The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-12-13


the secretary of the interior has been
made public al the department. Il is a
comprehensive revieS Of the develop
ment Of the territory during the past
year. IN ail les various branches-com-
lnereiai agricultural, educational, pro
fessionai and population. The governor
also submits many recommendations 10
the secretary. the most important being
in favor OF statehood for Oklahoma
Upon this question the governor makes
no specific recommendation in favor Of
either single or double statehood for
Oklahoma and Indian territories, but
merely submits facts and figures for the
guidance Of the secretary and congress
in dealing with the problem.
Ia commencing his report the COVER
nor refers TO the past history Of Okla
homa rs follows
s0AT HISTORY.
Historically considered Oklahoma as
territory is of recent origin, but as a
small portion OF the great tractof south
western country, known at various
times and under various circumstances
a. Louisiana, Mandan territory, the
great American desert. uninhabitable
lands. and the Indian territory, it has a
place in the history Of the nation dating
back 10 the days Of the Spanish cxplor
az, who sought in the great southwest
unknown empires and their oputed fab
ulous wealth
Following the course Of travel de-
scribed in many early Spanish manu-
scripts and books, one is readily con-
vinced thar the original Oklahoma
h0omcrs were the little army of adven
turons spirits who trayersed the sonth-
west uuaer the leadership 81 De Soto,
ard that they were followed hy Jesuits
aud others who sought wealth la the
mineral veins Of the mountains and
hills of thf territory, there are unmis-
takahc signs ia lately discovered ruins
of mines and places Of early abode.
Lewis and Clarke visited the territory
IN one 81 their early exploring expedi-
tions and the prairics and valleys Of the
territory were the hunting grounds Of
the early tribes OF Indians, from the
earliest nme of which there is record of
the movements Of the aboriginal Amer
leans
When the Indian territory was ere
aied rs a home for all of the Indian
tnhcs and with the intention of some
dav building there a great Indian state.
most If what is now Oklahoma terri
tory. was included within its bounds.
and Washington Irving who. in 1888,
made d hunting trip here, describes
most graphically the beauty and wealth
Of Oklahoma's natural endOwments in
his sketch "A Tour of the Prairies
Some time early in the seventies the I
name Of Oklahoma first appears. in pol /
iiical history. the occasion being the in (
PRODUCTION in congress Of q bill TO create I
a territory out Of portion Of the Indian I
territory 20 be known as Oklahoma. (
The measure failed Of passage, and for I
more than decade little or nothing
was board Of this country
Then came the agitation started By I
Payne and Couch and kept np by their
intrepid little band of boomers until. la 7
March 1889, in the dying hours Of con-
gress. an amendment was tackled On the
Indian appropriation bin providing for
che opening 10 homestead settlement Of
the little area Of land then known as
Oklahoma. embracing less than 5000.
900 acnes now lying in the heart Of
great territory
This land was opened ON April % +
1889. and then occurred the first great
Oklahoma rush The brief legislation
opening the land provided no form Of
government. and for over a year the /
people Of the territory were a law unto
themselves. Tho only government dur
ing This period was that created and
maintained by common consent. yet
there was no lawlesmess or outlawry,
aud property and life were adequately
protected a. al times
In June. 1870. the territorial govern
ment came into existence. and by the
same act Of congress the strip Of coun-
cry known as '.No Mans Land. en-
bracing 8. 1881 600 acres. was added az
Beaver county. In September Of the
same gear the 1. .2s3. .884 acres embraced /
in the Sank and Fox. Iowa and Potta-
Watomie reservations. in the eastern
part 0f the territory wero opened 10 set
Element. and the following spring came
the 4-2a7.17l acres 81 Cheyenne and
Arapaho land september rs, 1898. the
Cherokee strip was opened to settle
meur. and the counties Of Kay. Grant.
Woods. Woodward Garfield. Noble and
pawuee created from its 6.0i4. .239 acres
Of fertile land In 1898 the Kickapoo
reservation Of 2o6. .662 acres was settled.
and the veaa following. Greer county,
which asd been previous 70 that c0nsid-
cred q portion Of Texas. was given to
the territory BY decision q the u-
rreme court of the United States
All these. with the Kiowa, Comanche i
and Apache and Wichita Indian rescr- 4
ratitns just opened. give the territory a T
seflied area q 100000 acres. l.7z5.-
646. stab being inclnded in Indian res i
creations.
SEr11Ire ANcrIEE STORY
This. in brief. is the story Of the ere
ntinn of oklahoma territory. but Of the .