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THE CALDWELL COMMERCIAL
W. B. HUTCHISON, Publisher.
[FROM THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1882, THROUGH MARCH 8, 1883.]
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
AD ON FRONT PAGE.
T. H. B. ROSS, LAW AND LAND BROKER.
Collections a Specialty.
Farms and Town Lots for Sale.
I represent some of the best Insurance Companies in the United States.
Office one door south of Moreland's restaurant, Main Street,
CALDWELL, KANSAS.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
AD. WM. MORRIS. J. A. COVINGTON
MORRIS & CO., -DEALERS IN- GROCERIES, PROVISIONS, FLOUR & FEED,
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL.
RANCH SUPPLIES A SPECIALTY.
East side Main Street, south of Eldorado Stables.
CALDWELL, KANSAS.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
AD. JOHN G. WOODS, President. ED M. HEWINS, Vice President.
CHARLES H. MOORE, Cashier.
THE STOCK EXCHANGE BANK, CALDWELL, KANSAS.
Capital: $100,000. Does a General Banking Business.
DIRECTORS: JOHN G. WOODS, ANGUS McLEAN, ED. M. HEWINS, M. H. BENNETT, BEN S. MILLER, I. B. GILMORE, JNO. A. BLAIR, CHAS. H. MOORE.
MONEY TO LOAN ON REAL ESTATE AND PERSONAL SECURITY IN SUMS TO SUIT.
STOCKHOLDERS: John G. Woods, Angus McLean, Ed. M. Hewins, Ben S. Miller,
A. B. Overall, John A. Blair, Eli Titus, S. H. Horner, A. McLain, J. B. Gilmore, Chas. H. Moore, W. W. Dickey, M. H. Bennett, P. O. Conner, docil [?]. Guarded by Hall's Time Lock.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
AD. J. W. DOBSON, CONTRACTOR AND BUILDER, AND DEALER IN LIME, Plaster, Hair, Cement & Builder's Materials.
Office and shop next to Wolf River Lumber Yards, Caldwell, Kansas.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
AD. JOHN B. CAREY, WHOLESALE -AND- RETAIL LUMBER DEALER.
Carries the Largest and Best Assorted Stocks in the Southwest.
COMPETITION NO OBJECT!
YARDS -AT- Wichita, Wellington, Caldwell, Anthony, and Harper.
W. P. CAREY, Manager, Wellington, Kansas.
J. R. SWARTZEL, Resident Manager.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
Ad. GEORGE W. REILLY & CO., DEALERS IN PROVISIONS, QUEENSWARE,
AND GROCERIES. EVERYTHING IN THE GROCERY LINE.
East Side Main St., Nearly Opposite Savings Bank, CALDWELL, KANSAS.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
AD. J. W. HOCKADAY, -DEALERS IN -HARDWARE, Stoves and Tinware.
WAGON & CARRIAGE WOOD WORK, TOOLS & WIRE FENCING.
Cutlery, Ammunition, Manilla Rope, Shovels, Spades, etc.
Main Street, Caldwell, Kansas.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
AD. J. E. NEAL, President. T. R. NEAL, Cashier. S. P. G. LEWIS, Vice President.
GEO. W. REILLY, Secretary.
CALDWELL SAVINGS BANK, CALDWELL, KANSAS.
CAPITAL STOCK, $100,000.
Do a General Banking Business.
DIRECTORS: Wm. Corsine, C. H. Manning, H. W. Timberlake, Geo. W. Reilly, A. M. Colson, J. E. Neal, S. [?] P. G. Lewis, I. N. Cooper, S. S. Richmond. [HARD TO READ.]
Drafts Issued on all the Principal Cities of the United States and Europe.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
AD. WATCHES, CLOCKS & JEWELRY.
J. F. DEANE, DEALER IN REPAIRING A SPECIALTY.
All work Guaranteed.
POST OFFICE BUILDING, CALDWELL, KANSAS.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
AD. L. SEGERMAN Takes Pleasure in Notifying the Public that on and after the 1st day of May, 1882, the HACK LINE BETWEEN CALDWELL AND HUNNEWELL, will make Regular Time EVERY DAY!
Having put on two new six-seated Hacks, will be Amply prepared to Accommodate the Traveling Public.
Leave orders at the Leland or Clifton Hotels, Caldwell, and at the Hotel or Stock Exchange, Hunnewell. L. SEGERMAN.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
AD. ELDORADO LIVERY & FEED STABLE, CORNER MAIN AND SIXTH STREETS, CALDWELL, KANSAS.
Special Care given Boarding Horses. [NEXT TWO LINES ILLEGIBLE.]
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
AD. YORK-PARKER-DRAPER MERCANTILE COMPANY.
Ft. Griffin, Tex. Dodge City, Kas. Caldwell, Kas.
GENERAL MERCHANDISE -AND- OUTFITTING GOODS!
RANCH AND TRAIL SUPPLIES A SPECIALTY.
Headquarters for Cattlemen & Drovers.
A. WITZLEBEN, Manager, CALDWELL, KANSAS.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
AD. CYCLONE STORE.
The undersigned have opened a full line of FAMILY GROCERIES which they are offering at lowest cash rates. -WILL ALSO- BUY WHEAT or take it in exchange for Flour, Feed, or Groceries at mill prices.
THE CYCLONE FLOUR is not excelled by any other brand in the market. COUNTRY PRODUCE will be taken at highest cash prices.
FARMERS will find the Cyclone Store the best place to bring their grain and produce for sale. Our facilities are such that we can give them as good a price for their wheat as they can obtain at Wellington, thus saving them TWO DAYS TIME.
JOHN DOBSON & CO.
South Main Street, Caldwell, Kansas.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
AD. DOUBLEDAY BROS., Main Street, opposite the Post Office, Caldwell, Kansas. Keep Constantly on Hand the following articles.
[CLEVERLY ARRANGED...I AM NOT BOTHERING!]
Canvass Cots; Walnut Bureaus; Poplar Bureaus; Woven wire Cots; Ash Chamber Suits; Walnut Dressing Cases; Walnut Chamber Suits; Woven wire Bed Springs; United States Slat Bolt Springs; Walnut washstands, one drawer; Walnut washstands, two drawers; Walnut washstands, three Drawers; Walnut Center tables, Marble top; Walnut Center tables, wood top; Ash Center tables, wood top; Wood seat Dining chairs; Perforated Dining chairs; Perforated Dining chairs; Rattan Kitchen chairs; Reed Kitchen chairs; Wood Office chairs; Cane Office chairs; Desk Stools; Boston Rockers; Walnut tea tables; Cane Nurse Rockers; Wood Nurse Rockers; Walnut Breakfast tables; Rattan Kitchen Rockers; Bruce Arm Rockers, walnut; Bruce Arm rockers, Maple; Scroll Arm Rockers, Maple; Scroll Arm Rockers, Walnut, Patent Rockers in wool Reps [?]; Patent Rockers in Raw Silk; Patent Rockers in Spun Silk; Folding Chairs and Rockers; Child's Rattan Rockers; Child's Wood Rockers; Child's High Chairs; Child's Hole Chair; Lunch Baskets; Students Lamps; Ladies work Baskets; Bed Lounges in Carpet; Bed Lounges in Raw Silk; Bed Lounges in Spun Silk; Bed Lounges in Wood Reps.; Single Lounges in Wool Reps.; Patent Rockers in Wilton Velvet; Walnut Cane chairs without arms; Maple Cane chairs with arms; One-half Boston Rockers; Hanging Library Lamps; Mats for Cabinet frames; Two ply ½ Wool Carpets; Suspension Bed Springs; Single Lounges in Spun Silk; Walnut Cane chairs with Arms; Single Lounges in Raw Silk; Walnut Extension tables; Two ply all wool Carpets; Ladies traveling Baskets; Common Glass Lamps; Poplar Breakfast tables; Revolving Office chairs; Champion Bed Springs; Ash Extension tables; Perforated Mottous [?]; Paper Baskets; Hemp Carpets; Glass sets Plain; Glass sets Etched; Glass sets Frosted; Nickel Plated table ware; Silver Plated table ware.
Walnut beds; Ash beds; Maple beds; Gum beds; Spindle beds; Child's beds; Single beds; Single Lounges; Wool Mattresses; Cotton top Matt's; Excelsior Matt's; Wool Pillows; Feather Pillows; Feather Dusters; Napier Matting; Straw Matting; Oil Cloth; Cocoa Mats; Tapestry Mats; Tapestry rags [?]; Picture Mouldings; Room Mouldings; Cornice Mouldings; Cornice Poles; Mottoe [?] frames; Cabinet Frames; Scrap Pictures; Oil Paintings; Chromos; Picture Cord; Picture Nails; Cloth Hampers; Glassware; Goblets, heavy; Goblets, Banded; Goblets, Engraved; Goblets, Etched; Goblets, Plain; Fruit Jars; Jelly Glasses; Flower Pots; Queensware; Majolica ware; Yellow ware; Rockingham ware; China ware; Wall Paper; Win- dow Shades; Window Rollers; Baby Carriages; Boys wagons; Brackets; Paper Holders; Mirrors, Kitchen Safes; Table Oilcloth; Hat Racks; Wood Coffins; Wood Caskets; Metallic Caskets; Velvet Caskets; etc., etc., etc.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
AD. FURNISHING GOODS, HATS, CAPS AND BOOTS AT COST
For the next thirty days at SAM SWAYER'S PALACE DRY GOODS STORE.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
AD. THE CENTRAL DRUG STORE. T. B. JOHNSON, DEALER IN DRUGS, MEDICINES, and Everything Pertaining to First-Class Drug House. Having Recently Pur- chased THE CENTRAL DRUG STORE, From Mr. R. F. Smith, nothing will be left undone on my part to meet the demands of the Public in my line of Goods. T. B. JOHNSON.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
DIRECTORY.
PHYSICIANS.
DR. W. A. NOBLE, PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON, Office Opposite Opera Hall.
Consultation calls promptly answered in any part of the county.
Office Hours from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.
CHAS. R. HUME, PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON, Caldwell, Kansas.
OFFICE: Central Drug Store. Residence on the corner of Market and Fourth streets, opposite the New School House.
DENTISTRY. DR. N. A. SCRIBNER.
Office: Front room over the Lone Star Clothing Store.
First-class work and reasonable prices.
W. B. BRENGLE, PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON.
Office at the Central Drug Store, Caldwell, Kansas.
ATTORNEYS-AT-LAW.
CASS BURRES L. M. LANGE.
BURRES & LANGE, ATTORNEYS AT LAW.
[COULD NOT READ REST...LOCATED AT CALDWELL, KANSAS.]
R. W. HARRINGTON, JUSTICE OF THE PEACE.
Office in Agricultural Implement House, Main Street, Caldwell, Kansas.
Wm. A. McDonald Andrew Hutchin.
McDONALD & HUTCHIN, ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELLORS AT LAW.
Office: Opposite Court House, Washington Ave., Wellington, Kas.
S. BERRY, ATTORNEY AND COUNSELOR AT LAW, WELLINGTON, KANSAS.
MISCELLANEOUS.
J. J. RYAN, MERCHANT TAILOR.
Corner Main and Fifth Streets, upstairs, Caldwell, Kansas.
Has just received his fall and winter stock of goods, etc.
COSAND & MOSSER, PHOTOGRAPHERS.
Do all kinds of work in the best of style. Keep a good assortment of INDIAN PICTURES AND VIEWS.
Office East side Main Street, Caldwell, Kansas.
WILLIS METCALF, CONSTABLE. Collections a Specialty.
Office with S. S. Richmond.
THE ENGLISH KITCHEN, EISFELDER & GOFF, Proprietors.
Three doors north Post Office, Caldwell, Kansas.
The English Kitchen has just been opened to the Public and will be run in first-class style. Meals can be had at all hours, day or night.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
PART OF CALDWELL COMMERCIAL DIRECTORY.
