Marble Hill press. (Marbel [sic] Hill, Mo.) 1881-1923, 1908-05-07
The Oklahoma Girl A gain.

1t has been raining so much out here
the farmers cannot pillow.
We have lots of garden truck.
1t was warm and windy to-day and
yesterday.
Wheat is almost heading and oats very
fine.
We will have lots Of fruit this year.
We have fifteen head Of horses and
colts
Eighty acres OF our wheat and oats
lies right in front Of the house.
We have good many chickens. Will
some of your readers please tell US a
remedy for d disease that is killing our
gOslngs? Ours have fits and die in great
agony in about twenty-five minutes.
will now continue "1he History Of
Oklahoma" and "Payne and His Boom
ers.'' Thus titles were wrested from the
Indians and "Captain" David L. Payne
and his boomers declared it was public
land and open to aquatter settlement.
II was Payne, member of the Kansas
legislature was advised by d friend in
Oklahoma open to squatter settlement,
and in December, 1850, organized large
colony which was modified on the north
line OF the Cherokee outlet, near Ark
ansas City, Kansas. The government
was notified, and company Of l. S.
cavalry, under command of Col. Cop
pinger, was dispatched to the camp to
prevent the proposed raid Of the gov
ernment lands. The colonists, number
ing near 1000, were notified that any
attempt to cross the forbidden line would
! be resisted, according to proclamation
of the president. y petition from the
colonists, urging modification OF the
order, was sent to the president, but re-
ceived no answer. Dec. ii DR.. Robert
Wilson OF Austin, Texas, vas dispatched
to Washington in the colony's interest.
Meanwhile the colonists removed to
! Caldwell, receiving heavy recruits there.
| The soldiers followed Payne was ar
rested and taken to Fort Smith, Ark,
where he was released on $1,000 bond.
| Four more expeditions followed, the last
/ III ICtrfJ HitIA!s "itii 'pN k'$ot'A' 'A'i'4 NV
| wagons, he settled near the site of the
! city OF Saltwater. They were driven
out by the soldiery and Payne, Couch
and others taken to Fort Smith for trial.
| They were acquitted, the court deciding
that Oklahoma was public land and an
attempt to settle same was no crime.
With renewed hope Payne organized
Il large and powerful army, but sudden
! ~, on the morning OF Nov. 2S, 1891,
while at breakfast IN the Barnard house
at Wellington, Kansas, he fell dead in
the arms of one Of his followers. Capt.
w. L. Couch, Payne's lieutenant and
| counselor, conducted colony of 800 peo-
pie into the territory few weeks later
! and effected a permanent settlement,
remaining unmolested until january,
| 1885. when u. ). troops conducted them
out of the territory.
This was the last attempt at colonial
ton before the land was formally opened
to settlement by congress, in 1899. In
1888 the Springer bill, which provided
for the opening Of Oklahoma to settle
ment, although defeated in the senate,
opened the way to partial success, and
in the house it was attached as a rider
to the Indian appropriation bill, and thus
carried against senators and representa-
tives working in the interest of the
cattle barons, VINO wanted to retain the
rich grazing lands.
March >, 1899, the bill opening Okla
homa was signed by the president and
March % he issued the proclamation
opening the land to settlement April
%, 1889.
The day previous to the opening it
was estimated that 10, GOO people were at
Arkansas City, awaiting the signal.
, Large numbers were also at Hunnewell,
Caldwell and other points along the
southern line of Kansas. Fifteen trains