The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-05-14
Special to Daily Leader.

GhDSAAh W DdAy AsChucI.
sulphur, l.. T., May 14.-For the
second time in the history OF Sulphur
the inhabitants located on the town
site will be compelled to submit to the
plan of the interior department, which
recently recommended to congress the
passage of IN act providing for the
enlargement of the National park, or
the reservation proper. In 1902 the
federal government set aside $40 acres
adjacent to and including the town
site Of Sulphur. Prior to the govern
ment's acquiring the land, which. it
was stated. was for the purpose Of
preserving the famous medicins
springs and for the benefit Of the pub
lie in general. Secretary Hitchcock
recommended that a provision be in
serted in the Chickasaw Choetaw
agreement providing that those tribes
should %relinquish $40 acres, in which
tract was included the town Of Sui
phur. To reimburse property owners
from any loss. provision was made
that all improvements upon the lands
TO be selected at the time the agree
ment was ratified shall be appraised
by me secretary of the Interior at the
true value thereof at the time of the
selection of said lands, and shall be
paid for by warrants drawn by the
secretary"
subsequently. in accordance with
the act, Inspector Churchill was des-
ignated by the interior department to
appraise the improvements on the
lands ceded to the government by the
Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes. Upon
this land progressive citizens had
built a substantial town and there
was opposition to the plan of the gov
eminent in establishing a park reser-
walton, because no provision was
made for reimbursement for the land
upon which these improvements were
located. Congressman became inter
ested in the matter and made a vigor-
Gus fight against the governments
aElhllln6 lIAldl l0nuo III lnC put
pose of establishing health resorts.
1t is remembered that the act was
passed and the interior department
planned to make the springs as at
tractive as possible for health seek
ers. The reservation was surveyed.
plated and appraised, owners of lots
weie paid something like $4,000 for
their improvements. The town at
present resembles a mining camp.
and streets run to all points OF the
compass. Within the reservation
proper are located buildings that the
government will shortly emo
the real work Of beautirying the place
will commence.
In nearly every town the inhabitants
have been protected by the law gov
erning ~townsites, but not so with the
tow OF Sulphur. The action Of the
government in locating the park ne
cessitated the building of a new town
and citizens abandoned the reserya-
ton and started a town south OF the
reservation and erected many han
some buildings. The area included a
large number Of acres and the new
place gave promise Of being a more
substantial town. and the people CON
graduated themselves upon the loca-
tion. There had been some d
in sentiment regarding the building
OF the new townsite, and this agit
ton, It is said, had some effect upon
The interior department. Everything,
seemingly, had been amlcably settled
and citizens awaited the regulations
OF the interior department with refer
ence 10 the new town. but instead OF
protecting the people who were driven
from the reservation, Secretary Hitch
cock peremptorily withdrew from al
lotment the land upon which the new
town was being built and gave no.
tice hat It could not be allotted. 1t
was supposed that the interior depart
ment was to make q larger reserva-
ton for park purposes. but this proved
to be mere conjecture. Il was init.
mated that the townsite controversy