Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1901-07-18
PRESIDENTS PROCLAMATION.
Document Opening to Settlement the Wichita
and the KioWa, Comanche and
Apache Reservations.

By the President of the United States o.
America:
A PROCLAMATION.
Whereas, By an agreement between tat
Wichita and affiliated bands Of indian
on the one part, and certain commission.
ers Of the United States on the other part
ratified by act Of Congress approved
March 2, 1895 (2S Stat, SI6, $40, the saic
Indians oeded, conveyed, transferred anC
relinquished, forever and absolutely, with.
out any reservation whatever unto ths
United States of America, all their claim
title and interest of every kind n char
acter in and to the lands embraced in the
following described tract of country now
in the territory of Oklahoma. to wit:
Commencing at a point in the middle Of
the main channel of the Washlta river
where the 98th meridian Of west longi'
tude crosses the same, thence up the
middle Of the main channel of said river
TO the line Of 50 degrees and Az minutes
west longitude, thence or said line OF u
degrees and 40 minutes due north TO the
middle of the channel of the main cana
dian river, thence down the middle OF said
main Canadian river to where 1t crosses
the 96th meridian, thence due south &c
the place of beginning.
And whereas all of the conditions re-
CURED by law to be performed prior to
the opening of said tracts OF lana 10 set
Element and entry have been, as l here
by declare, duly performed.
AUGUST 6 H DAY.
Now, therefore, I, William Mckinley,
President of the United States of Ameri-
ca by virtue of the power vested IN me az
known that all of the lands SO as afore,
said coded by the Wichita and animated
bands of Indians, and the Comanche, HI
owa and Apache tribes OF INDIANS, re-
spectively, saving and excepting sections
sixteen, thirty-SlX, thirteen and thirty
three in each township, and all lands
located or selected by the territory OF
oklahoma as indemnity school or eau
cational lands, and saving and exceptins
all lands allotted in severalty TO lndlVld,
ual Indians, and saving and excepting du
lands allotted and confirmed 10 rellSlouS
saving and excepting the lands selected
and set ABIDE as grazing LANDS Ior tne
use in common for said ComancDe, NOVA
and Apache tribes of Indians, ana saving
and excepting the lands set aside ana re-
served at each of said count seats Tor
disposition as town Sites, and saving anu
excepting the lands now used, occupied
or set apart for military, agency, scnool'
school farm, religious, Indian cemetery,
wood reserve, forest reserve, or otner
public uses, will, on the 9th day Oh Au-
gust, 1901, at 9 o'clock a. m, In the mar
ner herein prescribed and not otnerWise,
be opened to entry and settlement ana 10
disposition under the general provisions
of the homestead and toWn-slte laws Vi
the United States.
Commencing at 9 o'clock a. m, Wednes
DAY, july III, 19U1, anu 6IlulIl6 dS
p. m, Friday, July Is, 1901, a registration
will be had at the United States land Of
fees at Ell Reno and LaWton, IN the Ter
ritory of Oklahoma fhe office at La"toii
to occupy provisional quarters IN ine I'M
mediate vicinity of Fort Sill, oklahoma
territory, until suitable quarters can De
provided at Lawton), for the purpose VI
ascertaining what persons desire 10 en-
ter, settle upon, and acquire title to any
of said lands under the homestead law,
and of ascertaining their qualifications so
to do. The registration at each once
will be for both land districts, but at the
time of registration each applicant VIII pc
required to elect and state in when dlS-
trict he desires to make entry. TO OBJ
tain registration each applicant Will De
required to show himself duly qualllsa
to make homestead entry of these lanuS
under existing laws and TO give the
registration officer such appropriate mat
tiers of description and identity as VII.
protect the applicant and the government
against any attempted i~mpersonatlon.
Registration can not be effected through
the use of the mails or the employment
Of an agent, excepting that honoraoly
discharged soldiers and sailors entitled
to the benefits of section 2304 of the re-
vised statutes of the United States, as
amended by the act of Congress approved
March 1, 1901 81 Stat, S4O,. may. present
their applications for registration n
due proofs of their qualifications through
an agent of their own selection, but no
person will be permitted to act as agent
for more than one such soldier or sailor.
No person will be permitted to register
more tina once or in any other than
his true name. Each applicant who
shows himself duly qualified will be regis
tered and given a mountaineering certlf1-
cate to that effect, which will entitle him
to go upon and examine the lands to be
opened hereunder in the n district in
which he elects to make his entry; but
the only purpose for which he may go
upon and examine said lands is that of
him later on, as herein provided,
to Understandings select the lands for
which he will make entry. No one will
be permitted to make settlement upon
any of said lands in advance of the
opening herein provided for, and during
the first sixty days following said open
no one but registered applicants will
ment upon any of said lands. and then
only in pursuance of a homestead entry
duly allowed by the local land officers.
or of a soldiers declaratory statement
duly accepted by such officers.
BY DRAWINGS.
The order in which, during the first
days following the opening, the reg
make homestead entry of the lands
opened hereunder, will be determined by
for both the Ell Reno and Law
ton districts publicly held at the United
land office at Ell Reno. Okla, com
mencing at 9 o'clock a. m, Monday, July
%, 1901, n continuing for such period as
may be necessary TO complete the same.
The drawings will be had under the
supervision and immediate observance of
committee of three persons whose integ-
rity is such as to make their control of
the drawing a guaranty of its fairness.
The members of this committee will be
appointed by the secretary Of the interior,
will prescribe suitable compensation
for their services. Preparatory to these
drawings the registration officers will, at
the time of registering each applicant
who shows himself duly qualified, make
put q card. which must be signed by the
stating the land district in
which he desires to make homestead en-
try, and giving such a description of the
applicant as will enable. the local land
officers to thereafter identify him. This
ard will be at once sealed in q separate
which will bear no other dis
label or mark han such as
nay be necessary to show that 1t is to
20 into the drawing for the land district
n which the applicant desires to make
entry. These envelopes will be separated
according to land districts and will be
preserved and remain sealed I'M
opened in the course of the drawings
rs herein provided. When the registra-
ion is completed all of these sealed en-
yelopes will be brought together at the
place of drawing and turned over to the
committee in charge of the drawing, who.
n such manner as in their judgment will
De attended with entire fairness and
of opportunity, shall proceed to