Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-01-18
FINE LANDFOR BOOMERS
Thousands Awaiting Opening Of
Kiowa and Comanche Country.
WILD RAoE FOR FREE HoMEs1.!EAns

WILD RACE FOR FREE EoMEsTEADS
When t!.e Government Gives the Sig
Aifiion and Il Kaif .tcres to Dc pi-
vit.cl Among White settlers-In-
Lians Get the Choicest.
When the date for opening the Eiowa
and Conanche country was originally
fixed by congress for the 9th OF June,
or as much earlier as the work could
be accomplished, there was Il case in
the United States supreme court which
might have been decided in favor of
the Indians, and if it had been so de-
cided it would have delayed the OPEN
ing at least three years, and possibly
much longer.
The case was one in Which t.,a Choc-
taw and Chicllasaw Indians claimed
pay for the surplus lands in the Wichi-
To reservation. The supreme court de-
cidcd the case against the Indians, the
decision giving the United States all
the reservation after making provision
for the Indians now on the land. says
Il dispatch from oklahoma City to the
Kansas City Times. This decision is
accepted hy white men as IL precedent
in the Niowa and Comanche country,
and there will probably be no legal
steps taken to prevent the opening of
the Wichita country or the Kiowa
country, and both will very likely be
opened on the same date.
A glance at the map will show the
Wichita country to have an area of
about 3G miles east and west by an
average of % miles north and south.
1t is known rs County l" OH the map.
and is east of Washita county and
south of Blaine and Canadian coun-
ties. Before the Wichita country is
opened up four sections in each town.
ship will doubtless be specified and set
apart for schools and public buildings;
county seats will be located and the
| Indians will have been settled on their
allotlnents. Nobody can tell where the
Indians will take their lands. but the
Indian agents say that where ailot-
ments have been made the Indians
| have used iiue Judgment in selecting
the best.
The I,iowa and Comanche country
has an area OF about 60 miles north and
south by 60 to ~ miles east and west.
The boundary lines on the west ana
south are very crooked. and the acre
age is estimated at 2,560.O00 to 5000
0'lO acres If the tract contains 3.O00,-
0GO acres. there are set aside sections
lG and 36 in each township for school
purposes and sections 13 and - in
each township for public buildings.
These four sections constitute onc-ninth
of the township and for all the terri
tory would constitute 33:.:,33 333' :,33 acres
which are not subject to entry. Then
the Indians are to have 4So,uU0 acres
in sevcralty and 100000 more in COM
mon. making 9GO.O0O acres which must
iDc deducted. Then the mountain range
will take 100000 acres more out of the
list of ;rable lands. There are in acres !:
| Amount OF land to be opcned.... 3,Ooo.oDO
Less school and public buildings. 333.3s3
Less reserved tor Indians. 9G0.OpD
Less mountain range. .......... 100000 1,493. .33S
Leaving ter the white scttlcr.... l.5o6,eS.
TO he deducted from this will be the
government reservation at Fort Sill.
which comprises about 10000 TO 10000
acres. and a!l the lands which are now
occupied by schools and missions and
all of which will be set aside for town
sites. This will leave much less than
a million and half acres and some of
I this will, OF course, be unfit for use.
1t is estimated tliat there will he
from 5000 to 5000 mineral claims in
1 the Wichita mountains and that at
least 10000 town lots will he taken in
the great rush. Allowing 10000 farm
claims. 1900 mining claims and 10000
town lot settlers. this would give homes
to $4,000 people in the Kiowa country
alone in addition to the Indians al
ready there, an.! there is evidence for
the belief that on the opening day
| there will be enough people to make
the run to take up every claim that
can be found. The rush will prob.
ably ba greater than any ever made.
rs all realize that it will be the last.
People should take Il reasonable
warning and stay away from the boz.
der till next summer. 1t is hardly pos
sible to open the country on the date
set-.Ang. G-and it may be delayed
two or three months after that date
The probability is that everybody will
be given full notice of the exact hour
The run will be made from any and
every point outside the boundaries
Some will &c il wagons. some horse
back. some ON foot and many by rail
| road. The Rock Island road extends
along the eastern border of County II
and also along the eastern border of
the Niowa country. 1t also has IL line
along and Just inside the northern
boundary of the Kiowa country and
has branch from .Anadarko to Fort
Sill. The Choctaw runs along inside
the north boundary of County -
1t is about is miles from Fort Sill
east to the border and a good horse
\ ri,