The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1901-04-25

Washington, Especial 10 Kansas City
Journal. 1.-The method Of disposing OF
the lands In the Kiowa and Wichita
Indian reservations, soon to be opened
70 homestead entry, 10 receiving most
careful attention from the officials Of
the interior department Desirable
lands subject to disposition under the
homestead law can no longer be found
In large quantities except when an
Indian reservation IL opened and than
they ere eagerly sought So many in
quiries are made about the Kiowa and
Wichita lands that IL IL manifest there
will be several times NJ many sppli-
eants ~ there are tracts.
Tho Wichita reservation will be en-
braced In separate land district, with
. land Office at FL Reno. Deducting the
lands allotted 10 Indians and reserved
for school purposes, there will be 3,l22
tracts Of ls0 acres each TO be disposed
Of TO homestead claimants The great
or portion of this Is fine land, but some
OF IL 10 not of sufficient value to Justify
complying with the homestead law to
obtain title 70 IL.
"S VIII DG
other land district, with land Office
near Fort Sill. Deducting the lands
allotted TO Indians and reserved for
school and other purposes, there will
DO 10,35i tracts of 100 acres each TO be
disposed Of TO homestsaders. These
ere generally good lands, but this res
ervation contains . greater per centage
Of land Of no value.
The highest number Of homestead
claims which could be taken In the
two reservations, even II all Of the
lands were desirable, Is I3,473. The
indications are that there will be easily
10000 applicants. Some Of these are
doomed to disappointment. There are
not enough lands for all. The two
reservations mny be opened at the
same time but the opening Of each will
be ss separately conducted as II they
were thousand miles apart. The law
does not require them to be opened Mt
the same time, but TO do so will divide
the crowd Of applicants and simplify
the task Of the land officers. The
opening Of the Kiowa reservation must
be not later Than August o OF the pres
ent year, and II will take until near
that time 10 complete the aIlotments
70 the Indians.
None of these lands can be obtained
m free homes. They must be paid for
by all claimants Mt the rate Of si.25 per
acre at the time OF submitting final
proof The law also requires five years
actual residence, cultivatian aud i'm
provement, except that honorably dis.
charged soldiers are given credit for
the time of their service in the army.
The two reservations will be opened
by proclamation Of the president, and
recent uct of Congress declares that
ito avoid the contests and conf ing
claims which have here tofore resulted
from opening similar public lands, "
the proclamation shall prescribe the
manner in which these lands may be
settled upon, occupied and entered,
and that no person shall settle upon,
occupy or enler any Of them except rs
prescribed In the proclamation until
after the expiration of Gu days from
the opening. The purpose of this new
statutory provision is clear. At the
opening in Oklahoma in 1899 there
were on an average two applicants for
every desirable tract, aud ut the open
ing In 1898 there were more than three
applicants for each tract. At these
openings the prospective claimants be-
gan assembling at the borders OF the
lands to be opened at least 20 days be-
fore tho opening, and the crowd Of
ambitious homeseekers grew until in
they numbered over $4,000. While
waiting for the opening these people
lived ~ best they could, some shell cred
by tents or wagon covers, others not
sheliered at all, aud all encountering a
degree Of exposure and discom fort
which was endurable only by those OF
rugged physique, Injured to hardships.
They were not permitted to become
familiar with the land to be opened,
but were held In check at the border
by the military until cannon and guns
distributed at intervals along the line,
announced tue arrival of noon OF the
opening day. AT this signal the great
crowd surged into the new country in
q maddening race for land. Not only
were there more claimants than lands
but the verying character OF the lands
had intensified the struggle for the
better tracts. The participants Ia
these openings had come from every
section. The majority were honest
home seekers; but spectators, bullies
aud boomers were notlceably present.
Some Of the participants were young
and strong; others old and of failing
strength.
Two commissioners OF ithe general
land Office, of opposing politics ant
two secretaries OF the interior, OF like
differences In party associate ions, recon
mended that when further land.
should be opened Congress should en-
act laws to prevent the unseemly rush
which occurred ut former opening,
and to avoid almost endless litigati on.
The interior department Is now
struggling with the question. Many
plans have been proposed by peopl,
over the country. Nearly all OF thes,
propose o drawing or casting Of lots
No plan has bceu definitely determined
upon by the department but OF th,
plans considered, that which stands
the best chance Of adoption runs along
the following lines:
''There will be period Of registra
ton. lasting 30 or 90 days prior 10 the
opening, during which each applicsn
lor these lands will be required Il
show by written proof that he is quail
ifsd 10 mako homestead entry ant
actually desires 70 do. 10 ~ . means q
procuring home. II his proof 10 sat
isfactory he will be registered as ,