The National tribune., 1901-02-21

failed to perfect the same, is entitled te
make second entry on these lands. Any
| person having taken a homestead, but fol
| any cause failing to patent the same, and
| consequently commuted it, is entitled to
make n second entry here.
The rights of honorably ly-discharged
Union soldiers and sailors are also protect
ed. A great many questions arise as to
what these rights are. They consist IN
| any soldier or sailor of the civil war beng
granted the privilege of giving an agent OF
attorney his power of attorney to go to the
Land Office, where entry Of these lands
may be made, and file the same upon any
| unoccupied land ON the reservation. In
other words, an old soldier, living in Iowa,
may send his power of attorney to some
body in Oklahoma, and that somebody will
be authorized to file the same on piece of
land for the benefit of the soldier, who,
after it is filed, has six months preference
right in which to visit the land and make
his homestead entry.
In addition to this all of them are en-
titled TO credit to be applied on their home
stead time, for the time that they actually
served in the army or navy. No advan-
tage is given to soldiers prior to the open
ing of the lands to settlement.
Now as to the time when the lands will
be opened and how.
AS to the time, in my Judgment, it can
not be earlier than June, or July. Con
not be earlier than June or July. The
work of allotting the land to the Indians
is very hard undertaking, at this
time, not on account Of the In
dians, but on account of the fact
that the original survey of the reservation
was made u years ago; the corners have
been obliterated, and 1 have seen with my
own eyes growth of five inches over the
original marks made in the trees designat-
ing the section corners.
Under the law as passed last June no
notice whatever will be given as to the
time of opening, but the country will be
opened to settlement the moment the
nation. Consequently it will be necessary
for any person who desires to take land
there to be on the border by the list OF
June, but L believe that it is waste Of
time, and an unnecessary endurance of
hardships, for any person to go there
earlier than that date.
The reservation is surrounded on all
sides by good, thrifty towns, all located on
the railroads. In addition to the kiowa,
Comanche and Apache Reservation, there
is what Is known as the Wichita and
Caddo Reservation, which is separated
from the Kiowa and Comanche by the
Wichita River ON the south and from Ok
lahoma by the Canadian River on the
north. This reservation will probably have
homestead settlement, and, in my judg-
ment, will be open about the same time
next Summer. ALI of these lands in both
reservations are more or less prairie, now
and then some rolling land, dotted pretty
generally with black jack oak, which
makes excellent fuel.
Before the opening of any of these lands
to settlement it will be necessary to desig-
nate the County boundaries, the County
seats, and in addition to appoint compe-
tent set of County officials for each County
that may be organized.
Both reservations will make about four
Counties about 40miles square each. There
will undoubtedly be located at some CEN
trail point a United States Land Office,
where the homestead entryman may go
and make entry on his lands.
The reservations are now part Of the
Territory Of Oklahoma, but it will be for
Congress to fix the County boundaries,
locate the County seats and provide for the
appointment of the first County officials,
who will serve until the next general cleo
ton.
Where lands have been allotted to the
Indians, having the preference right of
first selecting them, they are invariably
located on the best lands in the reserva-
ton. Ordinarily most of the land taken is
located in the creek bottoms. These mat
ters are attended to by the representatives
of the Government, and if an Indian re-
fuses to take an allotment the Govern
ment sets aside certain tract of land for
him. After the reservations are opened to
settlement, l regret to say that the In
dian shows very little disposition to
change, thousands Of them probably not