The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-04-28
Is in the Wichita county.


cants- Some OF these are doomed 70
disappointment There are not enough
lands for all. The TWO reservations may
be opened at the same time. but The
opening OF each viii be as separately
conducted as II they were a thousand
miles apart. The law Goes not require
them TO be opened at the sca1ne time.
but 10 DO so viii divide the crowd OF
applicants and simplify the task OF the
land officers. The opening Of the Kiowa
reservation must be not later tnan
August OF the present year, and Il WIN
take until near that time TO complete
the allotments TO the Indians
None Of these lands can be obtained as
free homes They must De paid for oy
all claimants at the rate OF one dollar
and twenty-five cents per acre AZ the
time OF submitting fnal proof, making
the cost OF a l5o-acre farm 500 The
law also require 1--WE years actual resi-
dence cultivation. and Improvement. eN-
eept that honorably discharged soldiers
are given credit fer the time OF their
service in the army.
At the FIRST opening Of the lands in Ok
lahoma in 1859 there were on an average
two applicants for every desirable tract.
and at the opening in 1855 there were
more than three applicants for each
tract The prospective claimants began
assembling AT the borders OF the land to
be opened al least thirty days before the
opening and the crowd OF ambitious
homeseekers grew until IN the instance
of the Cherokee Outlet they numbered
over 1l5.o0o. White waiting for the
opening these people lived as best they
could. some sheltered by tents or wagon
covers. others not sheltered AZ all. and
all encountered a degree Of exposure
and discomfort which was endarabie
only by those Of rugged physique. in
ured to hardships- They We're not per-
mitted to become familiar with the land
10 be opened. but We're held In check
al the border by the military until can
non and musketry. distributed at inter
walls along the line. announced the arrival
OF noon of the opening day. At this
signal the great crowd surged into the
new country in a maddening race for
the lands intensified the struggle FOR the
land. Not only We're there more claimants
Participants in these openings had come
from every section The majority were
honest bomeseekers. but spectators.
bullies and boomers were noticeably pres
ent- Some Of the participants were young
and strong; others old and Of falling
health. Some had been soldiers and bore
evidence of having withsto0d their share
Of exposure and hardships Bra days gone
by. Some had running horses. trained
for the occasion; others had ordinary
farm horses. already exhausted by the
trip across the country from distant
states. Some had money with which 60
buy horses for the race, and others. being
destitute. or nearly so. made the run on
foot The man who most needed home
frequently had the least chance. Whether
il be called q horse race of a test OF
physical endurance or strength. the par
Elephants did not have equal chances
when night came nearly every desirable
tract had two, and ia some Instances ten
rival claimants upon IT, each asserting
that he was the first settler. These con-
ficting claims resulted in long. vexat0us
and expensive contests, some OF which
are still pending IN the land department
Some were so hotly waged that the
courts IN Oklahoma were deluged with
prosecutions for perjury and with suits
to prevent one claimant from forcihly
dispossessing another before the deter
rnination OF the contest. Instances
arose, owing 10 the topography OF the
land or the presence OF timber. whore
several claimants reached and claimed
the same tract at almost the same IN
slant, each honestly believing that he
was the prior claimant. Last Saturday
contest Of this sort was decided by the
secretary of the interior. where three
claimants. with their respective families
had been living on the same tract and
prosecuting n land contest for eight
years. If either had ceased 70 live on
ana cultivate the land his claim would
have been lost. so all three complied with
the law. The one who wins by the sec
retary's decision has dearly paid for the
land. and the others have given eight
years Of their life 20 fruitless litigation.
Congress. at Its recent session, took
the view that the former Objectionable
methods ought not % be repeated al the
Kiowa and Wichita openings The horse
racing plan was generally condemned.
Various plans were suggested by con-
gressmen, but tho one finally adopted
gave the president power o. prescribe
the manner Of tho opening. Thus allowing
ample time for thc interior department
70 perfect some appropriate p.ans- That
debate upon the BIN clearly shows thar
congress desired 90 Go away with tho
old plan and substitute some sort Of
drawing which would place but one
claimant upon each tract and thus avoid
the contests of the past
The interior department e. now strug-
Cling with The question. Many plans have
been proposed hy people over the country
cognizaut 81 the faults q the old system
and interested in public land Questions
10 is Significant THAI nearly alI Of those
propose q drawing or casting Of lots. a
minister of the sospel IS among chose
who advocate "a drawirg lie prefers %
% q horse race especially whore the race
has TO better umpire thau the cd idea
that might makes right" 10 has ln-
terested the 0ficiais o. not how tffs noln-
lister anticipate and avoids criticism
which might b. made ir eorae quarters so
the eject that a drawing would be p cork
q lottery and Objectionable ~ fh1se who
DO not believe in anything that ravors ~
chance After pointing Oh t1st ~ this
plan TIE ursaccearfll applicant pays
nothing ard the seccfssfsl applicant only
gefs az opportunity ~ earn tire land -
flily complying with tne iaw ia the mate
tcr q payment resi1euce. c.-tTat1n
and Improvement. re- minister F1muelr
ihe Bible e. his eerro-t thet gre casting
~ Ioss ~ drawing ~ leta aaa resertsd %
FRI eefer1i1lrg WHISTLER Hathias ~ Jos
erh called Earl1aa. shoal btcosue ar
apostle
go plan haa been deanitsly sescrufrea
epoa ~ tse Interior leTa rfne-t tst ~
those considered that shicl siaa1s tae
beer chance ~ atopr.oa rsas aions tae