The National tribune., 1901-03-21
Warning from a comrade on the Ground.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: L know
of no better way to warn my old COM
rades than through the columns of The
NATIONAL tribune about the Swlndles
inaugurated TO fleece people, and especially
old soldiers. out of their money, IN the
opening of the kiowa and Comanche res
ervations in Oklahoma. | have been in
Oklahoma since the first day of April
1882, and have been q witness to all the
openings that have taken place, and at
each opening the old soldier has suffered
these swindIers to reap a rich harvest
l want to say to them. Keep your money
in your pockets; come yourself; lie on the
ground, and here seek the aid and assist
ance OF men who are known and will give
you all the aid and advice possible. There
are hundreds of old comrades here that
are truthful and honest, who will assist
You. Don't spend a single dime with
advertisers. No agent can file more than
one declaratory, and to make it certain
he viii have to make the run, get on the
land first, make his improvements, get to
the Land Office, and get in line and take
his turn to file that one declaratory.
l send the following from the Kansas
City Star:
Horace Speed, United States District
Attorney for Oklahoma at Guthrie, is anx-
ious TO receive information concerning per-
sons who represent t 1T they have special
privileges in locating settlers in the new
country. Said he NO person, not even
President Mckinley himself, car give any
man any special right or privilege to home
steads or town lots in the new country.
The conditions imposed in the law opening
the country to settlement cannot be
changed. and any man who preteDds that
he can give any priority to settler is an
imposter and a swindler. A large num-
ber of persons are sending out letters say
ing that as agents of old soldiers they are
qualified TO file declaratory statements for
them and guarantee them claim. This is
a swindling statement. No agent can file
more than one declaratory statement, and
such agent cannot guarantee anything.
Upon such statement, however, they get
cash payments, with Il contract Tor a fur
| ther sum when the soldier gets his land.
If by chance one of these agents should
locate land not claimed by any other per-
son, then he will demand his whole fee.
If the old soldier should get nothing, then
the agent is ahead the amount of the first
payment. Some of these agents are get
ting thousands of declaratory statements
from old soldiers. The G.. Ar. should
warn its members that the scheme of
these agents is an unmitigated swindie."
Another scheme which hardly comes un-
| der the prohibition of law is a source Of
wealth from questionable assets. AdYer-
| tisements are inserted in newspapers in
many States, calling attention to the fact
that Jones & Smith have established a
bureau of information relating to the XII
owa and Comanche country, and that upon
the payment of certain membership fee
| of 81, 81 and So any person can get the
| publications of the company and keep
| fully informed about the new cor
| Jones d Smith do not promise specific in
| formation, and as a result they do not hes
| itate to print newspaper rubbish in pam
| phlet form and send it to their patrons
A well-adyertised company of this kind
ought easily to get 10000 members, which
at 81 each would make the sum of $20,-
| 600, leaving a net profit OF not less than
SlS,GOO to the company.-JOs. MOONEY,
| COL North Davis St, Guthrie, o. L.