The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1906-12-13
How the Land Was Opened i.

not be amiss.
The tract of land first known rs Indian
Territory. containing the Cherokee
Chnctaw. Creek and Seminole nation,
together with several other reservs
tions, covering an area of 81 900 squar'
miles, was set apart by congress il
1874. Each of the five great nation
were allowed self-government, an,
their Officers chosen 10y popular elec
ton. Each nation contained educa
tipnal institutions in addition to thus'
supported hy the United states gov
together with their " r.
ligious organizations The territory
wa included IN the Louisiana pur
chase NJ 1903. and was in 1882 Sc
asi lie AS \ perm tnent home TOR the 10
dian tribes east OF the MississipE
river. In 1868 the Greek Indian,
cciei the west part OF their trrrltor,
~ the United States, and the SAM
IL lSao this land. together with thai
known as the public lands, was resoly
Ell into the territory of Oklahoma
which was organized May ,, 1870. it,
capital being located at Guthrie. the
area nf the territory covering $3.50
stuare miles. oklahoma was a part of
the tract set apart for lndi IN tribes by
congress on June 80, 1884. April -
1899. wis the date SGT by the p%residen'
of the Unitel States for the opening OF
10000 acres of land for settlement.
and that date will ever b. held mem
or,ble ny the early settlers Of okiaho-
mn and their decendents-fnr on that
day between the hours. OF II m. and
sundown, n state was peopled, and
cities, towns, villages and hamlets
founded, The first governor of Okla
hona was George W Steele, appointed
in 1890, and he was succeeded in the
order rsned bv A. ] Sray, W G. Rem
fr,. g " Rarnes. w. VI. Jenkins, T
u Ferguson and Frank Frantz, thu
prescott iucumbent
In 1891 the t,w,, Sr. Fox and Pot
tawatpnie Indian lanis, comprising
lTo.o0 acrrs, were opened Other
lands w,r' opened in the following
order April 1892, the Cheyenne and
Arapsh,~, ~r,servationS. 3Nntn. Sep
trn,lnr IN. lsa3, the Cherokee strip
soOno acres; May y, 1885, \ small
ser,ion knnwn ~ the Kickapoo lands
in June, 1890, N strip known as No
Mans Land was attached Ia 0klaho-
mn by AN act Of congress-, creating
Beaver county. On August o, 1891
the kiows. CNinlnehe, Apache and
Wichita reservation, representing owe
3an.ooo acres. WAS opened for home-
steaders. This land is now embodied
principally in Kiowa. Caddo and Com
anche counties.
At the opening of homestead lands
in laol, owing tn the large number Of
cattle grazing on the reservations, in
order Ia save cattlemen from n serious
lpss, il nj absolute ruin, the portions
INV known rs reserve Nos |, ,, 3. and
4, were held from settlement and
leased for cattle grazing. the evenue
thercfum going To the Indian tribes
owning the land, and the same has
been divided among them semi-an-
nnally as grass money" Upon the
sale If these lands tn homesteaders
the money received therefor will be
h'ld hy Uncle Sam, and the interest
paid thereon tn the several tribes of
Indians ss their interest may appear
oue of the conditions of the sale is
thartcssees shall hold uatil expiration
of their ~leases. reni being paid To the
purchasers.
runching reserves Nos. ., 3 and (,
alt arrange N have been completed
fur their sale which under act Of con
grSss "a occur . later than the
sth rt ps,e nber, 1914, 1t was the
earnest desire Of all genuine home
strsdrrs that these lands be- sold Al
pubic auction to the highest bidder.
hU II seems that the powers that be-
hsv- iocr.t~l otherwise aud that they
must L. disposed of under sealed bids
Under this system il i feared that the
h"m'spradrr viii have hut little show
although under the ruling none hu,
b.sne.'eader will be entitled 10 hid
There ar tricks in all trades bur
Os,Fs, - say the sp~eculatnrs.
Reserve No I comprises what is ren.
orally s'FqU A. the big pasture" ana
e-'v-r, nearly spn.On Scrs Universal
attention was attracted "a IL when
P~-sidenr Roosevelt ana pSrty. in
lSS, sI-nt several days in hunting
over lts vast cNISn~r la this splendid
b'ly n isul J. m ,liel tW-nty-1y-
townships. with outside measurement
OF sbnnt thirty Ia th,rgy-6ve mile,
%c'vruing an area 81 say 300 u
miles, ar mhr than double that Of tn,
state NJ R1ode Island. Ia quality. III