W. R. TERWILLIGER. [HORSE WITH T ON SIDE.]
Half breed horses and sheep.
Horse Brand: "T" on left shoulder.
Horse ranch on Deer Creek, ten miles southeast of Caldwell.
Sheep ranch in Harper County.
P. O. Address: Caldwell, Kansas.
BEN S. MILLER. [CATTLE WITH ZERO AND LINE THROUGH MIDDLE.]
Cattle brand, circle bar on right side.
Horse brand, circle bar on right hip.
Ranch on Big Sandy and Salt Fork.
Address, Caldwell, Kansas.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
PART OF CALDWELL COMMERCIAL DIRECTORY.
BRICK! BRICK!
The undersigned offers for sale a large lot of FRESH BURNED BRICK, which will be sold at lowest cash rates. R. RUE, Caldwell, Kansas.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
HOGS WANTED. GREENWELL BROTHERS, at the Caldwell Mill and Elevator, will pay the Highest Cash Price for fat hogs. GREENWELL BROTHERS, CALDWELL, KANSAS.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
CALDWELL ELEVATOR. IMPORTANT TO FARMERS.
The Caldwell Elevator is prepared to ELEVATE, CLEAN, SHIP OR STORE WHEAT for farmers on commission. Will also elevate [?], store, or grind corn. The Elevator is provided with a first-class FAIRBANK'S SCALES for weighing. Bring your corn in to the Elevator. Will buy wheat when parties want to sell, but will afford every facility to those who desire to ship on their own account. WM. GRIMBLE. GREENWELL BROS.
Caldwell, Kansas.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
AD. E. B. Roll Ed. T. Battin
E. B. ROLL & CO. (Successors to Holmes & Co.)
WHOLESALE & RETAIL GROCERS, CALDWELL, KANSAS.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
AD. THE CLIFTON.
I desire to inform the public that I have opened up the building formerly occupied by Brown & Denson and known as the DROVERS' HOUSE, and am prepared to furnish BOARD AND LODGING to those who desire it.
Your Patronage is respectfully solicited. J. A. RAY.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
Steer Cattle for Sale.
If any reader of this paper wants to purchase a herd composed of 1,000 two and three year olds, many of the latter fit for beef, and a sufficient number of horses to run the herd, they can hear of a good chance by applying to the COMMERCIAL office. The herd can be bought at figures that will pay.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
Tommy Tetstone, who lately purchased 1,000 head of sheep, and is now holding them on Terwilliger's ranch, and Mr. Collins, of Council Grove, called at this office Saturday. Mr. Collins comes for the purpose of engaging in the stock business, and he says he is only the forerunner of a number from that place who expect to come to Caldwell.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
We are informed by parties recently up from Fort Reno, that Capt. Payne and some of his men are still held at Reno, awaiting orders from Washington as to what disposition shall be made of the party. It seems queer that the "wisest and best government on earth" don't know how to tackle and settle that Oklahoma business.
[MISCELLANEOUS.]
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 7, 1882.
The livestock business with railroads at present is immense. During the month of August, 2,800 cars were handled at Kansas City, and since June over 2,500 have passed through the city, making an average of over 100 per day. Soon after Mr. Moore's appointment as general agent of the Southwestern pool, he made a calculation that 10,000 cars would be needed to transfer cattle this year. He now finds that it will take 13,000 or more.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 14, 1882.
THE DODGE CITY INDIAN WAR.
C. M. Scott, employed as government scout in the Territory, passed through Caldwell on last Saturday on his way to Arkansas City. He had returned from Dodge and the western part of the state, where he had been sent to investigate the Dodge City reports regarding an Indian outbreak. After traveling about 500 miles and chasing down all sorts of wild rumors, Mr. Scott ascertained that a party of eighteen Cheyennes had started out on a hunt, and while out had killed one yearling heifer, which they devoured, and stole seven head of horses from some cattle ranch in the Territory south of Dodge.
The Indians have returned to the Cheyenne and Arapaho reservation and have no more idea of going on the war path than those Dodge City chaps who are so extremely anxious to have Fort Dodge re-established as a military post.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 14, 1882.
Lease of the Salt Plains.
The following advertisement appears in the Cherokee Advocate of the 8th inst.
The letting is to be on the fifteenth of this month. Of course, the whole thing is a job, put up and arranged who shall be the lessees long before the lease of the plains.
Being authorized by act of Cherokee legislation and act of Congress, approved August 7th, 1882, we will receive and consider until September 15, 1882, proposals to lease one or more of the three great Salines on our lands west of the Arkansas river; the leases to run twenty years. The Salines include the great salt marsh; also deposits of fine rock salt. The act requires royalty of no less than ($1) one dollar per ton to be paid Cherokee Nation. Address delegates, D. H. Ross and R. M. Wolfe, Tahlequah, Indian Territory. Proposals will be acted on at Fort Gibson September 16th. Parties may also correspond with Wm. A. Phillips, Business Agent and Counsel, Cherokee Nation, Washington, D. C.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 14, 1882.
A St. John paper has been established at Cambridge, Cowley County, under the name of The News. The first number of the News has been received and judging from the platform its editors enunciate, its peculiar mission is to make mankind holier, wiser, happier, and consequently followers of Jim Legate's crepitus [?], who needs only crucifixion to complete his membership, if we may believe the saints whom infinite mercy permits to leave their names strung up as editors of a large number of Kansas papers.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 14, 1882.
It will be remembered by the COMMERCIAL readers that a few weeks ago we gave an account of the burning of Bliss & Wood's flouring mill at Winfield, and stated at the time it was supposed to be the work of an incendiary. Well, it seems from a dispatch dated at Winfield last Saturday, that the culprit has been found in the person of W. H. Colgate, formerly bookkeeper at the mill. It seems that Colgate's books showed a deficiency, and he was discharged, so to seek revenge and cover his fraudulent transactions, he fired the mill, destroying the structure and all the books and papers. Colgate is the only son of Colgate, the fine soap manufacturer of New York, a millionaire and the founder of Colgate Academy of Utica, New York. He has a wife and two children, stood high in the social circles of Winfield, and from all we can learn had no outward bad habits. That is, he didn't mix in with the boys, swill budge, and openly defy St. John and all the prohibition saints. He couldn't do it because Winfield is a temperance town and the home of old man Millington, Bill Hackney, and other great prohibitory lights. It grieves us to say from all these facts that whiskey was not the cause of his ruin, because it lays a fearful load upon hereditary and weakens all our reserved arguments in favor of prohibition and its little Topeka Saint.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 14, 1882.
Arkansas City Traveler.
A number of sheep and cattle men are sowing rye for winter pasture. Last year John A. Scott sowed three acres and pastured it all winter, and in the fall harvested 82 bushels of rye, which he sold on the place at 75 cents per bushel, or for $11.50. Mr. Andrews, a sheep owner on Otter Creek, put in about fifteen acres last year for his lambs, and says it was the best investment for feed he has ever made. When horses are poor in the fall, rye will bring them in good flesh when they would remain poor all winter on dry feed. Every farmer should put in a few acresit saves grain and hay.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 14, 1882.
The old time prejudice of Western cattle men against sheep and cattle occupying the same range is receiving a severe blow in Texas from the practical sheep men. In discussing the subject, the Texas Wool Grower makes the following statement, which will be read with considerable interest by sheep men in this part of the country.
"Our position that sheep and cattle can be run together with the best results is strength- ened every day, proving that the animosity among cattlemen toward sheepmen is nothing more than blind prejudice, induced by pure selfishness. Sheepmen everywhere are putting a certain number of cattle with their flocks where they are run in pastures. These cattle, in proper proportion, are almost clear profit, paying for fencing. Mr. Wilson, a large stockman of Bee County, one of the pioneer sheepmen of that section, states that sheep can only be run in his part of the country by herding them closely with cattle. The grass is so rank, that at this time of the year the sheep cannot keep it off close enough to get the fresh succulent shoots so necessary to their maintenance, and they therefore become emaciated, sickly, and die. Observation has proven to Mr. Wilson that wherever sheep followed closely grazed cattle, they did well, while the opposite was the case when they had the range to themselves. So well established has this fact become that the sheepmen invited cattle to their range so as to prepare it for sheep. Cattle, at the same time, thrived better when allowed a short time after- wards to graze over the range of the sheep as soon as the grass has a start again. This, of course, is in a section where the sedge grows very rank; on the mountains, or in the strictly mesquite ranges, this is not necessary, although there a certain number of cattle and sheep do better together than apart. It is only for the observing, practical man to determine the proportions in which they should be held. We say cattle, but horses are sometimes more beneficial to the range than cattle, and are more predictable. Horses are a favorite stock with sheepmen in many sections, and are said to do well with sheep."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 14, 1882.
Last week three men were seen to ride along the state line and deliberately set fire to the prairie. Luckily the grass was too green to burn or the result would have been thousands of dollars damage to the farmers along the line who have been too busy haying, threshing, and their general fall work to make fire guards. We would like to inform such characters that there is a law imposing $500 fine for setting fire to the prairie in the territory, but it is doubtful if we can reach them. They can be reached, however, with a good shot gun, and while we cannot recommend it, no fears would be shed if it was resorted to. Desperate means require desperate measures. Arkansas City Traveler.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 14, 1882.
Deputy County Surveyor Orville Smith, one of the oldest settlers of Sumner County, dropped into the COMMERCIAL office last Saturday. Mr. Smith has been engaged in surveying lines in the Territory for cattlemen desiring to fence, and his knowledge of the strip, acquainted from a practiced experience in surveying it some years ago, gives him advantages which cattlemen are not slow to appreciate.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 14, 1882.
Big Stock Sale.
One of the largest cattle transactions which has occurred in this part of the county was consummated last week, being no more or less than the sale of the Wilson & Zimmerman herd and range to Ed. W. Hewins for the round sum of $200,000. The range is located between the Cimarron and Salt Fork, and east of the Fort Reno road, and contains 25 miles square of pasture fenced in with barbed wire, and is considered one of the best, if not the best, range on the strip. The herd numbers about 7,000 head of cattle. Messrs. Wilson & Zimmerman go away on foot, but they can afford to do so, because the purchase money which they carry with them represents the earnings of but a few years in the cattle business, but during that time they gave their undivided attention to the work in hand, and now they are able to retire from trials, troubles, worry, and isolation with a sufficient amount to take life in a more easy manner, but we have no idea they will remain out of the business any length of time. It has become their second nature and we shall not be surprised at any time to learn that they have put their clamp upon another bunch of stock in some portion of this great west.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 14, 1882.
Prohibition prohibits in Winfield, we know, because the Courier says it does. In further confirmation of this fact, it is our especial privilege to relate the adventures of a Caldwell man while on a visit to his former town last week. Upon the arrival of the Caldwellite in Winfield, he accidentally ran across an old acquaintance, who at once proceeded to introduce him to the old residenters. The first one they ran across was a popular merchant on main street, who upon being informed that the subject of our sketch was from Caldwell, grunted out "What, from Caldwell? Then you want something substantial," and at once proceeded to a shoe box from which he extracted a demijohn, the contents of which smelled and tasted like whiskey. Pursuing the rounds the next place he dropped into was a dry goods store, kept by a former acquaintance, who wanted to know where our friend was living, and upon being informed that Caldwell was his present place of abode, exclaimed, "H__l, you must be dry," and at once produced a bottle of "ualleytan" [?]. And so it went on, one place offering "strait racket," another "budweiser," another "export," another "St. John amendment," etc., until the Caldwellian was fain to say that he had met one Frank Jones on the train, from him had he learned to adorn the truth that he couldn't help but say he was from Caldwell; but the truth was, no such place had an existence upon the map. After such a confession as that, the jig was up, and from that time on until he was about ready to leave town, no one offered him a dram or hinted that there was such a thing as whiskey in the world unless it might be in the cellar of a deacon or an elder.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 14, 1882.
