The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1907-02-09

to settle the controversy through com
missioners; and this failure was fol
lowed By provision in the organic
act OF the Territory Of Oklahoma, ap
proved May g 1890, excluding Greer
county from its boundaries until the
same Nigh, be adjudged to be no part
OF the state OF Texas, and authorizing
a suit. which was brought in the SUI
preme court of the United States to
determine the question.
In 1897 the supreme court OF the
state of Texas rendered judgment cnn.
ceiling a member of patents to lands
in the county on the ground that the
act Of 1879 reserved them from the
location Of the certificates heretofore
mentioned and appropriated them for
the use of the public schools and 70
pay the public debt whi.h In effect
destroyed all claims of title through
Texas; and In the same year Presi-
dent Cleveland issued a proclamation
asserting the claim of the United
States to the county and warning all
persons attempting to acquire title to
any of the lands here; but possessory
rights were recognized to be in the
peaceful possessions of the courts
Tho county was the subject OF a mum
ber of proclamations and executive
messages.
Some of the settlers had come here
believing that Texas owned the coun-
ty and others believing thst the Uni
ted states did; and the amount OF
land taken by each generally indi-
Gated the source from which he ex-
pected to ultimately acquire title.
After years Of work by council on
the Respective sides in hunting for
and taking evidence, including not
only examination of foreign archives
but additional explorations of the riy-
ers in question. The supreme court
of the United States. on March 16,
1896. decided the controversy against
Texas, the notification being received
at Mangum on the following day
while district court was in session and
engaged in trying the case of ID. M.
Osborne and Company VS.. S. c. Van
leer
Although the effects of the decision
was to transfer the county from the
defacto jurisdiction of Texas to the de
jure jurisdiction of Oklahoma, the
comfy was without government until,
by virtue of an acr of congress ap-
proved May 4. 1896. the officers of
Greer county Texas, assumed CORE
spending positions as officers ofGreer
county. Oklahoma; and the same act
validated the proceedings of the court
and officers of Greer county, Texas.
and otherwise provided for the tran
siton to the new jurisdiction.
Immediately after the decision of
March 16, 1896, many of the settlers
believed they would be put out and
hat the land would be treated as In
uian lands; but everybody got busy
petitioning congress for relief and
sending district Judge G.. A. Brown to
Washington to lobby for the same.
BY act of January rs, 1897. the
lands OF the county we're opened to
homesteaders free; and there was a
clause giving the settlers of March Is,
1896, a preference right to take free a
homestead and to purchase at $1.OO
per acre net 70 exceed 160 acres OF
additional land of which they were
possessed, etc.
The struggles of the settlers against
the mfsfortunes of crop failures in
1892, 1898, 1894, and 1885. due TO the
lack of knowledge of the soil and eli
mate in relation to the various crops
that might have been grown success
fully, was a memorable one; but in
late years the people have been find
ing and developing the resources of
the country and making for them
selves good homes and agreeable en-
vironments
WALTER FERGUSON.