The Iola register., 1901-06-21
APPEAL TO
M'KINLEY
Congressman Springer Sends
Him a Memorial
Wants the KiOwa-C -COmanche
Opening Delayed Until
Congress Meets
OUNTY SEATS ARE CHOSEN
Fabulous Prices Expected for
Town Lots
Little Stock Taken in the
Mineral Deposit Stories
Of the Wichitas
OUNTY SEATS ARE CHOSEN
Fabulous Prices Expected for
Town Lots

Washington, June 19.-Former Con-
gresham Springer, counsel for the
Kiowa, Comanche and Apache Indians
in their suit to enioin the secretary of
the interior from opening to settle
ment the reservations in Oklahoma,
today filed with the president me-
mortal praying that he exercise his
discretion under the law and Withhold
the issuance of his proclamation for
six months after the final allotments
to the Indians are made, and thus give
congress an opportunity to repeal the
present law. The memorial says that
Lone Wolfe, one of the chiefs of the
Kiowas, is Baptist minister, and the
others Of the Indians are Christians,
and prays the president will not send
these men back to tell the members of
their tribe that n Christian country
would defraud them of their lands.
Mr.. Springer says that if the lower
court refuses an injunction the case
will be carried to the supreme court of
the United States.
Governor Richards, assistant com
missioner OF the general land Office,
returned today from Oklahoma, where
he has been deciding on the county
lines and designating the county seats
and townsites in the Kiowa and CO.
manche and the Wichita reservations.
"We decided" said Governor Rich
ards, ito divide the new country into
three counties, one of which in part
will be embraced in the Wichita reser-
vation. This made IL necessary to
select three county seats. We located
one OF these Mt Anadarko, the second
at Fort SILL and the third near Kiowa
station. We also selected the town
sites. None of these has as yet been
named, nor has it been decided what
the counties are to be called, except
one, which is to be named Kiowa
county. This is in the western part OF
the reservation. We concluded not to
tion with the postoffice department,
which has certain regulations that
must be respected. The county seats
were selected with special view to
making them accessible to railroads
and other advantages. They are or
will all be located on the Rock Island
system. We laid out a block of
ground for court house and two
blocks for school house in the county
seats, and three blocks for sthe one at
Anadarko, which is close to the rail
road. Each block is 320X400. The
business lots will be twenty-five feet
front and the residence lots fifty feet
front by $50 To twenty foot alley,
The indications are that there will be
a wonderful activity in lot sales, and
| have heard it estimated that lots
would bring as high as $1,000, al
though / think that is an extravagant
estimate. The most important town
will most likely be at Fort Sill. l
gather this from the fact that it now
has a military post, an Indian sub
agency, a school, a good water sup
ply for city purposes and good rail-
road facilities.
81 found majority of people seek
ing homes down there favorable to the
plan of having drawing rater than a
horse race.
GAS for the reported mineral wealth
of the Wichita mountains, | confess /
did not see any evidence of it, and
shouldn't wonder If the whole thing
was gotten up by lot of promoters
who have been selling mining stock in
those fabulous mines and who, | sus-
pect, would be rather happy If the
government should sendt Jtroops in
there to drive them off, for then they
would have an excuse for not making
the mines pay. But, of=course, this
may be mere conjecture.