As we write this Tuesday evening, a hot wind is blowing from the southwest and a prairie fire is raging in the Territory a few miles south of town. Between the two a most welcome rain may result. If not, we can stand it, only that it will make wheat seeding later than it ought to be. Corn and all other crops are out of harms way, and in fact this years crop of that cereal is now seeking a market here at from 30 to 32 cents per bushel. The demand is only to supply local trade, consequently prices are not as stiff as it otherwise would be. Millet is plenty, but not as good a crop as last year. Still there is sufficient, we think, to meet all de- mands. If we can only have a good shower within the next ten days, the renewed pastures (if frost don't follow) will cause a still further falling off in the demand for hay, corn, and millet.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 14, 1882.
Hunnewell had another shooting scrape on Thursday night of last week, which resulted in the killing of Wm. Sterling by Tom Brashear. Both were employed in driving hacks between Caldwell and Hunnewell, and from all we can learn several rows had occurred between the two in reference to passengers. These rows culminated on Thursday evening in a passage at arms between the two parties in Segerman's restaurant in Hunnewell, in which Sterling was killed. Who was the aggressor, or how the whole thing came about we have been unable to learn, but this much we do know. Brashear gave himself up, had an examina- tion at Wellington, and was discharged. Of course, the dead man could not testify. Somehow or other dead men never can tell their side of the story, and it seems to be a common weakness of humanity to have more sympathy with the living dog than the dead lion.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 21, 1882.
STATE NEWS.
Wire fences, without barbs, are coming into fashion.
New corn sells for fifty cents per bushel at Caldwell.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 21, 1882.
The section sent from Wichita and published in the Globe-Democrat of the 18th, stating that the Northern Cheyennes had left the Territory and came North, is an unmitigated inexcusable lie. The Globe-Democrat should at once put a veto upon its Wichita correspon-dent. A man who would send such stuff as is contained in that special, should not be allowed to have any connection with a newspaper laying any claim to decency.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 21, 1882.
Locho.
From the Cherokee Advocate.
We learn from National Treasurer Hon. D. W. Lipe, who recently returned from a business trip to the Cherokee lands west of the Arkansas River, that stock men there and west of there, are at present considerably exercised by the appearance and spread of the plant known as Locho upon their range. As described by Treasurer Lipe, Locho resembles devils shoe string, but grows in smaller and single bunches. It has a purplish bloom and when bruised emits a peculiar unpleasant odor. Stock eat and hanker for it, but instead of fattening upon it, lose flesh, sicken, become crazed, stagger like drunken men, and frequently plunge from high cliffs and embankments, bruising and killing themselves by the fall. Nine times in ten the cow or horse that has eaten a full meal of Locho dies sooner or later from its effects. No sure antidote is known. In Colorado and New Mexico, where, in consequence, stock men organize, they wage war on the plant by digging up all the roots and burning it. On the Cherokee strip, where it has made its appearance, similar means will be at once employed to check its spread and eradicate it.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 21, 1882.
Judge Perry Brewer and Geo. O. Sanders, of the Cherokee Nation, arrived on Tuesday.
E. A. Thompson has bought the Smith & Lee N N cattle, brands, and range on Indian Creek. Terms private. We are glad to see Mr. Thompson interesting himself so largely in our section.
The committee of the creditors in the Danford affair went to Wellington on Tuesday afternoon expecting to make a settlement through Danford's attorneys. It is perhaps unnecessary to add, they came back disappointed. It occurs to us it is about time to stop throwing grass at J. S.
Who says the noble Cheyenne is not becoming civilized? We saw one of them enter a store the other day and buy a pair of pants, and singular as it may seem, he encased his dusky limbs in the legs without taking the trouble to cut out the rear portion of the garment. That Indian will be wearing a white shirt the next thing we know, with the front instead of the rear covering his copper colored breast.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 21, 1882.
NOTE: THERE WERE NUMEROUS STOCK ITEMS PRINTED IN THIS ISSUE TAKEN FROM MEDICINE LODGE PAPER AND FORT WORTH STOCK JOURNAL. I SKIPPED THESE! PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE TYPED THEM UP AS DIFFERENT BIG STOCK MEN WERE MENTIONED.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 21, 1882.
The prairie fire last week burned over a large portion of the range south and east of Deer Creek, but we have been unable to learn that it did any further damage than destroying the range.
Raymond intends to kill and cure his hogs at the ranch on Indian Creek, assured that he can make more money out of them that way than by driving up and shipping them.
A sheriff from one of the counties lying east of this, came in on the train at noon yesterday and left on the stage at one o'clock for the Territory. He didn't seem the least anxious to have anyone recognize him.
The barbed wire trade in this city has been immense. C. F. Hulbert, who has the agency for the Glidden barbed wire, has sold six car loads so far, with a fair prospect of turning out two or three more cars before winter sets in. Mr. Hulbert can make it an object for those desiring to fence to call upon him not only for wire, but anything else they may want in the hardware line.
A prairie fire started on Saturday afternoon between Fall and Bluff Creeks, about a mile east of the railroad. Before it could be extinguished, it burned up a stack of hay for Wm. Morris, and destroyed the grass and some hay on Mr. Patton's place. It is supposed the fire was caused by the wadding from the gun of some parties hunting quail in that neighborhood. At least a hunting dog was seen, and several shots were heard before the fire broke out.
Rev. Father Kelly, of Winfield, will hold services in this city next Sunday evening. We are also informed that the members of the Catholic Church residing in this city desire to erect a church building, even if it be but a small one. They say many first class families of their faith would settle in Caldwell, provided they could find church facilities here. If a building can be secured, Rev. Kelly will make Caldwell his headquarters. In view of these facts, it would be well for our people to give the Catholics such aid as they possibly can. Churches, of whatever denomination, are evidences of civilization, and it will be no set back to the town to have one or two more.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 21, 1882.
Notice to Bidders.
Sealed proposals will be received by the school board of school district No. 20, city of Caldwell, until twelve o'clock a.m., October 1, 1882, to furnish coal for the coming year for the brick school building.
Bidders will state price per ton, to be delivered in five ton lots, paid for in "district orders." All bids must be addressed to T. H. B. Ross, district clerk, and marked "bids for coal."
The board prefers Cannon City coal. The board also reserves the right to reject any and all bids offered.
By order of the board. T. H. B. ROSS, District Clerk.
Dated September 15th, 1882.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 28, 1882.
Sixty thousand miles of wire fencing were put up in 1881 at a cost of $40,000,000.
Hon. Wirt W. Walton, Secretary of the St. John Central Committee, has kindly offered to provide some speakers for Sumner, Sedgwick, and Cowley counties. The state might possibly exist without Wirt, but we confess it don't look at present as though it could.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 28, 1882.
On Tuesday of last week ninety-four Creek Indians, belonging to what is called the "Union" party of the Creek nation, came into the Cheyenne and Arapaho agency, and demanded protection of Agent Miles. They claimed that they had been pursued by a band of "rebel" Creeks and had it not been for the Indians at Shawneetown helping them along, the rebels would have overtaken and killed them. Up to the present writing we have not learned anything further regarding the affair, and take it to be only one of those quarrels which break out every now and then among the Creeks, usually ending in a number of them being killed on both sides.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 28, 1882.
Lieut. C. W. Taylor, 9th U. S. Cavalry, with a squad of ten men, arrived at Fort Smith on the 21st inst., with Capt. Dave Payne and his party consisting of the following persons: W. P. Miller, A. P., A. L., and E. Lewis, A. C. McCord, M. Hatfield, P. W. Odell, M. Rumman, H. A. Weatherby, W. H. Osburn, wife and child, and Miss Dicy Dixon. The entire party were served with summons to appear at the November term of the U. S. District Court at Fort Smith, and then released. Payne and his party were taken from Fort Reno, via Henrietta, Texas, and in that place Payne served out a writ of habeas corpus, which Lieut. Taylor resisted all attempts to serve. While it makes little or no difference what becomes of Payne, Lieut. Taylor ought to be made to understand that the military are subservient to the civil authorities, and any attempt on the part of a Lieutenant, or any other officer, to resist civil law, makes him just as liable to punishment as Payne can possibly be for his attempt to settle upon the Oklahoma lands. That young man Taylor needs a lesson on the firm of the United States government.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 28, 1882.
The Cherokee Advocate fails to state what disposition was made of the bids received for the lease of the Salt Plains on the Cherokee lands west of this place. From a private source we learn that several bids were made, some of them very advantageous to the Cherokee nation; but Col. Phillips had them all thrown out because he did not think the bidders responsible. The fact of the business is that the whole scheme of leasing the Salt Plains is a gringo game, by which a few men of the Bill Phillips' stripe expect to make a big thing. The Cherokee nation has too many cunning white men and half breeds among its population, men whom it ought to watch a heep closer than Oklahoma Payne.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 28, 1882.
A DUEL TO THE DEATH.
Twelve Cowboys Settle a Dispute Between Employers.
The following special is in the St. Louis Globe Democrat of last Friday. Subsequent dispatches state that Kelly had repeated the story to others besides the G. D. Correspondent, but all fail to state what became of Howard, his men, or his cattle. We rather think, time will develop the fact that Kelly has "put it upon" the newspaper men, or else he has murdered Howard and his outfit and run off Howard's cattle.
DENVER, CO., September 21. The particulars of a twelve-sided duel between cowboys have just reached here. George Howard, owner of a herd of 3,000 cattle, and John Kelly, owner of a herd of 4,000, were driving in company from Arizona, northeast of Trinidad, Colorado. On the plains the two herds were to separate; Howard to take the old Santa Fe trail to Kansas City, Kelly to drive north to Denver. On the route accidentally exchanges of cattle had been made and Howard insisted on having his stock out, but was unwilling to deliver Kelly's, and it was finally agreed to settle the matter by a battle between six picket men of each party. Accordingly the twelve men ranged themselves on horseback, the two sides fifty feet apart, and at a signal from the employers, the fight was to begin. At the first fire four men were instantly killed. George Lester, of Kelly's party, was shot through the breast. One of Howard's men fell with a ball through his head and two others of the same party were shot through the heart. Dismayed, the Howard party, with the exception of their employer, fled to their camp. Kelly then rode up to Howard and proposed that they should fight it out. Howard declined, saying that he understood the matter to be settled according to the terms of the battle, made beforehand. This settled the matter, an equitable change of the mixed cattle was then made, the dead were buried by the other men of both herds, and the drovers and those in charge separated for their different routes.
Kelly arrived here tonight en route East, and it was from his lips the story was had.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 28, 1882.
The St. Louis & San Francisco railroad is now completed to the Arkansas River, about sixty-five miles west of this place. Another hundred miles will at once be surveyed, and the contract for building will be let in about sixty days. Vinita Chieftain.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 28, 1882.
Bat. Carr, our city marshal, the other morning rounded up a lot of gamblers who had been in the habit of going around with pops stuck down in their clothes. They had to pay a fine and give assurance that hereafter they would obey the city ordinance against carrying con- cealed weapons.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 28, 1882.
The Danford Troubles Settled.
On the authority of the attorneys in the difficulty arising between J. S. Danford and his Caldwell creditors, it gives us pleasure to state that everything has been amicably settled, and that every creditor will shortly receive his proportion of the amount due him from the M. & D. Bank.
The basis of compromise, as we understand it, is that Danford agrees to pay 40 cents on the dollar, to withdraw any and all suits against the creditors, and to pay his own costs and expenses. The creditors on their part to release all attachments, turn over all property, books, and papers belonging to the M. & D. Bank, and to dismiss all suits with prejudice. A few other small matters remain to be arranged, which will be done within the next three or four days, after which the proper parties will be ready to disburse the pro rata amount to those holding claims against Mr. Danford growing out of the failure of the M. & D. Bank.
