The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1901-01-11
IOL|ANS As TOWN BUILDERS
Fifty Men From Here Join 800
Group Who will Make New
Town in the KiOwa
Country.

The opening of the strip and the big
run for homes and town lots was
participated in by a score of lola peo
pie and the prospective opening of the
Kiowa country seems to have interest-
an organization of exactly 800 Kansas
men, from all over the State, prepar-
ing to make the run into the country,
locate town and divide it up among
themselves. The lola share in this
enterprise is placed at fifty men and
Mr.. Martin is reported to be the head
of this contingent.
In this connection it will be of in
terest, both to the members and their
friends, to read the following letter
printed in the Kansas City Star, tell
ing exactly who is eligible and on
what terms to allotments in the new
country. The letter says;
"Comanche, /. T., Jan. 6-To the
Star:-Hundreds of letters are re-
ceived daily by the business men and
officials along the border of the Kiowa
and Comanche Indian reservations
Many of these have been referred to
me for my consideration and re-
ply. The nature of my business will
not permit me to consider these letters
individually, therefore / take this
method of answering the more impor-
tant of the questions asked, in Il gen
eral way
The reservation comprises about
million acres Of land in the southern
part of Oklahoma, 1t is separated
from Texas on the south by the Red
river, bounded on the east by
the Chickasaw nation, on the
north by the Washita river and on
the west by the North Fork of Red
river. After deducting all reserva-
tions provided for, there remain about
= million acres TO he open TO settle
ment. This will approximately
contain 5000 homes of l60 acres
each
The bill passed by the last session
OF Congress provided for the opening
of this reservation to settlement, but
failed to carry with it the necessary
appropriations to allot the Indians
and carry out other preliminaries to
the opening. This necessitated furth-
er action on the part of Congress and
the present session passed a bill, just
before the holidays, appropriating
S75, 900 for that purpose and placed
the final limit for the opening on Aug.
Il. 1901. 1t is thought by those in
authority that three months will be
sufficient to complete the work of al
lotting and the opening may take
place any time between the compile
tion of this work and Aug. &,
"Who are entitled: Heads of fami-
lies and all persons who have arrived
at the age of II years and who are
either citizens OF the United states on
declared their intention of becoming
such: provided that he on she is not al
the time the proprietor of more than
100 acres of land in any State or ter
tory, and have never heretofore eX
ercised their homestead right.
Ex-Union soldiers; Service in the
army or navy of the United States II
the Civil war;. for a period of nine
ty days, entities such persons tC
homesteads without regard to age o
citizenship. They have the advantag
of making their homestead entrie
through the services of an agent, b.
giving to such agent power of attor
ney to act for them; thus they ma
evade the ordeal through which other
must go. They aiso have six month
from the time their agent files thei
declaratory statement within which t
make settlement on the land, and tn
time of their service in the army, nC
exceeding four years, will he deducte
from the length of time required {
them to live on the land in order
obtain title. Trusting that the fact
submitted may be of service to you
readers, | remain i. O. Cox"