The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1901-09-05
LANDS At CHEAP RENTAL
NO REASON FOR PEOPLE TO GO
ELSEWHERE.
These Lands Are Owned BY the In
dians, They Cannot Sell Them,
But are Willing to Lease on
Favorable Terms.

the Indian Territory which are now
being opened for settlement by white
men, under liberal conditions. are. ac-
cording to Horace Speed. United
States attorney for Oklahoma, as good
as any in the Middle West. and he
can not understand why any men liv-
ing in this section should go north
west TO seek a home while they re
main unoccuped
There are $4,000 acres OF land in
the Seminole country and 100000 in
the Creek" said Mr.. Speed. In the
Seminole country there is room for
10000 farmers, and in the Creek coun-
try Tor 10000. expect to see 100000
people 20 in there within the next
twelve months"
Regarding the conditions of entry
Mr. Speed said:
This land has been divided among
the Seminoles, and they have taken
titles, each for his individual ailot-
ment, with the power to lease but not
at present a power to SELL The mat
ter of leasing the Seminole lands is
in the hands of Governor Brown and
their attorney, Mr. A. S McKennon.
formerly of the Dawes commission.
1 now located at Wewoka. l. r. They
are now leasing these lands for six
years to farmers only. upon very
favorable terms. The lands TO be
leased are many OF them as choice as
are TO be found in the United States
and many of them are ready for i'm
mediate cultivation. Others win have
to be fenced, houses erected upon
them and the land broken out.
More desirable lands have not
been opened in the United States
within the last twenty-five years. The
leases will cost less than the taxes on
an ordinary farm in an older state.
The conditions as to the Creek
lands are somewhat similar The
lands have all been allotted and the
deeds made out by the Creek Nation
to the Creek individuals and sent TO
Washington to be approved by the
secretary OF the interior The allot
tees will have the power. upon rece,
ing these deeds, to lease the lands for
any length of time, and they also
have the power to sell. down to forty
acres per capita, if the sale is ap-
proved by the secretary Of the IN.
terror No such approvals have yet
been made, nor has the basis for an
approval been indicated.
These lands will compare favor
ably with the best lands in Missouri.
Indiana or Ohio. They lie just east
Of Oklahoma Territory. The rainfall
is heavy and comes at the most de-
sirable times of the year Hay is
being shipped from one little town of
$50 people, that | have in mind. by
the trainload; $4,000 will be sent out
of this one place before the end of
the season. And in addition to the
productiveness OF the soil and the
b~t'NNf VI AAf 'bhiAi y NIt Nlluldli Is
pleasant and salubrious.
In view OF the circumstances. |
don't understand why people should
move to the Northwest from this sec
tion of the country, unless they do
not know OF the Creek and Seminole
countries, and the easy terms upon
which land can be had there"
Col. NJ. Carnes told a story about a
friend OF his which illustrates the
situation in the countries of when
Mr. Speed spoke
This friend Of mine said Mr..
Carnes, lis a thrifty Missourian. He
went to the Creek Nation a short time
ago and Immediately perceived the
opportunities that il offered. He
leased 240O acres from the Indians
for a nominal sum- He has since re-
let it to white men for 81 an acre per
year. All that he has to do is to fence
part of it. He will clear almost $1,000
a year as longras the contract lasts. "
Mr.. Speed says the Indian agents
do all they can 10 protect the Indians
from the greed OF the white men, but
that they are not able TO prevent a
great many questionable transactions
The Indian always get the worst
OF II when he deals with the white
man. said Mr. Speed "unless some
other white man is by to help hirl
carry on his negotiations. know yi
no place in the country where such
good land can be had tor such nom
inal rent. There are several thou
sand acres OF bad soil, but most OF
the land is splendidly adapted tc
agriculture"
why did you get drunk" asked