We are assured that, contrary to the belief which has prevailed in this community, Mr. Danford has been making every exertion to secure the means whereby to pay his creditors, or at least offer them something in satisfaction of the amounts they had lost by the failure of the bank, and it is only within the past few weeks that he has been able to make any arrange- ment whereby he could offer even 40 cents on the dollar. He has no money of his own and was powerless to raise any by reason of his property being tied up with attachments and in law suits growing out of his failure, and it is only through friends who have the utmost confidence in his integrity and business capacity, that he is now able to pay even the 40 cents and free himself from the burden which has hung upon him like a dead weight for nearly a year.
During the first few months following the failure of the M. & D. Bank, the COMMER- CIAL published many things against J. S. Danford, under the impression, from the develop- ments at that time, that his failure was a move merely made to swindle his creditors. However that may have been, now that he has made the best restitution in his power, we are glad that the cloud has been removed from his character in a measure, and trust that he may yet be able to satisfy all parties that no wrong was intended on his part, and that he may in time fully recover the ground he lost by reason of his misfortunes.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 28, 1882.
Lieut. Taylor of the 9th U. S. Cavalry with a squad of ten men arrived on the noon train yesterday from Fort Smith, to which place he had taken Payne and his party, and left on the stage for Fort Reno. Taylor, from what others report to us, feels "bigger than old Grant" because he stood off the civil authorities of Henrietta, Texas, when they came at him with a writ of habeas corpus for Payne. If the facts as reported in the daily papers and as stated by himself are true, Taylor ought to be court martialed at once and dishonorably dismissed from the service. For if subalterns like him can openly set at defiance laws enacted for the protection of the people against the military tyranny of such upstarts, what might not a commanding officer do, and with impunity, to subvert our liberties? Admitting that Payne is the great criminal in the country, he was entitled to the writ of habeas corpus to be examined under it, and if Taylor understood his duties as a soldier and a citizen of the U. S., it was his province to obey the writ without any grumbling or the ruffing up of his young military pin feathers. It is just such men as Taylor that creates in the mind of the average old Kansan a huge disgust for the regular army and the average freshly hatched West Point lieutenant.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 28, 1882.
The shipment of another carload of livestock from Caldwell would turn the heads of the Caldwell editors. These fellows exhibit jealousy of our Indian and cattle business. Can't someone get up an Indian scare for Caldwell? Dodge City Times.
Caldwell has no need of an Indian scare to secure business, and as for the shipment of cattle, we have sent out only 3,000 cars this season and expect to send out 1,000 more between this and the 15th of November. Besides, Caldwell has wheat, corn, millet, hay, and vegetables to ship. Thanks, Mr. Times, but we are not suffering for the want of Indian scares, cattle trade, or Dodge sympathy.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 28, 1882.
Gus Ivey, editor of the Indian Chieftain, was in town last Sunday and Monday, and gave the COMMERCIAL a call. Gus has it in him to make the Chieftain a first class paper, and from the way he starts in with the first number, we think that he will do it.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 28, 1882.
Robert Poisal Assassinated.
Last Thursday Mr. J. A. Covington, of this city, received a letter from Agent Miles giving an account of the assassination of Robert Poisal on the 18th inst. The agent states that Poisal and his niece, Mrs. Jennie Meagher, were returning in a wagon from the Shawnee mission, where they had been to place their children in the mission school. When about forty miles east of the agency, an Indian stepped from behind a tree, took aim at Poisal and fired, killing him instantly. Mrs. Meagher picked up the lines and drove to the nearest ranch, calling for help all the way. Arriving at the ranch, Poisal was found lying dead at her feet. Word was at once sent to the agency and Tom Donnell started out with his Indian scouts to hunt down the assassin.
Later it was ascertained that the murderer was a Creek Indian, named Johnson Foster, described as being 18 or 20 years old, sharp featured, and very dark complexioned. When last seen he had on a black slouch hat, common slicker coat, jeans pants, hat, and hickory shirt. A reward of $600 is offered for his capture, dead or alive, the money having been raised by the people of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency and placed in the hands of Agent Miles.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 28, 1882.
The Indians who came up from the Cheyenne and Arapaho agency last week, left several dogs better off than when they entered the town. They picked up Mrs. Malalley's pet terrier, Joe Weideman's black bull pup, the COMMERCIAL man's stag hound, a setter pup, and two or three pointer dogs, and a yellow cur or two to top off. The fact that the Noble Red had taken the animals was not discovered until the next day, so no effort was made to follow after and recover the canine plunder. The Indian likes a dog, but it is safe to wager that every dog that left Caldwell last Thursday with those Indian trains, has long ere this coursed its way, either in the form of a roast or ragout, through the alimentary canals of the gentle savages. Indian thinks a dog "heep good" to eat; and never misses an opportunity to take one, so look out for your pups when an Indian train is in town.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, September 28, 1882.
Who is this Lieut. Taylor of the 9th U. S. Cavalry, whom the people of the United States feed and clothe and furnish spending money, and yet is too great to obey the laws of these same people? Major Bennett, the commander at Reno, who detailed Taylor to take Payne to Fort Smith, should make a searching inquiry into Taylor's conduct at Henrietta, and if the facts are as stated, report him to headquarters to be dealt with according to the laws of the land.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 5, 1882.
Senator Bill Hackney sent in his resignation as a State Senator to the Governor, which the latter refused to accept, and finally induced William to withdraw.
The query arises what use has St. John for Hackney that he is so anxious Bill should remain in the State Senate?
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 5, 1882.
Col. W. A. Phillips is very much disgusted with the manner in which Payne is treated by the Interior Department, and demands that that sleepy old concern shall wake up and empty its vials of wrath upon Payne's band. Col. Phillips makes from $5,000 to $10,000 per year by weeping over the wrongs of the poor Indian, and he can afford to be indignant over Payne's operations and the lax measures of the Interior Department.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 5, 1882.
PAYNE'S SIDE OF THE STORY.
Stuck away off in an obscure corner of the Topeka Commonwealth of the 30 ult., we find the following letter from one of Payne's party. "If the statements made by Mr. Osburn are true, then Lieut. Taylor exhibited in the light of not only a mere military tyrant, but a brute, unworthy to wear the uniform of a servant of the American People.
"Osburn's story is rather disoriented, but it bears on the face of it a desire to give the cold hard facts. If he has filed in that particular, Lieut. Taylor owes it to the service, the people, and himself, to show wherein Osburn is wrong or has misrepresented. False military ethics may require him to keep silent, in order perhaps, to screen a superior officer; but Mr. Taylor should remember that he is an American citizen as well as an inferior officer in the military arm of the government of the people, and as such he owes to his fellow citizens an explanation of his conduct as one of their servants.
"But read Osburn's letter."
FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS, September 26, 1882.
Special Correspondence to the Commonwealth.
Capt. Payne requests me to write you a sketch of our Oklahoma business, which I will do by saying that on Aug. 3rd we left Hunnewell, Kansas, for our new homes, about twenty- five in number. We arrived in three days' drive, and commenced selecting our new homes, which we did until we were all satisfied, which was about August 12th, when we began building houses and digging wells, which we engaged in until August 26th, when the troops came and ordered us to load and move. This we did not agree to at all, but Lieut. Taylor, commanding the troops, tied us, hitched our teams, loaded our wagons, and then loaded us and carried us to Fort Reno, where we were held prisoners about twenty hours, without any- thing to eat, our teams faring as well. After holding us there without any accommodations, in rain and sun, for eight days, they sent a tent and stove, after thirty-six hours' rain and still raining, and after eleven days they sent a Jesse James gang and stole our property, consisting of teams, wagons, and outfits for traveling, and took them to I don't know where. Enough to say we were robbed of them and they are gone.
We were pitched into government wagons and started on our road to Fort Smith, Arkansas, via Henrietta, Texas, Texarkana, and Little Rock. On our second day, on account of the rough traveling, the two ladies and a child in the crowd got sick and asked for a rest, but none was granted, and when we reached Fort Sill the child was very sick, as was also Mrs. Osburn, the mother of the sick child; but no rest was to be had, although they had to ride each day in a wagon, drawn by six mules, loaded with freight and from eight to twelve persons. When we reached Henrietta, Texas, the eighth day, the physician, Dr. McGee, said the child was very sick and told the lieutenant that he endangered the life of the child by traveling, that he must let them rest a day or two. But no; so we tried to stop him by a writ of habeas corpus, but he defied the civil laws, and intimidated the sheriff with firearms. So we came on, meeting with very bad usage from Lieutenant Taylor, in charge, but Sergeant Mason and the soldiers were perfect gentlemen, to whom we shall always be thankful for kindness. We arrived here Sept. 20th, and were taken to the courthouse and guarded until the morning of the 21st, at which time the court served a summons on us to appear at the next term of court, to answer the charges brought against us, for invading the Indian Territory, they being too cowardly to give us a trial at the present term. No more at present.
I remain yours as ever, W. H. OSBURN, Secretary.
The following is another side of the story, as published in a special to the New York Herald. It appears to have been written by someone interested in making as favorable a showing as possible for Lieut. Taylor. Read between the lines, it simply means that Taylor was acting under instructions from others higher in authority, instructions given for the sole purpose of preventing a legal decision upon the question between Payne and the government.
"Captain Payne and party were being escorted by Lieutenant Taylor and six well armed soldiers of the eighth cavalry. Yesterday evening at Henrietta, on the Indian Territory border, Taylor narrowly escaped serious trouble. Payne pretended to fear passing overland eastward from Fort Reno, in the Territory, to Fort Smith, in Arkansas, saying the Indians would attempt to lynch him or do him bodily harm, and he demanded that Lieutenant Taylor escort him south to Texas and thence to Fort Smith by rail Of course, Lieutenant Taylor granted the request. On arriving at Henrietta, Texas, Payne caused to be procured a writ of habeas corpus in the Texas District Court. Lieutenant Taylor refused to surrender his prisoner to the civil authorities, whereupon a writ was issued, commanding his arrest and that of Payne and party also. Taylor took his soldiers and captives, barricaded the car, and held the fort, so to speak, refusing admission to any of the state officers, and when the Fort Worth and Denver railway train left on which he and his party were, they all accompanied it. Lieutenant Taylor justifies his course on the ground that Payne and his party were United States prisoners and he had an authority to surrender them."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 5, 1882.
That Taylor Case.
The Baxter Springs News is also indignant at the recent flagrant violation of the civil law by Lieut. Taylor, and relieves its mind in the following style.
The fact that Lieut. Taylor has forcibly and with arms, openly resisted a legal process, should subject him to a trial before the civil courts. His offense is a most flagrant one and he should at once be brought to a wholesome realization of the fact that the military arm of the government is subordinate to the civil law, and that all law, even to his much cherished "army regulations," emanates from a civil arm of the government. He should be brought to the scratch [?] with a round turn and duly impressed with the fact that he could not with impunity ignore law and all the forms of law. If every little whippersnapper of a lieutenant may, with impunity, ignore the processes of civil authorities, then it is time that the congress of the United States shut up shop and allow the military satrapy of the country to run the whole business. Dave Payne in his palmier days never even attempted to resist a process, either military or civil, and he is of far more account than a million such shoulder strapped popinjays as Lieut. Taylor. If the military authorities wish to discover the difference between civil and military power, let it turn this fresh young officer over to the tender mercies of the law and allow the law to make an example of him, for until then, he can only be properly classed with those who seek refuge from justice and immunity from punishment by a residence in the territory which has long been known as the harbor of all manner of cutthroats and outlaws.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 5, 1882.
Train Robbery on the Santa Fe.
From the Commonwealth.
GRANADA, KANSAS, September 30.
Tonight the west bound passenger train on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad, after leaving this place and after they had just got under full head way, was stopped by the danger signal. After the train stopped she was boarded by a large party of masked men, who made a bold break for ducats. There was enough of them for two or three men fully armed, to enter each coach, and some of them went for the express car, where the largest haul was made. It is reported that the express company's loss is something near $2,000, and it is not yet known how much was obtained from the passengers.
The train was not stopped over ten minutes when the men got off and told them to proceed. A posse from town is out scouring the country for the robbers, but so far they have made good their escape. The affair was conducted very quietly. Though plenty of revolvers were shown, not a shot was fired. It is thought that the robbers will be captured, as they have no more than an hour's start of the pursuers.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 5, 1882.
