The Iola register., 1901-05-10
SOONERS ARE THERE
Kiowa Comanche Country Already full
of them-Hills are White with
Tents

Mountain View, Ok, May 1-Thous-
ands of.people are pouring into South
western Oklahoma and camping in
and about the Kiowa, Comanche and
Apache and Wichita reservations.
Little attention is paid to the order to
keep out of the reservation and COW
cred wagons and tents may be seen
from every hilltop. If the newcomers
continue at the present rate there soon
will be enough people on the ground
to take every available quarter sec
ton.
The work of surveying and alloting
is much nearer completion than many
suppose, aud it will be possible for
the government to have the land ready
for settlement much sooner than
| August 6, the last day on which the
land may be opened. The law regu-
lating the opening of the Kiowa,
Comanche and Apache reserva alton
does not require any notice whatever to
J be given, and the President may simp-
ly issue proclamation declaring that
the land is open for settlement. This
possibility is causing hundreds to
come in every week with the intention
of remaining Oh the ground, ready for
any surprise.
The people now on the ground are
opposed to the lottery plan and refuse
to believe that that plan is to be
adopted. 1t is thought by many Of
them that the lottery agitation is sole.
ly for the purpose of keeping people
away and thus preventing a great
rush in case the President opens the
land without time notice.
The towns along the border continue
to grow. Mountain View is now fur
nishing employment to an army o.
carpenters. A $1,000 Methods
church, nine business houses ant
more than thirty residences are nov
under construction. Among the bust
ness houses is new bank building
with Office rooms on the second floor
Every Office room was rented before
the foundation was completed.
Many prospectors who come to viey
the new land about to be turned owe
to the settlers continue to become vic
Tins of sharpers who claim to hav,
special privileges in the reservations
} Whether the land is opened by loWer.
or by run each person:must look ou
for himself and can obtain no specia
, privileges from anyone. The Ian,
not given to the Indians and to tn
territory for school purposes belong
! to the government, and the govern
) ment has no agents to sell specia
} privileges. Until it is opened, aC
cording to the terms of the President
proclamation no person will have an
! title whatever to any Of the land, an
0 consequently nothing to sell. A
: Easterns concern recently advertise
: that it had an option on several acre
! of land in Wichita county and that
s would form colony to settle it. N
such option has ever been secured, an
] it would be impossible to do so. Onl
a small per cent of the land in Wich
ia county is decided, and those VIII
have not yet secured deeds can Sc
8 only by relinquishing back to the go'
q ernment and allowing another perso
# to file Immediately afterwards. Fe
= persons in the county own more tina
9 160 acres of land, and there are 4
a. large tracts for sale at any pric,
10 Wichita county lies on the north DO
J. der of the Kiowa, Comanche an
Apache reservation, 1t was settle
about eight years ago, and the land
improved and commandsa good pric
le Many farms within rife shot of Il
u Indian land could not be bought f
ls $40 or $l5 an acre. There are plenty
III prizes to be secured in the reservaJiC
/ worth more than that figure the minu
"a they are secured. Anyone who kno'
10 anything about the conditions he
realizes that there will not be enoug
y for all who seek it.