The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-06-07
PRESIDENT
Signs KiOwa and COmanche
Bill and the Lands Will
Soon be Opened.

WASHINGTON, JUNE 6.-Congress
has passed and the president has attach
ed his official signature to the bill pro-
Vid.ng for the opening of the Kiowa and
Comanche reservation to settlement.
The bill as passed, was the same as
reported yesterday, except that an
amendment was added in conference COM
mittee to cover the mineral features of
the Wichita mountains. which are re-
puted to be rich in gold, silver, iron and
coal, and allows the purchase of but 16O
acres of land within tho five mile limit
of the mineral district, by one person,
and fixes the price of said mineral lands
at ten dollars per acre.
The government is to pay $500 900 to
the Indians-$5OO 600 cash ana the other
S,5OO0OO to be held as a perpetual trust
fund for their benefit, upon which the
United States is to pay them per cent
per annum interest, to be pro rated
among them.
The bill also provides for the reserving
of 10000 acres to be held I'm common by
the tribes compels the Indians to take
! their allotments within six months leaves
the disputed lands between the tribes and
the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations to
be settled by the courts and gives con-
gress complete control of the reserved
money.
These valuable farming and grazing
! lands are known as the Kiowa and Com
anche and Apache reservation and are
situated in the extreme southern part Of
Oklahoma territory, being bounded on thu
south by Texas, on the west by Greer
county, on the north by Washita county
and Wichita reservation, and on the east
| by the Chickasaw nation. The Red river
forms the boundary line on the south side
the North Fork Of the Red river on the
west side and the Washita river about
half the distance on the north side.
Imediately north of the center, extend
ing northwesterly, and wholly within the
reservation, are the Wichita mountains.
These mountains have never been survey
ed separately, but their area is estimated
at from 25OOOO to 100000 acres. They are
described as exceedingly rough and rocky
uninhabited by either Indians or whites.
A few small streams have their source
in them and there is some timber.
In the northeast corner of the reserva-
tion are the Keechi hills . The area OF
these hills is not known. but it is per-
haps as much as $4,000 acres
Lying within the Indian reservation.
and a little east of the center, is the
Fort Sill military reservation, contain
ing approximately, $4,000 acres, and upon
which the army post of Fort Sill Is sit
uated, and also upon which Geronimos s
band of Apaches are being held as pris-
oners of war.
From data on file in the office of the
secretary OF the interior, the Washita
river, Little Washita river, Beaver riv-
er, Cache creek, Red Run creek, and the
valley of the Red river, have good bot
tom lands, covered with plenty of timber,
while there are thousands of acres Of
upland valuable for agriculture and graz
ing.
Reports on file in the Indian bureau say
that the indians of this reservation are
peaceably inclined. They are virtually
free from appetite regarding the drink
habit They send their children to school
The spacious government and mission
schools located on the reservation arc
constantly filled and the tribes are well
represented in the training schools at
Carlisle, Haskell, etc. They have accom-
plished little as farmers; many, however,
have homesteads on the bottom lands
where they have small tracts under cul-
| tivation, and have raised fair crops of
Indian and kaffir corn and millet. Gener-
ally they have ambition for stock rails
ing and almost every family has a small
bunch of cattle, while many count their
horned stock by the hundred. One full
blood Comanche ownes a herd of 900
| head
! Congress has remembered Oklahoma
and indian territories in many more ways,
! this session, thanks to the hustling quail
tiles of Delegate d. T. Flynn, who is al
ways at work for the good of his constit-
uents and never says fail
PUBLIS BUILDING BILL A LAW.
Another bill that Delegate Flynn has
secured the passage of and the signature
of the president to, is the one allowing
cities in the territories to issue bonds, In
excess of the four per cent limit, for pub
lie building purposes, and is entitled and
provides that the act of congress approx
ed July thirtieth, eighteen hundred and
eighty-six entitled "an act to prohibit tho
passage of local or special laws of the
territories of the United States, to limit
territorial indebtedness. and for other
purposes" is hereby amended so as to
nerDnit authorize and lea aga1ize the is