A dispatch from San Antonio says the report is current of the failure of J. F. Eillson, one of the largest cattle dealers of the state. Liabilities are put at $100,000. The principal amounts are due to other large stock dealers who had endorsed his paper. The cause of the failure is attributed to heavy losses of cattle in 1880, and also the present year, reaching 15,000. Eillson expects to receive assistance from friends that will restore him to his former footing. Eillson's drive to Kansas last spring was 20,000 head of cattle, worth $500,000.
Dodge City Times.
[NOTE: THERE WERE SOME MORE CATTLE STORIES THAT I SKIPPED.]
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 5, 1882.
Some of the gamblers in Caldwell are terribly worried because Bat. Carr thinks the low down thieving games, such as "nine dice," "three card monte," etc., ought not to be allowed. The final result was that Bat. had some of them interview Judge Kelly on Tuesday morning, and the city treasury is richer by several dollars. We admire Bat's pluck, and hope he will keep up the fight until he runs every thieving gambler out of the town. Gambling, in its mildest and most correct form, is an injury at the best; but where it descends into down right robbery, with no show whatever for the victim, it ought to be suppressed.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 5, 1882.
Mr. Fred, trader at the Kiowa and Comanche Agency, passed through town on Saturday, on his way to St. Louis, where he will take in the Veiled Prophets and lay in a stock of goods for his store.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 5, 1882.
ACCIDENT ON THE S. F. R. R.
The Cannon Ball train going west on Monday evening, ran into the eastern bound passen- ger train at Salem, a switch nine miles west of Hutchinson. The east bound train had been switched to let the Cannon Ball pass, but the switch had been left open, and the latter train, running at a speed of forty miles an hour, ran into the other.
Ed. Westlake, engineer, Patrick Hays, fireman, and Harry Holliday, baggagemaster, of the Cannon Ball, S. B. Fisher, engineer, and Wm. Kingbaum, fireman of the east bound passenger, and M. J. Shaffer, a bridge builder in the employ of the company, were killed. Ed. Campbell, a brakeman on the east bound train, was responsible for the accident, as he carelessly left the switch open.
The Santa Fe has been peculiarly free from such accidents, and no blame can be attached to the management for this one. No railroad in the United States takes greater precautions to prevent accidents of every kind on the line, and when one does occur, through any cause whatever, it startles the entire state.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 5, 1882.
W. E. Campbell received the Davis Ranch on Big Sandy, and the cattle thereon, last week, and bought the James H. Thomas ranch and stock on Medicine Lodge, which he will take possession of on the 14th inst. The above purchases enlarge Mr. Campbell's feeding grounds, giving him a range second to no other in the southwest.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 5, 1882.
Bill Burke, late city marshal of Hunnewell, is under arrest at Winfield, charged with some crooked transaction, the purport of which we have not been able to ascertain.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 12, 1882.
Capt. Samuel W. Greer, one of the early Free State men of Kansas, and an old settler of Cowley County, died at Winfield on the 20th ult., at the age of 57. Capt. Greer was a native of Allegany Co., Pa. In October 1856 he settled in Leavenworth. In 1858 he was elected Territorial Superintendent of Public Instruction, at the first victory of the Free State men won at the polls in Kansas. In 1872 he raised Co. I of the 15th Kans. Cavalry, was mustered in as Captain, serving in that capacity until the close of the war. It was our good fortune to have a personal acquaintance with Capt. Greer in the early days, when such as he were struggling to make Kansas a free state, and knew him to be a man in every way worthy of the respect and confidence of his fellow man. A true man, he has gone to his rest after a life of usefulness to his fellow men.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 12, 1882.
Editorial by W. B. Hutchison, Publisher.
PAYNE'S PROJECTS.
Col. E. C. Boudinot Gives an Explanation of the Oklahoma Plans
As Appearing from an Indian Standpoint.
Chicago Inter Ocean.
"What about Oklahoma Payne?"
"Capt. Payne is a man of more sense than the press generally gives him credit for; he is generally regarded as a reckless dare-devil who persists in intruding on an Indian reserva- tion; this is a mistake, he is a typical frontiersman, about forty years of age, and as fine a specimen of physical manhood as there is in the country. He has examined the status of the land he has been trying to settle, and has satisfied himself that though they are within that tract of country called the `Indian Territory,' they are the absolute property of the United States, and compose no part of the Indian reservation In the view of the matter I concur; there is no doubt in my mind but he is right."
"Don't all the lands in the Indian territory belong to Indians?"
"They do not; a large portion of the lands in the territory are occupied by Indian tribes, whose reservations are distinctly defined by treaty. Previous to treaties of 1866 all the lands in the territory belonged to the five civilized tribes I have before named, but in these treaties the Creeks, Seminoles, Choctaws, and Chickasaws sold about ten or twelve million acres to the United States for a stated consideration. The Creeks sold to the United States (the lan- guage of the treaty is `cede and convey') 3,250,500 acres for the sum of $975,168.
"The Seminoles were foolish enough to cede and convey to the United States their entire reservation, consisting of 2,169,080 acres, for the paltry sum of $325,362. They literally sold themselves out of house and home. The Choctaws and Chickasaws sold what was called the `leased lands,' lying west of 98 degrees west longitude, for $300,000. This tract contains about seven million acres.
"There is a piece of sharp practice connected with the purchase of these lands from the Creeks and Seminoles, which this government ought to be ashamed of. The United States paid the Creeks 30 cents per acre for their lands, and paid the Seminoles but 15 cents an acre. Having closed the trade with the Seminoles, this great government said to them:`Now you have got no house; we will sell you 20,000 acres which we have just bought from the Creeks, at 50 cents per acre;' and this Yankee bargain was actually closed. Lands which the United States bought of the Creeks in July, 1866, for 30 cents per acre; and even after driving this sharp bargain, they put the Seminoles on the lands of the Creeks, which the government hadn't bought at all.
"Since the purchase by the United States of these lands in the Territory, about 3,000,000 acres of them have been assigned as reservations for wild Indians. It was the original inten- tion of the government to use all these purchased lands for the purpose of settling other Indians and freedmen upon them, but members of Congress from the border states vigor- ously opposed this policy, and in 1877 an act of congress was passed prohibiting the depart- ment from settling any more Indians in the Indian Territory. But for this act of congress, the Indians of New Mexico and Arizona would have been removed to the Indian Territory and settled on these ceded lands. The lands which were bought and paid for by the United States in this Territory, and which are unoccupied by any tribe, and which under the law cannot be used for any Indian reservation, compose a scope of country larger than the state of Connect- icut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, and it is these lands alone Capt. Payne is trying to form a settlement upon.
"The charge that he has intruded on Indian lands is utterly without foundation.
"The supposition that Capt. Payne is the agent of Jay Gould or in the employ of the St. Louis and San Francisco railroad is absurd. The Tribune, of this city, is all at sea concerning the matter. Speaking of the `Frisco' road, the Tribune said a few days ago:
`Its present terminus is at Tulsa, on the Arkansas river, in the Indian Territory. Here the reservations of the various Indian tribes commence and thus far it has been unable to obtain the right to extend its line through these reservations further west. The matter of granting the right of way through these reservations, as well as through the western portion of the Terri- tory, against which Capt. Payne directs his attacks, and which he wants to be set apart as a separate territory, to be known as `Oklahoma,' has been repeatedly before congress, but has always been defeated for some reason or other.'
"It would be difficult to group as many misstatements again in so short a space as are contained in this extract from the Tribune article. Instead of the Indian reservations com-mencing at Tulsa, the present western terminus of the `Frisco' road, those reservations almost end there. To reach Tulsa the road had to be built through 100 miles of Indian reser- vations, and sixty miles more will carry the road through all the Indian reservations on its route. The right of way has long ago been granted to the Atlantic & Pacific, which is the same road, so far as the building through the territory is concerned, as the St. Louis and San Francisco.
"Capt. Payne has only anticipated the inevitable settlement of these ceded lands by a few years. The St. Louis and San Francisco road will run about 300 miles through the lands I have mentioned as being ceded and conveyed to the United States, and which have not, and cannot, without violating an act of congress, be used for the settlement of any Indians. Under the terms of the charter granted the Atlantic and Pacific road in 1866, a grant of twenty alter- nate sections of land on each side of the road in the Indian Territory was made, to take effect on the construction of the road, when the Indian title was extinguished. Now the Indian title has been extinguished to those lands, and when the road is built into them, which will be in the course of a year from this time, the road will be entitled to a patent from the United States to the alternate sections of land, which have already been surveyed. When those patents are issued, how are you going to keep the land from being settled? So far from Payne being an agent for the railroad, he is acting rather in antagonism to it, for the railroad company, it seems to me, would not relish the premature settlement of lands so soon to belong to them."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 12, 1882.
Train Robbers Again at Work.
Another train robbery is announced this morning. The passenger train on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe road being boarded by a gang of armed and masked men, Saturday night, at Granada, Colorado, while on a side track awaiting for the eastern bound train to pass. The express car was robbed of $5,500, when the highwaymen fled. Two men mounted the engine and with drawn revolvers, compelled the engineer to run the train a mile and a half out of town, when fifteen confederates joined them and the train taken possession of. The only shot fired was by Dees, who went forward to learn the cause of the train stopping. He ran back into the smoking car, where sheriffs from Raton and Las Vegas were seated. They drew their revolvers and saved the passengers from losing their valuables. A safe in the rear of the car, containing $10,000, was unmolested. Commonwealth.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 12, 1882.
Will Carter, of the K. C. Cattle Company, is up from Eagle Chief, thin as a razor and looking as if the chills had been shaking him up a little. The range has afforded more malaria this season than usual.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 12, 1882.
AFTER THE TALBOTT GANG.
A Hunt of Two Weeks and No Capture.
About the 14th or 15th of last month, information was received from below that the Talbott gang, or part of them, was located in the southwest part of the Indian Territory and had with them a lot of stolen horses and cattle. The information came from a reliable source, and acting upon it, Sheriff Thralls organized a party to hunt up and if possible capture the gang.
The sheriff and his men left on the 19th of September, returned last Thursday the 5th, inst., having been gone seventeen days. From Henry Brown, Assistant Marshal of this city, who accompanied the expedition, we learn that the party went from here to the Cheyenne and Arapaho country, and after consulting with Agent Miles, a detachment of troops was secured to accompany Sheriff Thrall's party; and if need be, assist in the capture of the outlaws.
It was also learned at the agency that Dug. Hill and Bob Munsing [? NOT SURE OF LAST NAME] were among the outlaws, the former going under the name of Bob Johnson, and the latter by the name of Slocum; also that Dug Hill had been connected with and was observed in the company of a man named Kooch [? AGAIN, NOT SURE OF THIS NAME], holding cattle on Quartermaster [?] Creek, ever since the 27th of last July.
Thrall's party traveled about one hundred miles southwest of Cantonment, to Seger's cattle camp, where they halted and Seger went over to Kooch's camp, about twenty miles distant, to ascertain the exact whereabouts of Hill and Munsing. [REST OF PARAGRAPH TOO FAINT TO READ WELL...COULD READ THE LAST PART.]
However, the sheriff's party proceeded to Kooch's [?] camp, and on arriving there, found that "Bob Johnson" was gone and that "Mr. Slocum" had cut his foot and gone to Canton- ment to get some medicine for it.
The Thrall's party then followed Quartermaster [?] Creek to where it empties in the Washita and not obtaining any trace of the fugitives, came on home.
Mr. Brown also informs us that in addition to the camp of Seger and Kooch, the Standard Cattle Co., Ben Clark, Henry Street, and others are holding cattle in that section of the Territory. The country is supposed to be a part of the Kiowa and Comanche reservation, but whether that is the fact we are unable to say.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 12, 1882.
Still a Hitch in the Danford Affair.
