The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-11-18

them cotton. corn, and wheat. Ma
ture has dealt generously In besto-
wing her bounties on the lands Of
these wards Of the nation
Under the provision OF legislation
enacted n few years ago, the white
man was permitted to hold property
In town sites, and number Of these
towns were laid out In suitable por-
tions Of the Territory. Muskogee II
u fair sample of these Indian Terri
tory towHs. Moui Indians mot be
ecen In the streets of Washington
than In the streets Of this town. II
has electric lights and power. elec-
tric street railways watcrworks and
every necessity Of modern civilization.
while without its boundaries are lands
being developed from which the white
man can haul his crops. only through
the sufferance OF full-blood or half
breed Indians.
with the admission of this Terri
tory these conditions Will pass into
history and form another OF the mem
ories connected with the development
OF the Empire OF the West In Okla
homo there are no more lands to be
had. There II will be simply a ques-
| s.f a ms sfai IE IN mr.
thern border Of the State was thrown
open 10 settlement through one OF the
most spectacular lotteries ever held
under the auspices Of the Federal gov
erment Over 10000 farms Of 100
acres each were awarded TO the set
tiers by lottery The figures show
that nearly all OF these awards went
10 people from Texas. Missouri and
Arkansas.
Oklahoma. wisely following the Tex
ns pattern. has get aside an unusually
large proportion Of her lands for
school purposes. and II IL to the credit
OF the Territory that the sentiment Of
the people In almost unanimous
against any proposition looking to
their sale, In the face Of clamor
from outsiders for their disposition.
Two sections In each township are set
aside for the schools. and In addition
there is liberal allowance for State
institutions, normal schools, and coll
leges.
There are n number OF Indians In
Oklahoma. but they form an lnsIgnif-
cant portion OF the total population.
The political complexion OF that por-
tIon OF the new State which Is now
Indian Territory depends entirely up
on the section of the country from
which II draws It's immigrants. There
are now 100000 white people there,
chiefly from the Southern and border
Democratic States. and as It stands
to-day, Indian Territory undoubted-
ly is Democratic. Within the next
ten years another half million people
| viii include this Territory and buy
| homes. II they are farmers OF I'LL
nois. Iowa. Indiana, Kansas. and Ne
braska. the political complexion OF the
| Territory may change. Some of the
Indian chieftians are powerful among
| their tribes, and In the Congressional
districts where the more populous
| tribes reside Il Is reasonable to pre-
sumo that a full-blood Indian may
soon have n seat In Congress. The
preponderance of white people how
| ever. preciudes the idea that any one
other than n white man will go to the
United States Senate.
In some measure al least, the In
ians of the Territory are fitted for
citizens few years ago and for a
long time have been controlling their
tribal affairs through elections, which
have been fairly and honestly conduc-
ted. Tribal relations recently ceased
under the provisions OF the Curtis act.
The Territory Of Oklahoma has all
the economic requisites for the making
OF one of the richest agricultural and
Industrial States in the Union. 1t has
cosmopolitan population, drawn from
the most substantial elements OF the
older Commonwealths. II is made up
Of men who sold their farms in the
East. North and South, after making
a success of them. and sought larger
opportunity than the old conditions
to-day he WOULD be more specific in
his advice to tell them to go to Ok
lahoma, for 1t Is in such new COM
munity OF splendid resources and pro-
gressive spirit that success is found.
The total population to-day is about
100000, distributed mostly over tho
farms of the State. The 427000 re-
naming homestead lands were taken
up In 1906 A half million acres of
the remaining Indian lands will be
sold under sealed bids In 160-acre
tracts early In December. This land
Is situated on the southern border
next to the Texas line, and Is conside-
red as rich as any in that section. 1t
Is part of the original Kowa, Conan
che and Apache Indian Reservations |