The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1901-07-05

MANY ON
THE BORDER
Inspector Of Surveys Talks
on Conditions
Which Prevail Along the
Line Of the KiOwa-COm-
ancht Country
$4,000 PEOPLE ARE THERE
Most of Them There Because
They Want a Farm
Many Have no Money Except
a few Dollars for Immed-
late Wants
$4,000 PEOPLE ARE THERE
Most of Them There Because
They Want Il Farm

Kansas City, Mo-, July ,, IDOL
Inspector of Surveys G. N. Nessler
who has had charge of The Indian
land allotments in the Kiowa and
Comanche and Apache and Wichita
reservations and who is probably the
best posted single individual in the
United States on the actual conditions
surrounding the lanGs which are due
to be allotted August 6, is at the Mid
land. He is accompanied by his pri-
vate secretary, II. II. Aerndon, and is
on his way to Washington, ID. c., to
make the final report to the interior
department on the result of the allot-
ment. The following statements are
all made with his concurrence and
authority, and, coming from such an
authentic source, are absolutely reli-
able.
There are today upward of $1,000
people on the Kiowa and Comanche
border. Many of them are in dire
straits for daily means of subsistence.
They are mostly law-abiding citizens
although few desperate characters
are sprinkled among them. Those he
came in contact with are small farmers
who came from Missouri, Kansas
Iowa and Nebraska, and who had sold
what interest remained to them on
their mortgaged farms in order to
make the trip into the new Indian
country. Some of them had been
crowded out as failures, and are down
there on hazard of new fortunes.
Few of them have event the protection
of tents and are living hand to mouth
existence that is constant menance to
the law and order that is to govern
the opening. Desperate men do not
respect life and have small regard for
their moral obligations. If anything
should happen to prevent the opening
next month there will be terrible suf
ferins, because in thousands of cases
the heads of families have sold else
where everything they had in the
world in order to get on the border in
time for the opening.
Inspector Nessler says they are,
nine out of every ten, really seekers
for homes and land on which to settle
down and spend the remainder of their
lives. Earnestness characterized q
large majority of the faces one meets
on the border and the speculative ele
ment seems to be absent. Inspector
Nessler says that one day last week he
met man with u large family, who
had driven all 1.-THE way from Iowa
after selling out his interest in small
business, and had just spent his las
s. for provisions. There are large
numbers of families moving on tbs
reservations, but, in the opinion o.
the inspector, they are simply there
for the purpose of looking over thu
land and locating favorite claims.
He says 1900, 900 acres will b,
thrown open for settlement after de
Quoting the territorial lands, such a
government reserves. school land
and lands allotted to the Indians.
Two thousand seven hundred ant
ffty-nine quarter sections have beel
selected by and allotted to the Kiowas
Comanches and Apaches and 936 t.
the Wichitas. In most instances tn
Indians will only retain twenty acre
and will rent the balance.