Mr. Hangbey [?] was in town on Tuesday having come through from Osage City, on business connected with the settlement of the Danford affair. In conversation with him, we learned that the only hitch to a complete settlement of the deficiency between Mr. Danford and his Caldwell creditors, was W. D. C. Smith's suit against the Caldwell people for damages claimed by reason of his detention here. Danford and Smith's attorney had agreed that Smith's suit would be withdrawn with prejudice; but upon writing to Smith, who is now at Fort Worth, Texas, the latter wired back to know how much Danford would pay to have him retire. Since that time the fellow has refused his consent to a withdrawal of the suit unless paid for so doing by Danford or some other party.
The impression seems to be that Smith's management as cashier of the D. & M. Bank did much to injure the credit of the bank and place Danford in the position he now occupies. At all events, it is asserted, upon good authority, that on the memorable day of last December when he closed the doors of the bank, he took with him $300 in money belonging to the depositors. This money he appropriated for his own use, in direct violation of laws, and therefore, is liable to a criminal prosecution.
Mr. Haughey [?] asserts that the compromise made between Danford and his creditors, has been made in good faith on Danford's part, and that if Mr. Smith puts any further hindrances in the way of its early and complete consummation, Mr. Smith must run the risk of a prompt and vigorous prosecution for the attempt he has made to swindle both sides.
However that may be, from all we can learn, gathered from both sides, although the final settlement has been delayed a week longer than at first announced, all will be fixed in a few days. Smith will not be allowed to stand in the way; and we hope to announce next week that the money to settle all claims, on the basis agreed upon, is in the hands of the proper parties and ready for disbursement.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 12, 1882.
J. A. Covington and family arrived the first of the week from the Cheyenne Agency and will at once set up housekeeping in their new residence in the south part of town. Mr. Covington has spent the greater portion of his life among the Indians, but now he is moving here to reside, and with his family, will be quite a valuable addition to Caldwell, both from a business and social standpoint.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 19, 1882.
Stockmen's Meeting.
A special meeting of the stockmen of the Cherokee Strip will be held in Caldwell on Tuesday, Oct. 24th, at 10 a.m. BEN S. MILLER, Chairman, Stockmen's Association
Caldwell, Kansas, October 18, 1882.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 19, 1882.
Personal.
C. R. Miller, Geo. E. Harris and W. W. Dill of Wichita made the Border Queen a flying visit last Saturday.
Jas. Thompson, post saddler at Fort Reno, is up visiting his old Caldwell friends.
Shepherd, stock agent for Frisco Line, expects to spend his time next summer on the line of the road about 150 miles west of the Arkansas river. He appears to think the road will be completed to a point south of Caldwell next June.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 19, 1882.
Even Lo is not free from domestic difficulties. However much he may lord it over his poor squaw, it often happens that she refuses to submit to abuse or even neglect. Our hired man had the satisfaction of witnessing an instance of that kind on Tuesday afternoon, while coming up from Fall Creek. Halfway up the hill he met a buck on horseback who hailed him with "How John Swap?" "Swap what" the man asked. "Moccasin," Lo replied. Our hired man shook his head and passed on. He had gone but a few steps when Lo turned his horse and came after him. A short distance on, before the road bends down from Main street, a squaw was seen stooping over as if in the act of tying up something. Lo reached her first and addressed her with a few guttural grunts, to which she apparently paid no attention. As our man neared the party, he discovered that Mrs. Lo was in tears, and appeared otherwise greatly distressed. Suddenly she started up and grabbed hold of the saddle upon which her lord and master was seated, and attempted to pull him off. Failing in this she seized the lariat rope and began thrashing her hubby and his horse with an energy betokening deep and dire passion. Mr. Lo chuckled a little and endeavored to get away, but his faithful spouse hung on him.
The reporter watched the scene for ten or fifteen minutes, and when he left the squaw was tugging at the rope and occasionally giving her Indian lord and his horse a lick with it. How the ruction ended, he could not say, but is satisfied that Mr. Lo had to come to terms with his incensed spouse.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 19, 1882.
It seems to have required a dozen or more Cherokees and sub-Cherokees to collect the cattle tax this season. How they succeeded, we have failed to learn, but some envious people do say that red and white Cherokees alike made a good thing out of locating cattle ranges. We shall investigate the number and give the readers of the COMMERCIAL, and perhaps some of the Cherokees left out in the cold, the benefit thereof.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 19, 1882.
Henry Brown is acting as City Marshal during the absence of Bat. Carr, with Ben Wheeler as assistant. Henry is all business, yet withal quiet and unobtrusive, and will do his full duty in preserving the peace of the city Of this fact he has given ample evidence in his former position as assistant City Marshal.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 19, 1882.
Murder in the Territory.
From a special to the Traveler, we learn that the body of a man was found in Logan Creek, one and a half miles from Fletch's Ranch, 22 miles southeast of the Pawnee Agency, on Monday, September 25th, by two of Mr. Fletch's men, while fishing. Mr. Fletch promptly reported the matter to Capt. Pickering, sub-agent at Pawnee, and J. W. McCoy, physician, who proceeded to the ranch as soon as possible, and in company with Mr. Fletch and J. C. Handley, removed, examined, and buried the body in as decent a manner as circumstances would permit.
The man had been in the water at least six weeks, was white, probably of dark complex- ion, and was about six feet in height. The head was almost entirely gone, so his age could not be accurately obtained, but was doubtless between eighteen and forty years. On removal a ball was found to have passed entirely through the head, and another through the body, a little to the right of the spine, passing through the right shoulder blade. Either wound was sufficient to cause death.
The corpse had on a dark jeans coat, no vest, calico shirt with small blue stripes, a pair of brown new duck overalls, under which was a pair of new black pants and underneath these a pair of cotton drawers. Pants and overalls were worn in boots. Boots were of common leather, about Nos. 7's. A small piece of tobacco was found in the left overall pocket and a silver ten cent piece in a fob pocket of the overalls, a ten cent piece was carefully wrapped up in a small piece of new gingham, blue and white stripe. A small piece of unknown root was found in the right pants pocket.
No paper or any other clue was found which would lead to identification of the corpse. Arkansas City Traveler.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 19, 1882.
The first copy of the Cheyenne Transporter our eyes have beheld for two months arrived yesterday, and is dated the 13th inst. We see by it that Agent Miles has placed Bob Bent in charge of the abandoned post at Cantonment and that the teams and wagons taken from Payne's party have been sent north to be delivered to the owners. It strikes us that the last operation is a queer one to say the least. The Transporter also announces the death at Fort Sill, of Mrs. Capt. Leggett, of diphtheria. Her death has occasioned the deepest sorrow among an extensive acquaintance of admiring friends.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 19, 1882.
Hewins, Montgomery, and Broderick, a hefty tandem team in the cattle business, were in town yesterday cooking up a cattle trade. All of them are anti-St. John men, and Ed. Hewins says Chautauqua County will give a majority against his saintly excellency.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 19, 1882.
Return the Guns.
All persons having in their possession guns belonging to the city are hereby notified to return the same, at once, to the Police Judge's office. BAT CARR, City Marshal.
Caldwell, October 10, 1882.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 26, 1882.
THE STOCKMEN IN COUNCIL.
Special Meeting of the Cherokee Strip Stockmen's Association.
In accordance with the call issued by the President, the Cherokee Strip Stockmen's Association met in Caldwell at 10 a.m., on Tuesday, the 24th, inst.
President Ben S. Miller called the association to order. The regular secretary being absent, W. B. Hutchison was appointed to act as secretary pro tem.
Ed. M. Hewins stated the meeting was called for the purpose of taking such action as would prevent the stealing of stock from members of the association, and where stock was stolen to bring the thieves to prompt punishment. Mr. Hewins closed his remarks by offering the following resolution.
Resolved, That A. M. Colson, chairman of the Inspection Committee, be and is hereby empowered to offer a reward of $1,000 for the arrest and conviction of any person or persons stealing stock from members of this association.
The resolution was adopted by a unanimous vote.
Mr. Hewins also moved that the Inspection Committee be empowered to employ detec- tives, whenever it may deem necessary to aid in the detection and capture of parties engaged in stealing stock from members of this association. Carried.
On motion the following was adopted.
Resolved, That any member or members of this association who fails or refuses to pay his or their proportion of an assessment made by the duly authorized Inspection Committee of this association, of which A. M. Colson is chairman, be debarred from all the rights and privileges of this association.
Col. J. H. Windsor and Major J. Gore were elected members of the Cherokee Strip Asso- ciation upon paying the requisite admission fee.
On motion of Mr. Colson, the proceedings of the meeting were ordered to be published in the Caldwell and Anthony papers, and in the Kansas City Indicator and Price Current.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned.
BEN S. MILLER, President
W. B. HUTCHISON, Secretary, pro tem.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 26, 1882.
The heaviest Texas cattle transaction this season, as regards price per head, came off last week. Peyton Montgomery sold to Ed. Hewins 1,000 head of wintered Texas beeves at an averaged price per head of $34.28. The cattle are to be delivered at Hunnewell, and will be shipped east by Mr. Hewins. They were not weighed in, making the sale, but it is estimated they will average something over twelve hundred pounds per head. Mr. Montgomery then bought 1,400 head of native Texans from Mr. Hewins, paying therefore in the neighborhood of $42,000. These cattle were purchased to fill a contract. During this season Mr. Mont- gomery has sold 6,200 beeves, which have brought him an average of $46 per head. This is the best average, considering the number sold, that has come to our knowledge this year. Montgomery, of course, feels good over his summer's work, but he bears his good fortune with commendable equanimity. It may be said, without hurting the feelings of anyone, that no two men on the range have warmer friends or command greater respect for their business qualifications and their up and up dealings than Peyton Montgomery and Ed. Hewins. We have known them for years, and in all that time have never heard a word uttered against them as gentlemen in every respect.
[PERSONALS.]
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 26, 1882.
Mrs. Baldwin, of Wichita, is here on a visit to her daughter, Mrs. N. F. Blackburn. She says the earthquake was felt at Wichita on Sunday afternoon.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 26, 1882.
Mr. and Mrs. W. N. Hubbell were in town last Monday. They report Geuda Springs flourishing, and destined in the near future to be one of the most popular health resorts in the West.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 26, 1882.
Will Quinlin came up from his cattle ranch Monday, and remained in the city until Tuesday afternoon, when he took the passenger train for Kansas City.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 26, 1882.
Col. J. M. Windsor and Major J. Gore of the Pennsylvania Oil Cattle Company, were in attendance at the meeting of the Cherokee Strip Stock Association on Tuesday. The company have their ranch south of Arkansas City, and sufficient pasture room for 10,000 head of cattle. The company's brand will be P on left shoulder, O on the side, and Co on left hip. Senator Roberts, of Pennsylvania, is a member of the P. O. Company, and takes a great interest in it. It is perhaps unnecessary to add that the company, with commendable fore- thought, made arrangements to have a copy of the COMMERCIAL every week.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 26, 1882.
Lafe Merritt, local of the Cheyenne Transporter, made a flying visit to Caldwell on Tuesday.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 26, 1882.
We had an earthquake between four and five o'clock last Sunday afternoon. The undulations seemed to move from the northeast to the southwest, and did not extend over a mile on either side of the center of the town, as far as we have been able to learn. It had so good an effect upon the community that the Presbyterian Church was crowded that evening to listen to Rev. Mr. Owens of the M. E. Church, who delivered the closing sermon of the Union meetings. While everyone present seemed to be greatly interested in the sermon and the other religious exercises, we have failed to hear of any repenting of their sins and turning their footsteps from the path that leads down to perdition. We believe, however, that another shake would fetch them to time.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 26, 1882.
S. S. Ellis, Esq., city marshal of Leavenworth, ran into Caldwell yesterday to take a view of the village and interview his big brother-in-law of the COMMERCIAL. His visit is highly appreciated by we'uns, reminding us of former times, when all of Kansas south of the raging Kaw was a howling wilderness, sacred to the noble red, the coyote, and the buffalo.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 26, 1882.
