The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-06-20
OKLAHOMA LANDS.
Indians Have Taken up an the Good
Farming Country.
tChlcago Inter OceanJ

NN.HANfHN AliANl OENHNsN
One million and half acres Of
land are awaiting the advent Of white
settlers in this territory. !, sounds
like a big prize to be had for the
mere compliance with Uncle Sans
easy land laws. but the white people
who come here with the expectation
of finding an agricultural paradise
are bound to be sadly disappointed.
IN the first place these lands lie with.
cred and burned for fully nine months
ont of the twelve. There is little rain
in the summer, and the sun burns
with relentless force Such lands
as are really suitable for farming
purposes are already in the possession
Of the Indians, and the Federal au
thorities have confirmed their right to
hold them. This leaves the settlers
but small choice in the selection Of
farms, and the result is almost sure
to be disappointing
At this time of the year the weather
is fine. The mercury is usually bs
tween 20 and So Id an exhilarating
breeze is continually blowing from
the southwest. The grass is some
six inches high, and the trees are in
full leaf The camper views this with
pleasure, and his anticipations are
increased by the booming Of the
prairie chickens in the mating
season, giving promise of plenty
of sport with the gun and an
abundance of game. The nights
are cool. and heavy blankets are
a necessity, five or six of them be
ing none too much if a man is steep
ing out doors. as nearly everybody
has to do in this part of the country
just now.
But here the Illusion ends Rattle.
snakes and centipedes make the life
of the camper unpleasant, II not ac-
tually dangerous, and the snarling of
the coyotes as they quarrel over the
refuse Of the camp Is not productive
of pleasurab,e sensations.
About the time the seeker after a
farm begins to realize that the Okla
homa paradise has it's drawbacks he
is also forcibly impressed with the fact |
that it's going to be a tough job to
find a tract Of unoccupied land on
which he can settle with any reason
able prospect of making living. -
he is looking for a grazing ranch its
all right, but the farming proposition
is different thing. The Wichita
reservation, which is the best Of the
country to be opened to settlement,
is bounded on the north by the Cana
dian. and on the south by the Washita
river. Il is much cut up by small
streams, tue water of which is bright
and clear, but is disagreeable. es It
contains salt and a plentiful quantity
of gypsum Between the Canadian
and the Washita are a number OF
broad fertile valleys, the soil in
which is dark and loamy, and which,
even under the Indian methods of cul-
tivation. produces good crops of pota
toes, corn, wheat and oats The
trouble is that all this valley is held
by the Indians The white settler
must seek a location on the upland
praires, and here the conditions are
vastly different Those great stret
ches Of plains are fit only for grazing
purposes. They are poorly watered,
and the soil is thin. About the only
thing it will grow IS grass the pre-
vailing varieties being buffalo gama,
bluestem and mesquite.
Those portions of the uplands in
cluded in the public domain that can
not be classed as grazing lands are
coveredby gigantic piles Of granite
The Wlchita mountains cover an area
OF twelve TO thirty miles and while
between the peaks some good valleys
and streams are 70 be found the foot
hills, composed Of great masses Of
broken rock, extend for miles I'm ey-
cry direction. making the country
valueless save possibly that of mining.
There are some hopes that the min
ing industry may become a profitable
one. as indications of copper cobalt,
lead, zinc and coal have been found
but although a number of experienc-
ed prospectors have been a. work in
the mountains for a considerable time,
no strike Of any magnitude mas been
made.
Timber is reasonably abundant, the
walnut persimmon, cottonwood, scrub
oak, blackberry, ash, elm and mesquite
abounding along the streams, while
fine growths of cedar are found IA