The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-07-07
SEMINOLE
LANDS ARE
COVETED
HomaSeekers Are Now Inter-
ested in That Country.
SOIL EXCEEDINGLY RICH
Terms Under Which Settlers
May Occupy Farms.

Wewoka, T. T., July 6.-After the open
ing of the Kiowa, Comanche and Apache
Indian reservations. the homeseel1ers who
IRE disappointed in not securing homes
viii turn their attention 10 the Semi
mole nation. Within the next SIX months
$4,000 acres of the finest land IN the In
dian territory viii be leased to white
settlers and there viii be plenty of oppor-
tunities for securing good farms for a
term Of six years at a reasonable rate Of
rent.
Very little has been known of the Sem
mole Indian nation. The people are
members Of the Five Civilized Tribes. and
are above The average of Indian stand
ards There are ] $50 fulI-bloods and a
thousand Seminole negroes. There has
been an impression that the Seminole
Indian is a mixture of the negro and
Indian. This is a mistake. for the races
do not inter marry and the negro is the
negro still and the Indian is stiH the
same stolid, Indifferent fellow that he
was years ago.
The Dawes commission which IS now at
work in the Seminole nation, VIII COM
pete its lab0rs i'm about two months.
Nearly one-thir5 of the Seminoles have
secured their aIlOtments, and the work
is being rushed along as rapidly as pos
sibIe. The commission is at 1Eewoka and
the Indiars come there and camp around
The town In order TO appear before the
commission al the proper time 10 secure
the land they want. There are three
grades Of land. The first grade entities
"A citizen TO sixty acres OF the best land
IN the reservation. The second class en-
titles the citizen 10 l20 acres Of land. and
the third class gives 240 acres Of land.
Many Of the Indians are taking the third
class land, for they realize that all parts
Of the Seminole nation is rich, and that
the larger amount of land that they Sc
cure the better it viii be for them
In order TO secure a lease in the Sem
mole nation, the applicant must present
references. It is the intention of Gov
arnor John T. Brown. of the Seminoles.
and CAPTAIN A s. McKeunon, the ma
uonal attorney. to have only good. reli-
able men in the country. The farmers
must have means for maintaining them
selves and families for at least one year.
or until crop is raised. Not only must
they have the means for living a wear.
but they must be equipped with good
horses and machinery. Very little of the
revenue derived from these lands wiz be
In cash. The Seminoles win be willing 10
take crop rent and sell the grain at the
market price and take their chances with
the settler ia securing their share of the
proceeds of the farm.
After six years it is estimated that the
tribal government of the SeminoIes viii
be abolished. If this is the case. the In
dams viii be entitled to give title to a
portion Of their land. There win be
forty acres allotted to each Indian that
he cannot sell. If he so desires. he can.
sell the rest of his land but can never
give valid deed to the forty acres. He
can lease the land. if he desires. for
term Of years. but twill always remain
IN his possession
The country is very rich. and it only
requires a trip through the reservation in
amy direction to demonstrate this fact
There are wooded bottoms and hulsides
covered with large trees. and every indi-
cation of as rich a soil as is possible to
secure To the south of Wewoza which
rs the principal town of the nation and
located ON the Choctaw railroad is n
splendid slope of country. These elones
are covered with timber. and the val
ieys are always covered with q heavy
growth OF grass. One of the noticeabI
things about the nation is that the Hill
sides and bottoms are an covered with
heavy grass and this is usually CON
sluered an indication that the soil is fer
tile. Ia the center of the reservation ram
mng from north TO south is range Of
NILS almost mountainous fla their form
alioh There are huge boulders cr5prinr
out and heavy growth Of timber Rut
here on these high hills. Just as # is
over the reservation. is that heavy
growth of srass ore thing is sure. even
IF these hills are not 10 be used for cuiti-
Walton there is plenty of land for graz
ing purposes. There are numerous Cr.El-
bottoms and these are covered with heavy
black soil. The impression rnfel,- ,..+
with the farmer who comes from kan
sas or some OF the states where timber
is scarce. thar ii would REQUIRE 100 much
time 10 clear this land. but If the rich
ness oi The soil is IN be considered III au
The result OF the labor viii be amnlv re-
paid. To the west az the timber country
Is stretch of country. rolling and ir
topography much Ike OkIahoraa This
prairie land runs clear over 10 The Pot
iaWatomle country line. and u IS very
similar To st. The country is rolling ana
ga the distance 40 the east can d. Sc,
the forests % The Seminoles. on Soma, ,f
ihe slight elevations are cluups ~ ,,l-
frees. but In the main In this psrt If +fa
reservation there are very few trees This
prairie country extends the whole 1enrrb
n the reservation on The west side n,
me east part az the reservation next IN
The Greek liue are the forests Of rho
oeminoies. ana I'm some places they are
very dense The 6nest part ct the res
srNation IS north If Newoka. Iii is fbars
,hat the appraisers estimated was tho
lnest land of the entire nerlon ana The
ailotments II sixty acres are accordingly,
hclnS made The range OF hills are liz
tie higher in The ocrth part OF the res
erAatton. and there IS one hin in rsrticu-
lar from which every part or The ~rse-,-a-
lion can De seen. 50 hich is The e1eva-
tion.
Through the reservation runs The little
river. which Is the principal stream ~
the Seminoles. Il IS q stream with wide
bottoms and I'M some places these bot-
toms are the finest that can be found ia
sny country. although there have never
been any development along this une
Along n little Creek south az Wevoka
about eisht miles can Dee found traces of
soal The coal crops out along the banks
az Intervals for a distance az hair @ mile
ar more and there can hardly o. ans
question bur what there is coal iu PAVING
quantities on the Governor Brown al-
iotmaat an Sasakwa q Wen was due some
twenty years ago 10 q depth az ls5 teet