The National tribune., 1901-04-11
OPENING OF THE KIOwA-COMANCHF
RESERVATION.

|
occasion for fragrant fraud, chicanery an,
high-handed violence, and is invariabl!
followed by interminable litigation, yer!
costly and engendering the greatest bitter
ness.
Such a plan is particularly not to bt
thought of in connection with the open
ing of the Kiowa-Comanche Reservation
1t is bounded on the south by Texas, the
west by Greer County-where there has
been so much trouble and litigation-Or
the north by Oklahoma, and on the east
by the Indian Territory, all of which
throng with professional aim-jumpers
who will hesitate st nothing, not even
murder, to secure their ends. In ''run'
in" the honest homcsteader, especially
from any distance, would have absolutely
no chance.
We understand that substantially the
following plan is being considered by the
Interior Department:
l. A number of slips are to be pre-,
pared representing about the number OF
expected applicants. Each Of these bears
a number.
ance in person Mt one of the United
States Land Offices and make an affidavit
that he is a qualified homestead entry
man. None others will be received. His
name, personal description, age, etc, are
entered in book opposite a number cor
responding to the one he has drawn.
3. After all the applications are in, and
the time has expired for receiving home
stead applications, notice will be given
IN ho hv ha n
cal United States Land Offices, that GER
tain numbers will be received from day
to day, and their homestead filings al
lowed to be placed on the land they have
selected according to their numbers. That
is, ''No. 1" will be entitled to first choice;
mo. 2' to second choice, ETC., and so on
until all claims have been selected and
filed on. Selections must be made by
holders of numbers in person, numbers
presented, when the filing is made, by the
original holders, as shown by the books
of the local Land Offices.
Thereafter he will be subject to the
present homestead laws in the matter of
perfecting his claim.
1t is regarded as almost certain that
there will be at least 100000 applicants
for these lands, and some place the num-
ter as high as double that. There are
only between 10000 and 10000 alIot-
ments to be made. If we assume that
there are but 1900 desirable home
steads in the reservation, and fully 100,-
600 applicants, 1t will be seen that it is in
evitable that there will be at least $4,000
badly disappointed men and women who
have come on at q considerable expense
to make their applications. 1t may be
that there will be double that number,
and is is alleged that the fine hand of the
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad
is visible, inasmuch as it would have the
carrying OF all these eager land-seekers,
and It is to its direct interest to have as
many of them make personal applica-
ton" as possible.
1t would certainly seem that some way
could be found to enable those from 100,-
900 to 250,000 men and women to have
great expense, trouble, and positive dan
ger to life and health involved in an
actual journey to the Land Offices in
Oklahoma, which must result in disap-
pointment to at least six out of every
seven of them.
OF course, we realize the difficulties
that the Interior Department has to deal
with. To allow applications to be sent in
by mail would bring down upon the Land
Office an ocean Of correspondence that
would swamp it in week. Even if it
were practicable to make the allotments
in this way there would be the likelihood
that a great portion of the fortunate al
lottees would never complete their claims,
but sell them out to spectators, or other
wise misuse them to defeat the object OF
the law.
But would 1t not be possible for home
seekers to be allowed to register and
qualify at the Land Offices nearest their
present residences? Let them evidence
their good faith by making a deposit Of
q prescribed amount, which would prob
ably be not much IL any more than the
average travelling and other necessary ex-
penses of those who personally appear"
Or this sum might be made to represent
the value of the poorest homestead to be
allotted. If they are lucky, the money
should be applied to the completion of
their claim. Ii they do not get an aIlot-
ment, the money could be returned to
them, less the fees charged for handling
it. The personal Identification features
of the plan could be worked just as well
from the Land Offices elsewhere as those
in Oklahoma, and it be insured that no
one but bona fde home-seekers should Sc,
cure claims.
1t would seem an easy matter to regu-
larry number all the quarter-sections con.
secutiyely, and then have a drawing
against them OF all the properly COM
pleted applications sent in from the va
rious Land Offices throughout the whole
country. Suppose, for example, that the
quarter section in the extreme northeast
ern corner is registered on the Land Of
fee books as mo. L." the next west as
mo. g" and so on. All the properly
made applications are given number in
the order Of their reception or otherwise,
and these numbers are put in a wheel
The first number drawn out takes "No.
1"-that is, the extreme northeastern
quarter section, as shown by the
plats. mo. 2" takes the next
quarter section west, and so on un.
til the whole 1900 are assigned.
Then there should be a supplemental
drawing of a certain lot of numbers to
make good any failures to perfect claims.
The lucky men should have certain time
in which to complete their records. In
case they do not, then their rights shall