CRIME.
James and Edward Bean, the two desperadoes who killed the city marshal of Caldwell, Kansas, on the 22nd of last June, and attempted to murder Deputy Sheriff Segus, of Van Zandt County, Texas, some time ago, and who belonged to the gang that planned the robbery of the Texas and Pacific railroad train near Dallas about a month ago, but which was frus- trated by a heavy storm, were overtaken by a posse under Constable Harvey, near Sunset, on Wednesday last, and the former was instantly killed. The latter is mortally wounded.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, November 2, 1882.
Henry Brown, acting city marshal, received a letter on Tuesday from Ben Franklin, Will Quinlin's foreman, notifying him that he had the horse and saddle stolen from Jim Tibbets on Sunday night, October 22. The horse was taken while Jim was in church. No particulars were given by Mr. Franklin as to how the horse came into his possession.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, November 9, 1882.
We see by the last Cherokee Advocate that Mrs. Elizabeth Alabama Bushyhead, wife of Chief Bushyhead, died at Fort Gibson on Monday of last week. The Advocate pays a touch-ing tribute to her memory as a wife, a mother, and a true woman in every relation of life. Mrs. Bushyhead was a sister of Capt. John Scrimsher, well known among the citizens of Caldwell and the cattlemen on the Strip.
[NOTE: NOT AT ALL SURE OF "ALABALNA"...VERY HARD TO READ!]
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, November 9, 1882.
A dispatch from Wellington on Monday last, states that James Bean, the Texas desper- ado, who was brought in some two weeks since and lodged in jail, for having killed City Marshal Brown at Caldwell last summer, died Sunday at 2 o'clock from the wounds received in his engagement with the Texas authorities, who captured him at Decatur. He had twelve shots in his body and two Winchester rifle balls. The post mortem today showed that his death was directly due to a No. 2 shot, which had struck him in the forehead and entering, had passed entirely through his brain and lodged in the base of the skull. Though the shot had entered his brain and others through his body, he lived for thirty days and talked of recovery up to within twenty-four hours of his death, at which time he became unconscious. He had been a desperate man, having been engaged in deeds of atrocity since he was twenty years old, and carried besides the wounds received at his capture, eight or ten other balls and many scars.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, November 9, 1882.
Bat. Carr, our city marshal, returned last Thursday from his visit to Texas. The Commer-cial Clipper, of Colorado, Texas, makes mention of his visit in the following style.
Capt. Battie Carr, only marshal of Caldwell, Kansas, is in our city shaking hands with his numerous friends and looking after his interests here. He has located at Caldwell, and has this week put his property here on the market. He has six neat residences north of and near the public square, which he offers cheap for cash. Battie was one of the early settlers of Colo- rado City, and showed faith in the future by investing in town lots and improving them as soon as lots were exposed to sale, showing a spirit of enterprise that enthused others to invest, and so the city started and has been rapidly improving all the time until we now have a lovely city of 3,500 souls and still the rush goes on. Carr is a man of cool nerve, and any- thing he undertakes he goes at it with a determination to win. He can now dispose of his property at an advance of 100 percent on first cost, and will reinvest in the thriving young town of Caldwell. From the handsome gold badge that he supports on his breast, we see that his worth as a brave and efficient officer is appreciated by the city of his adoption, it having been presented to him by the good citizens.
Bat brought back with him a splendid gold-headed cane, which he presented to Mayor Colson.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, November 16, 1882.
SHERIFF'S SALE WAS ADVERTISED BY:
J. M. THRALLS, SHERIFF, SUMNER COUNTY, KANSAS.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, November 16, 1882.
Last Sunday evening, Sheriff Thralls and his deputy, Elsie Thralls, quietly slipped into Hunnewell in search of what they could pick up in the way of "wanted" people lying around loose.
Natural instinct led them into Dodd's saloon, where the usual Sunday evening bacchana- lian services were in progress. Entering, the sheriff espied a man wanted, and wanted bad. It was none other than August Shafecater, alias Ben Butler, but more commonly known as "Arkansaw."
August was wanted for some devilment done in Hays County, Texas, and Sheriff Thralls had received instructions to take him in the best way he could. The sheriff approached Ben, while Elsie stationed himself so as to command the situation. When the sheriff made known his business, Ben endeavored to get away, at the same time calling for assistance from those whom he supposed would aid in preventing his capture. But the attitude of Elsie and the vigorous movements of Joe, kept off all outside interference, and "Arkansaw" was soon safely corralled in one of the rooms at the hotel. Some of his friends made threats to release him by force, but for prudential reasons let the job alone, and on Monday morning Sheriff Thralls placed his bird in the county cage, from whence he will be taken to answer his crime in Texas.
Joe Thralls is patient, slow to anger, and with a great big heart in him, but when he gets after one of those "holy terrors," he generally gathers him into the fold and counsels him to accept the hospitality of the state.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, November 16, 1882.
Ed Guerier of Cheyenne Agency, Indian Territory, came in Sunday afternoon. He left the following day for Winfield to attend court.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, November 23, 1882.
Those Cherokee wolves who laid around Caldwell last summer and sold passage rights, putting the proceeds into their pockets, should be made to disgorge. To use plain English language, they simply robbed the widows and orphans of their own nation. We haven't the least doubt but the same parties howl like wolves about the encroachment of railroads and white men. Still, they have no hesitancy about encroaching upon the rights of their own people and pocketing money which should be distributed among the poorer members of the tribe.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, November 23, 1882.
Major Miles and family returned from their eastern visit on the noon train Monday, and took the afternoon stage for Fort Reno. He reports having had a most enjoyable time while east.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, November 23, 1882.
Fencing on the Strip: Chief Bushyhead's Message.
We see by the Cherokee Advocate, that Chief Bushyhead has called attention in his message to the fencing of ranges in the Territory. He makes no objection to fencing, but in plain and pointed language enters a protest against a few individual Cherokees parceling out the Strip to their personal advantage. In this, the COMMERCIAL heartily concurs with the chief. The Strip is the common property of the Cherokee Nation, and while there ought not to be any objection to the Nation making such use of the land as will inure to the benefit of the Cherokee people as a body, nothing like monopoly upon the part of the shrewder mem- bers of the Nation should be tolerated. This thing of John Jones, Dick Dunbar, Big Hand, and Little Finger coming to the Strip, laying out patches of ten to twenty-five miles square, and then selling the right to occupy them, putting the money in their own pockets, is an outrage upon the poorer members of the Nation. If a railroad company should attempt anything half as vicious, not only the Cherokee Nation but the Interior Department at Washington would be in arms against it.
The proper way for the Cherokee council to do, is to pass a law giving the stockmen the privilege of fencing in a reasonably sized range for a consideration that will be equitable to both parties, the money to be placed in the treasury for the benefit of the whole Nation. The council should also provide that the ranges shall be of uniform size, taking into consideration a fair supply of water, etc., but no man or organization should be allowed such a range as would give him or them advantages over individuals of smaller means. Treat all alike, and if one takes a range for 10,000 head of stock, make him pay for that number. If he takes a range for 5,000 head, make him pay for that number, and so on.
And to the extent of range to be allowed, we have no suggestions to make. We can only say that the best policy would seem to be, both for the interest of the Cherokees and the cattlemen, to make the ranges as small as possible without destroying the profits of the business.
Another thing, the council should unite upon a system of fencing that would leave a free roadway from all ranges to shipping points on the Kansas line. Without some such arrange- ment, trouble will arise among the cattlemen, and their last state will be worse than their first.
As to the stockmen, we have no advice to give them. They probably know their own business better than any newspaper scribbler can tell them, but at the same time we can't refrain from suggesting to them the propriety of having, through representatives chosen from among their own number, a free, full, and frank conference with the Cherokee council while it is in session, and among other things make arrangements for holding grounds adjacent to the shipping points on the Kansas line.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, November 23, 1882.
Mrs. Walton, of Oxford, is here on a visit to her son, Tell W. Walton, editor of the Post.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, November 23, 1882.
The stockmen on the Strip should make some kind of an arrangement with the Cherokees whereby a fair sized strip of country can be held open for the exclusive use of cattle shippers. In order to do this they should at once set down upon those fellows who are selling ranges for their own advantage. Our advice would be, give not a dime to any man, full blood, half white, or brevet Cherokee, for the privilege of occupying a range. Pay honestly and faithfully every dollar due the Cherokee nation for the privilege of holding stock on the strip, but not one cent for a shark to put in his pocket. In other words:
"Millions for de fence,
Not one cent for tribute."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, November 30, 1882.
Hon. J. S. Danford's Condition.
Mr. J. S. Danford is very seriously ill and it is impossible to tell when he will be better. His present condition is the result of a concentration of causes, starting with the terrible shock to his nervous system by the brutal mob at Caldwell, and going through more than a year of anxious business work, culminating in the disappointment of a business trip to Denver, and terminating in complete cerebral exhaustion and paralysis of the brain. Seventeen days ago he was brought home from Denver in a state of dementia, from which there has been very little improvement. Dr. Eastman of the State Insane Asylum, has been here in consultation with his family physician and agrees with him that there is little promise of speedy recovery, but that with faithful care there will probably be recuperation and restoration to mental and physical vigor. This statement is made by the authority of his physician, Dr. W. L. Schenck, of this city.
In regard to Mr. Danford's business matters, we know nothing tangible. Prior to his trip to Colorado, after a long and patient effort, his Caldwell affairs were on the eve of settle- ment, and would have undoubtedly been settled only for a new and unforeseen difficulty. One of the stipulations of the settlement on the part of the Caldwell creditors was that the suits of both Danford and his cashier, W. D. C. Smith, now of Fort Worth, Texas, for damages, should be dismissed. Mr. Smith, it is said, demanded $7,000. This, the Caldwell people nor Mr. Danford were willing to pay. Negotiations with Smith were pending when Mr. Danford was prostrated by his present sickness. We know too little of his affairs to make any statements or even guess as to the future. Osage Free Press.
We have no objection to the Free Press sympathizing with Mr. Danford in his present condition, but it won't do to make the "brutal mob at Caldwell" responsible for all the ills Mr. Danford is now suffering. Perhaps if the Press would put on its thinking cap, it might come to the conclusion that Danford's habits had more to do with his downfall and his sufferings than any action on the part of others. It is the old story, old as Adam and Noah: It was the woman and wine that did it.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, November 30, 1882.
Last week Gus Ivey, editor of the Vinita Chieftain, published in the Indian Territory, accepted an invitation from Major J. E. Thomas, chief engineer of the Atlantic and Pacific railroad, and went to Tulsa, on the Arkansas River, the present terminus of the road. Mr. Ivey describes the country through which the road runs, giving its advantages and privileges in the following manner.
"To summarize our trip, we are very glad to express ourselves as much gratified with the manner in which the company has constructed this road and are sure that great benefits will accrue to the country. The road has been built in a first-class manner throughout, all build- ings being completed in an exceptionally good style and finish. The track is laid with steel rail, all bridges and culverts are built in a permanent style. In short, it looks as if the company had `come here to stay,' make money for themselves, and benefit our people. We understand from reliable sources that the company will soon commence the construction of the bridge crossing the Arkansas River, and build thence on to a connection with the western division at Albuquerque, their engineering parties being now out on surveys and providing for an additional 100 miles. This line has long been recognized as the best located, shortest, and most valuable branch granted by the Government to the Pacific Ocean. The land grant is simply immense, being 47,000,000 acres of land."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, November 30, 1882.
Changes in the Drive of 1883.
Fort Worth Live Stock Journal.
