The Van Buren press., 1901-02-23
NOT A LAND OF PROMISE.
Conditions OF the Indian Reservation
to BE Thrown Open-SOme
Good, Some Bad.

Mr.. Lewis N. Hornbeck, speaking Of
the Kiowa and Comanche reservations
TO be opened to settlement this summer,
says:
1.-The Kiowa and Comanche reserv-
alton Is far from being an ideal paradise.
1t contains some 3, 900, 900 acres, more
or less, and with 5000 Indian inhabi.
tants. Give each Of these Indians 1850
acres and you will have 2 ,040, 900 acres
left. Then allow for the reserved lands
belonging to the eight religious missions
and three government Indian schools at
an average Of 1850 acres each, and the
amount Is reduced to 2, 030, 900 acres,
Allow again for the nine square miles
Of military reservation around Fort
SILL and mile square each at the main
agency at Anadarko and the sub-agency
at Cache Creek, and there is 2,021 900
acres left. Again withdraw from set
Element two sections In each township
reserved for school purposes, amounting
In all to about 81 1850 acrss, and there is
left | ,977 900 acres Again in all prob
abilities and following late precedent,
reduce the amount by two more sec.
tions in each township for colleges and
asylums and we have at last subject to
settlement 1898, 100 acres. At 1850
acres each, that amount would only pro-
vide for 10, $50 settlers-that is provid-
ing all the land left was suitable for
cultivation AZ homesteads. But 1t Is
not, For, naturally, all the Indians,
the missions and the schools being pre-
ferred and most of them already locat.
ed, will all seek the best lands to be
found and the watered tracts. 1t is
plainly evident and proved by exper.
fence elsewhere that the white settlers,
being last, get only the worst of the
country. AT least one-eighth of the en-
tire reservation, or 1915 900 acres is en-
tirely useless for cultivation on account
Of the mountains. No one, white or
Indian, can cultivate the mountains,
and 80 far as settlement is concerned,
we may in all candor reduce the amount
left for white settlement by that much,
which leaves 54S, 100 acres, or places for
0, 675 settlers. BY FAR the greatest por.
ton OF this amount will lie on the large
treeless plsteaus and the high divides
between the very few streams in that
country, Timber and running water
will be out Of the question for the white
settlers, except in few rare cases
The soil Of these prairies is either
light pale red or " slate colored shade
Of black. The grass for the most part
Is Of the kind grown In the South rs
mesquite and in the North as buffalo
grass, with some bunch grass on the
sandy hills The further east one gets
the better both soil and timber. Both
North Fork and Red Rivers are usually
dry, except for shallow pools, Along
the base OF the mountains are numerous
fine springs and small running streams,
Near the eastern border Of the reserv.
alton the rainfall Is greater, the timber
more plentiful and the soil better adapt
ed for cultivation, The western por
ton Is often more beautiful, but is more
arid, the timber short and scanty and
the soil hard. Occasionally one finds
n delightful spot In some nook In the
mountains, but they are few and far
between, or else already occupied by
an Indian.
"The Wichita reservation, though
smaller, Is better on the whole than the
Kiowa and Comanche lands, -