The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1903-03-19
IN l6O-ACRE TRACTS.
The Kiowa Comanohe Lands to be
Sold are the Best In Southern
Oklahoma-More than Half
Million Acres Will be
Knocked Down.

which will be as unique and stupen.
dous thing in its way as the
Kiowa drawing The House com.
mittee on Indian affairs has in.
dorsed the bill to dispose OF the
sos, 600 acres OF pasture land set
apart for tie Kiowas and Com.
anches to settlers, and outlines a
public auction OF 100 acre tracts as
the proper scheme. There are
3,166 farms Of 100 acres each in
these Indian lands. II the land
sells for SO an acre, a very low
estimate, the sale would aggregate
one and a half million dollars.
When the contract for allotling
the lands OF the Kiows country
was entered into, the government
agreed to set apart for the Indians
4S0, 900 acres Of land for pasture,
the rental to go to the Indians.
This was 100 acres Of land for each
Indian. The number OF farms,
therefore, ,tieu up in the Comanohe
country is exactly equal to the In.
dian population.
When this proposition was first
considered by Congress, it is now
claimed, the understanding was
that the classification, "for pasture
lands," meant the kind OF lands
usually used for pasture, and not
agricultural lands. Il is possible
that no such thought was In the
congressional mind at the time,
but now the clai N is made that
great injustice has been done the
people who are looking for farms.
The big Comanche pasture in.
cludes much of the Red river bot
toms. No land which was opened
TO settlement through the FL Reno
drawing has such large body Of
uniformly good land az that In the
400,0 sere tract Immediately
south of Lawton.
There are four other smaller
tracts that go TO make up the $685..
600 acres. One OF these lie a wood
reserve east Of Lswton. near the
town OF Duncan
When the announcement was
made that the government would
set apart these lands for the In.
dians il was predicted that II would
only be few years until the clam
or for more hoDssteads would |
lorce CoDgrers TO throw il open |
for settlement. The Indian never
hae had any right which the Anglo
Saxon has respected. fbe Interior
department alone hae been mis-
friend, and 10 attempting 10 give
him pasture land which was really
worth something il probably made
a mistake. Renters In the Indian
Territory, thr thousands Of disap
pointed persons who tailed TO se
cure honIesteads al the El Keno
drawing. aud the additional thous.
ands along the Texas-0kIahoma
border, cannot view with equan.
unity the wsste of half a million
acres Of land IN pasture. The In.
dians receive for this land about
25 cents al acre, and IL nets them
like $4,000 a year.
This is about $40 head for sach
Indian among the Kiowa Com.
anche and affiliated tribes. Al
family Of seven persons would de.
rive an income Of $3.50 a year in
The course Of few years from this
pasture II II was we'll managed for
hem.
II The auction sale is not author.
red by this Congress II win be
Iorced within 3 few years At most.
rhe Texas. Arkansas and Okla.
noma interests behind the new
movement will prove irresistible.
Friends Of tbe Indians will prob.
lbIy defeat The proposed legisla-
ion Il this session Of Congress. h
Each farm Of 100 acres in the :
tract south Of Lawton {
Z worth not lees than q, 900. Some
+ he land. especially that alongl