The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-31
OPPOSED BY CAT1LEHBD
A Protest Against Opening Indian
Reservations.

large Interests IN tho Southwest
behind the I<fovns and Conan
chcs in Their Objection Many
Settlers FIocI,inG to oklahoma.
GUTHRIE. Okla May 51-The pro-
test OF the kicwa and Comanche Indians
against the proposed action of the Gov
eminent in opening to settlement their
reservations next August is of much
more significance than appears on the
surface Back Of the Indians action
are the large cattle interests OF the
Southwest. and the chiefs are but fig
ureheads in the promotion Of a business
proposition
The cattlemen have used this tract Of
over 3.0O0 a09 acres for rental that has
been merely nominal For many years
the herds have grazed over the valleys
at the foot of the Wichita Mountains
and the profits have made fortunes for
large syndicates and hundreds Of indi-
viduaIs When the terms Of opening
the reservation We're made they more
than anyone else were Instrumental
in securing provision that each In
dian should have two alloments-0E
farm of $50 acres. located wherever the
Indian might choose, the other 100
acres located in q vast tribal pasture
in the southeast portion of the reseTya-
ton The number of allotments makes
this pasture about $4,000 acres. and Il
VIII be rented to the cattIemen at a
small figure.
But the loss of 100000 acres is not to
be given up without fight, hence the
protest. The Indians claim Is that
they were not properly consulted as To
the terms of the opening, and that they
are by their treaty entitled to certain
considerations not given them They
request that the opening be postponed
until Congress meets, IN order that they
nav ask that body for delay and fur
thpr. consideration Failing in getting a
reinforcement. which. as the law passed
last year is very explicit in requiring
the opening within SIX months is very
unlikely, they threaten to secure an in
junction in some court
The chances are against them on both
procedures. for the allotment has been
gc-ng on rapidly and VIII be completed
in the Kioyga and C5manche reservation
by June u In the Wichita reservation
it IS slower. and viii take until July L
The Indians are taking the valley
lands selecting choice agricultural sec
ti0ns- and as they are familiar with the
land. they are getting the best OF the
reserva tion. Indeed. frOntleTsmen IA
rniiiar with conditions say that there
will be left but a small amount OF good
farming. land when the opening comes
The whole reservation lies in the lougI-
tude of the eastern hall Of western
e Kansas. and is subject to drought and
crtp failures With three thousand
quarter sections taken out the residue
viii be scarcely as attractive as many
think
The rising tide Of immigration and
the demand for more land to TIL IS fore
ing the cattlemen farther and farther
into the foot hills Of the Southwest
plains, but they are making a desperate
fight as they go. very year That they
can postpone the opening Of rich TeSer-
Va1ions like these means wealth Tor
them. TIE baroniaI feature Of the
prairies Is giving way, however, before
the settler and his plow, and the latter
viii soon be in possession Of all OF the
range lands suitable for cultivation
It Is estimated that there are twenty
-W9uld-be settlers waiting on the Dor
ders OF the reservation for every claim
that is to be given TO settlement Many
have come long distances ID wagons
and are determined to win home
Others are of the itinerant farming
class that is forever roaming the
plains. and Will never remain In a place
long enough to acquire 9 competence
They get any kind Of a title, mortgage
ii or sell It. and move on
As the time approaches for the open
ing. the organization OF Town COmpan-
les and similar corporations TO operate
in the new lands goes on rapidly. Much
outside capital is waiting for invest
nent in the promising ventures There
viii be a dozen good towns, and each
VIII have good country surrounding II
and consequently good trade Other
towns VIII be less fav0rably located,
but are nevertheless, attractive 70 in
VestOrs-
The advertising Of the reservation
openings has had an effect on Okla
hoIna's population, outside those gath
cred on the border. Il Is the opinion Of
the Governor that 100000 people have
come here in the past TIVE months
Although coming in most cases because
Of the chance for q free claim, thou
sands are settling in the older portions
Of the Territory. and are becoming sub
stantiaI citizens at once It is adding
70 the wealth and business Of the Ter
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