kingdom. In the country as II now stands
there arc comrriscd about 5000, 600 acres. The
eylct official figures arc 2 o6s 500, out OF this
total must be set apart i.s54,7l7 acres, includ
ing all reservations and allotments. The
school lands thus reserved. which are desig-
natcd in the cession rs school and college
lands" will COMPRISE a2a. SIT acres, a very large
Tprn.nfnIpn nf the whole.
The grazing reservation set anart FOR the Use
Of the Indians l. larger than the total ~ the
lands 70 I've gIS"n me Indian. h by allotment
including all OF the Comanches. Apachos and
Kiowas, there are but 900 persons entitled
to nllotments, and practically every man.
woman and child In the three tribe will be-
come an allottee under the terms Of the act
which are very sweeping. Every member Of
the tribe over the age OF is years shall have
the right TO select for himself or herself $50
ncres OF land to be hold and owned in sew
crafty, TO conform to the legal surveys In bound
erv, The father or, II he be dead, the mother.
{ members Of either of said tribes OF Indians;
land for each Of his. OF her children under the
age Of IL years, and the Commisstoner Of In
dian Afnirs, or some one by him appointed
land for ench orphan child under the age Of
is voars belonging to either Of said tribes
With nil Of this. eenerositv in allotment 70
the Indians Of and in severaltv, and OF snocial
married with the Indians. and amounting 70
nearly 1000 acres In all. the total ~ all allot-
ments reaches i87 $40 acres. This IL n large
BODY Of land to take out ~ q tract embracing
IN all less than 100000, acres No. protest
has over been made bv the whites, however,
10 nllotmpnts which practically take ont of
their roach, before the opening the finest lands
In the country. In the first Oklahoma there
were no allotments 10 he regarded az inviolate.
The entire country was vacant and bad been
So for more than two wears. Tn the Cherokee
country and In that Of the Chevennes and Arara-
hoes. there were allotments In severa'tv under
the same general plan as that now. 10 be fol-
lowed In the new opening On all occasions
been found that the Indians have made a most
excellent use Of their opportunities and have
selected not only the best lands. but those
most favorablv situated as 20 prospective
town sites. All this has been accepted a. q
matter Of course. and as beins, entirely natural
under the circumstances and II has been well
understood, ever since the agitation for the
opening Of tho Fort Sill country began. more
than ten years ago that when the country
should be opened. one-siSth OF the land, and
be set apart TO the Indians before q white man
was allowed 10 set foot across tho boundary.
This has been accepted philosophically,
and with apparent u not perfect resignation.
What arouses the boomers wrath. and what
led him to n vigorous protest eight or nine
years ago. when the agreement which had
lust been ratified nv Congress- was first drawn
np, " the clause setting aside TO Indian uses
a vast area. larger than the total OF lands allotted
IN severaltv, for grazing purposes, The boomer
has always insisted, with eloquent profanity
in many Instances that the clause setting apart
Az. 600 acres for Indian grazing lands Ia a
device Of his old enemies. the cattlemen, to
retain a large norton OF the country for their
herds. Not only has the boomer had the best
OF the argument on this point OF the contention.
hif little danial has been madp Of what Ia almoat