The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-04-12
MORE ABOUT THE
KIOwA OPENING
Text Of the Proposed Plan
Of Selecting the
Land

n
the Klowa and Wichita Indian res
ervations in Oklahoma, soon 70 be
opened to homestead entry, Is receiving
most careful attention from the offic-
ials OF the interior department. De-
sirable lands subject 20 disposition un-
der the homestead law can no longer
be found in large quantities except
when an Indian reservation Is opened
and then they are eagerly sought SO
rnnny Inquiries are made about the
TCiowa and wichita lands that II is
manifest that there will be several
times as many applicants as there are
tracts.
The wichita reservation viii be em-
brsced In a separate land district, with
a land office at III Reno. Deducting
the lands allotted TO indians and re-
served for school purposes. there Will
be 8,122 tracts Of 16O acres each to be
disposed Of 10 homestead claimants.
The greater portion of this is fine land,
bnt some OF Il Is not Of sufficient value
to justify complying with the home
stead law TO obtain title TO II.
The Kiowa reservation viii be in an
other district. with a land office near
Fort Sill. Deducting the lands allotted
poses there win be 1881 tracts OF i60
acres each 70 be disposed Of 70 home
steadera. These are generally good
lands.
The highest number OF homestead
claims which could be taken In the two
reservatioas. even II all Of the lands
were desirilb.e, IL 13,473. The indica-
tions are that there viii be easily 40.-
lands for oil. The two reservations
may be opened NJ the same time, but
the opening Of each win be as separ-
ately conducted as II they were a thou
sand miles apart The law does not
require them to be opened'at the same
slime, but 10 do so VIII divide the crowd
Of applicants and simplify the task Of
the land officers. The opening OF the
Kiowa reservation must not be later
than August OF the present year, and
Il will take until near that time TO
complete the allctments to the Indians
None OF these lands can be obtained
ms free homes. They must be paid for
by all claimants at the rate OF Sips
per acre at the time or submitting final
proof The law also requires FIVE years
actual residence. cultivation and inn
provement, except that honorably dis
charged soldiers are given credit for
the time OF their service IN the army.
The two -e--.- .stlons will be opened
by proclamation OF the President, and
n recent act OF congress declares that
ito avoid the contests and conflicting
claims which have heretofore resulted
from opening simiiai public lands the
proclamation shall prescribe the man
~ hn
settled upon, occupied and entered, and
that no person shall settle upon, occupy
or enter them except as prescribed IN
the proclamation until after the expira-
tion OF sixty days from the opening.
The purpose Of this new statutory pro"
vision is clear. .e opening In OK
lahoma in 1859 theie were on an aver
age two applicants for every desirabie
tract, and at the opening In 1898 there
were more than three applicants for
each tract. At these opening the pros
pective claimants began assembling at
the borders OF the lands to be opened
AZ least thirty days before the opening
Rnd the crowd OF ambitious homeseek-
ers grew until. in the instance OF the
Cherokee Outlet. they numbered over
1fb.OOO. While waiting for the opening
these people lived aR best they could,
some sheltered by tents or wagon COW
ers, others not sheltered at all, and all
encountering a degree OF exposure and
discomfort which was endurable only
by those OF rugged physique, Injured TO
hardships. They were not permitted 70
become familiar with the land 20 be
opened, but We're held in check at the
border W the military until cannon and
musketry, distributed az intervals along
the line. announced the arrival OF noon
OF the opening day. At this signal the
great crowd surged into the new coun-
try IN a maddening race for land. Not
only We're they more claimants than
lands, but the varying character OF the
lands intensified the struggle for the
better tracts. The participants in these
openings had come from every section.
The majority were honest homseseek-
ers but spectators. bullies and boom
ers We're nouceably present. Some Of
the participants were young and
strong others old and OF failing
strength. Some had been soldiers and
bore evidence Of having withstood their
share OF exposure and hardship In days
gone by Some had running horses
trained for the occasion: others had
ordinary farm horses already exhaus-
ed by the "trip across the country from
distant states. Some had money with
which 70 buy good horses ror the race
and others, being destitute or nearly
so, made the run on foot The man
who most needed a home frequently
had the least chance. Whether Il be
called horse race or test of physical
strength or endurance, the participants
did Mot have equal chances When
night came nearly every desirable tract
had two, and In some instances ten
rival claimants upon H. each asserting
that he VAS the first settler. These
conflicting claims resulted in long. vex-
atious and expensive contests some OF
which are Etill pending IN the land de.
partment Some We're 80 hotly waged
that the courts IN Oklahoma were de-
luged With prosecutions f6r perjurg
and with suits 90 prevent one claimant
from forcibly dispossesing another be.
fore the determination OF the contest
Instances arose. owing 20 the topog
raphy 81 the land or the presence OF
timber where several claimants reach