The St. Louis Republic., 1901-04-11
Great Scramble When Kiowa,
Comanche, Apache and Wichi-
ia Lands Are Opened.
DATE NOT YET DECIDED UPON.
Will Probably Take Place by Sep
tember May Be Apportiohed
by LOts-Land Is Fertile and
SoOners Are Plentiful.
ans, The Republic Bureau.

The RepubIc bureau.
18th st. and Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, April 10-The Interior De-
partment is being flooded with letters con-
cerning the expected opening of the Kiowa,
Comanche and Apache and the Wichita
reservations. The expectation that these
lands will be opened to homestead settle
ment by September / or earlier has stimu-
lated inquiries from all parts Of the West.
and especially as to the method Of opening
the lands, the qualifications of homestead
ers. etc.
The Secretary of the Interior has given .
good deal Of attention to these reservations.
but has not yet decided upon the method
in which they shall be opened. The Com
missioner of the General Land Office favors
drawings by lot. and it is quite probable that
this will be adopted by the Secretary.
Oklahoma Territory was opened by the
rum" and the opening Of the Cherokee
Strip in 1893 was also a foot race. In the
latter case the persons who went IN on
crowded freight trains running twenty miles
an hour found when they got to the interior
towns that people were already on the
ground.
This caused doubts as to the honesty OF
this plan, and there Is great deal OF dis
satisfaction over the proposal that the same
method shall be followed this time.
Rich and Beautiful Wichita hands.
The public Is well informed as to the Kio-
wa lands. but the Wichita lands. or "Coun-
ty l." to be opened at the same time are
practically unknown. The latter are proba-
bly, unexcelled in the West for fertility and
beauty. The reservation lies between the
South Canadian and Washita rivers and Is
forty miles long from east to west and thir-
ty miles wide.
The lands. like the comanche lands, lie
to the west of line drawn north and
south through the central part of Kansas
and Nebraska, but the droughts are not so
severely felt as in the same longitude far
ther north. The reservation is inhabited by
the Wichitas and allied tribes. about 1000
souls, and contains 10000 acres of land. 1,250
square miles.
About 10000 acres are allotted, leaving
10000 for school and homestead purposes.
There are about 3,40O quarter sections for
settlers. and nearly every one is tillable and
fertile, something that cannot be said OF
the Kiowa and Comanche lands, owing to
the Wichita Mountains.
Ten Men for Every Quarter Section.
1t is believed here that If there is race
for the lands, at least ten men will struggle
for every quarter section: Most Of the
claims have already been spotted" by the
campers along the edges, who know exactly
the place for which they will run.
1t is plain that with ten or hundred men
racing fOr eacn quarter SectlOus IN0 weak
the women and the old soldiers will be de-
feated, ard those who most deserve homes
will probably get none.
The Texas contingent will come up from
the south, the Kansas and Nebraska hordes
will go in from the north. and the thousands
Of Oklahomans who failed to get locations
in the other runs will be prepared to race
for the best claims with full understanding
of the direction and distance.
In all the rsserystioGs at to be opened there
have taken many Of the best already, and
are to take hundreds more. The difficulty
those who go in ahead Of time, is manifest.