From present indications the bulk of the cattle driven northward in 1883 will be for ranch purposes and not for sales as heretofore. In canvassing the contracts already made, we find that nearly all the cattle contracted are for northern ranchmen who have had their agents here buying. The drive will not exceed in numbers 180,000 head, of which it is safe to say that not more than 80,000 will be for sale on open market. We have believed for several years that the day was close at hand when the drive would stop, and that northern ranchmen would buy our cattle at home and ship them out by rail, and the large number of cattle lately bought and to be shipped, not driven, shows that the time for the change has arrived. If we had direct communication with some point on the Arkansas River, and a liberal rate of freights was offered, the driving of large herds from this country would cease, and even with our present railroad facilities, if any liberality is shown to our cattlemen, a large percent of next year's trail cattle will be shipped as far as the Indian Territory.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, November 30, 1882.
Major Drumm shipped four train loads of beeves this week, two going out on Sunday and two on Monday. The lot figured up 1,700 head, and while they were all prime cattle, 250 half breeds were given in, by our local cattlemen, as being the finest lot of beeves that ever went out of the Caldwell yards. For the last six years, Major Drumm has been grading up his cattle, until now he can show the finest herd in the Territory, and he doesn't have to sell until prices suit his notions. The old man takes things mighty easy, as well he may, but then he always makes it a point to come to the front when there is any big money in first-class cattle.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, November 30, 1882.
Ed Guierer of Cheyenne Agency, Indian Territory, returned from Winfield Monday evening, where he has been for the past two weeks attending court. While gone, he purchased a handsome barouche. Ed says even if he does live on the bloody frontier, his family shall ride in style.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 7, 1882.
Recently a number of Texas capitalists, said to represent a combined livestock and banking interest of $6,000,000, have been visiting north and east for the purpose of developing a scheme to refrigerate Texas beef for shipment to the large centers of consump- tion. The project contemplates the final abandonment of the present practice of driving Texas cattle to Kansas to be transported thence alive by rail, for a system of home-killing, the dead meat to be carried all the way in special ways constructed for the purpose.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 7, 1882.
Denver, Texas, and Mexico capitalists are going to purchase 1,000,000 acres of land in Mexico, and stock it with 50,000 head of graded cattle.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 7, 1882.
The Indians at Standing Rock Agency have raised this year 750 bushels of wheat, 6,500 bushels of oats, 10,000 bushels of corn, and 5,000 bushels of potatoes, besides a good supply of squashes, pumpkins, melons, beans, and other farm products.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 7, 1882.
We see by a special to the Kansas City Times, dated at Vinita, Indian Territory, Novem-ber 30th, that the necessary arrangements have been made for the completion of the St. Louis and San Francisco railroad through the Territory. We copy the following.
"The St. Louis and San Francisco railway has accepted the terms of the Choctaws, and will prepare to construct their road through the nation at once. The Indians are becoming reconciled to railroads."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 7, 1882.
Open to Settlement.
The Sioux commissioners, after four councils with the Indians Thursday afternoon secured the signature required to the agreement making the northern boundary of their reservation the Cannon Ball River; eastern boundary, the low water line of the Missouri River; southern, the Grand River; western, the 102nd meridian, making about sixty miles of river front. There are 3,500 Indians now here, and 1,000 more are expected from Sitting Bull's band and Crow Creek Agency. Each man, woman, and child gets a cow. Aid will be given in building houses and machines, furnished free for ten years, and the government maintains the school for twenty years. Annuities will continue until they become self- supporting. A similar agreement was made with the Indians at Pine Ridge and Santee Agencies, and an immense acreage will thus be thrown open to white settlers.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 7, 1882.
Our worthy mayor, A. M. Colson, and family, started for Eureka Springs yesterday, for a pleasure tour. They will be absent until the first of the year.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 7, 1882.
D. T. Beals received on Sunday evening five heifers and six bulls of the Holstein breed, which is the heaviest known grade of cattle in the world. They will be sent to his ranch.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 7, 1882.
Concerning Fencing.
The following is a part of the bill passed by the Cherokee council in convention assem- bled at Tahlequah, in regard to wire fencing on the Cherokee Strip west of 96 degrees, and has been sent to Chief Bushyhead for his signature. We would have published the bill in full if space could have been spread, but the part copied is what interests our citizens most.
"Be it further enacted. That all fencing, of whatever character, done or that may be hereafter done on the herein before mentioned lands for purpose of pasturage by citizens of the Cherokee Nation, or persons claiming to be citizens of the same or in the names and on account of such persons by citizens of the United States, under whatever pretense, are hereby declared to be illegal and unauthorized, and the owners and claimants of such fences, whether of wire and posts or other material, are required to remove the same within six months from the date hereof, or the same shall become the public property of the Cherokee Nation and be sold subject to removal by the Sheriff of Cooweescoowee District or his law- ful Deputy, after he shall have publicly advertised the same in the Cherokee Advocate and one other newspaper, published in the town of Caldwell, Kansas, for the space of thirty days immediately preceding said sale. Provided, That wherein it may be made to appear, that posts or other wood and material used in the construction of said wire or other fences, have been obtained from the lands aforesaid of the Cherokee Nationthe same shall be taken possession of in the name and on the behalf of said Nation and sold in the manner above provided, in the first instances, and shall not be subjected to sale or removal by owners or claimants. Provided further, That this act shall not be so construed as to prevent licensed stockmen from constructing such lots at their usual headquarters, not exceeding twenty acres in extent, as may be necessary for the better management of their stock."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 7, 1882.
Last week, Tell W. Walton went to Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, on business and will be absent till the latter part of this week. Halsey Lane will make the paper sparkle during his absence with local and editorial items.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 7, 1882.
J. W. Jordan of Choteau, Indian Territory, has been in our city for the past week on a business trip. He left yesterday for the Cherokee country, and will return in about ten days. He expects to make this his headquarters through the next stock season.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 7, 1882.
Concerning Danford's condition, who has lost his senses from business troubles and anxieties, so they say, the Wichita Times gets off the following, in which there is more truth than poetry.
"Bosh! Call his disease by its right name and shame the devil. `He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.' Let us not deceive our boys even if we do try to delude ourselves."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 7, 1882.
In going to the post office on Tuesday, we met Marshal Bat Carr with a pair of ladies' shoes, and wondered what was the meaning of such a freak. Upon inquiring, we found that the colored man working for Dr. Noble had stolen the shoes from F. W. Leonard, our young enterprising boot and shoe man, and had been trying to sell the stolen goods to different parties. Bat went to him and told him he would take his company down town. The nigger said, "Does you want dem shoes, Mr. Carr?" Whereupon Bat told him he did, and if they were not forthcoming, he would take him to the cooler. The gentleman in question replied, "I nebber stoled dem shoes, I jest borrowed `em," and he went to a small house and after a time brought forth the property. Bat watches the pilferers closely and their way is a hard one to travel while he is around.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 14, 1882.
PAYNE'S LAST RAID.
While on our visit to Cheyenne Agency and Fort Reno, we ascertained that the stories published regarding the treatment of Payne and his party by the military were, to say the least gross exaggeration. The facts, so far as we could learn from a variety of sources were as follows.
Payne and his party, when captured by the military, had to be tied and put in the wagons and were taken directly to Fort Reno. On arriving there, they were placed under guard, but properly cared for, being furnished with wood and provisions. Payne stated to the command- ing officer that all he wanted was to have a trial, and that he was perfectly willing to go to Fort Smith, promising at the same time that neither he nor any member of his party would make any attempt to escape or give any trouble to the officer in command of the military guard detailed to conduct them to Fort Smith. The party was placed under charge of Lieut. Taylor, and by him taken to Henrietta, Texas, that being the nearest railroad point. On arriving at Henrietta, Payne requested and received permission to go about town. An hour or so afterward, and about the time the train was ready to start, Payne returned, accompanied by the sheriff with a writ of habeas corpus. Lieut. Taylor stated that his orders were to take the party to Fort Smith, where Payne had said he was more than anxious to go; that he did not consider it his duty to obey the writ, as the party were United States prisoners, and that he would not respect it.
The sheriff then left to obtain a posse to take the prisoners by force, but before he re- turned the train pulled out with the entire party on board. Payne then endeavored to try the bluff game on Taylor, but the latter wouldn't stand it, and the former finally subsided.
This is an unadorned statement of the case; and of the truth in every particular, we have not the least doubt. Under the circumstances, the attempt, on the part of Payne, to cast any reflection upon Capt. Bennett, commander at Fort Reno, and Lieut. Taylor, who took the party to Fort Smith, is both mean and contemptible.
The military endeavored to treat the party with every consideration possible under a strict observance of orders from headquarters, but their efforts in that line were not appreciated by Payne, and it is safe to predict that the next time he is caught in the Territory, he will fare far different from what he did at any other time.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 14, 1882.
THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC.
We find the following paragraph floating around among the papers. If the location of the road is as stated in the paragraph, the engineers have selected a very rough country to run through. It will cost more to grade the road on that line than it will to tie and iron it.
"The Atlantic and Pacific is now completed to the Arkansas river, and new contracts are being let for its extension. The new route, as recently adopted, follows the Red Fork and en- ters the Oklahoma lands at the northeast corner of the Sac and Fox reservation, six miles north of the thirty-sixth line of latitude; thence the line bears south and west until it reaches the North Fork of the Canadian river, which it follows westward until it reaches a point on the river six miles south of the thirty-sixth degree of latitude, when it strikes for the South Fork of the Canadian; thence along the valley of the South Canadian to the Texas Panhandle. The evident object in changing the original route is to secure to the road the alternate sections of land under the provisions of its charter, granted by congress in 1866, lying in the public lands. The Atlantic and Pacific is but an extension westward of the Vinita branch of the St. Louis and San Francisco company to meet the Atlantic and Pacific, whose eastern terminus is now at Albuquerque, New Mexico."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 14, 1882.
HOW TO UTILIZE THE TERRITORY.
One way to solve the Indian question in the western part of the Indian Territory, is to place the Indians upon smaller reservations and lease the remainder of the land for stock purposes, the proceeds to be devoted to the support of the Indians. If a plan of this kind could be put into good shape and properly presented to congress, there is not the least doubt but it would be adopted. The benefit of its adoption would be incalculable to Indians, while at the same time the money received from the rental of the lands for stock purposes would relieve the government of a heavy tax, and the Indian at the same time, would be better fed and clothed than he is now. If our stockmen are wise, they will carefully consider this propo- sition, and after so doing, we are confident they will heartily approve of it and support it.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 14, 1882.
We urge upon Hon. Thomas Ryan the propriety of pushing through his bill for attaching the northwestern portion of the Indian Territory to the District of Kansas for judicial purposes, and for the establishment of a U. S. Court at some eligible point near the southern border of Kansas. The western portion of the Territory is now practically under no other law than that of force, for the reason that where a criminal is arrested and sent to Fort Smith, persons having knowledge of his guilt cannot be induced to give information for fear of being dragged to Fort Smith as witnesses at a great inconvenience and loss of time and money. The practical effect of this state of affairs is to make the Territory a harboring place for the worst class of outlaws in the country, whom the law-abiding and orderly people cannot rid themselves of except by taking the law into their own hands.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 14, 1882.
Colonel James Bell, of the Cherokee Nation, was in town last Monday, this being his first visit in two years. Of course, he was surprised at the growth of Caldwell, and thinks it is the best town on the line.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 14, 1882.
The Geuda Springs Herald finds fault with Dr. Geo. Cutler, postmaster at the Springs, for the manner in which he conducts the business of the office. How Cutler ever came to be appointed postmaster, is a mystery. He may be a tip-top man, but as an official, he is about as poor a stick as one could find in a six weeks' journey.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 14, 1882.
A Trip to the Territory.
Taking advantage of an offer from the Vaile, Miner & Co., stage line, the COMMER- CIAL man took a seat in one of the company's coaches on the 27th ult., and struck out on his first visit to Cheyenne Agency and Fort Reno. A pleasant lot of passengers were aboard, consisting of W. N. Hubbell; Rev. A. E. Funk, a Mennonite minister, who is to have charge of the mission at Cantonment; P. A. Smith of the Mumford Johnson trading ranch on the South Canadian; and a Mr. Stokes of Philadelphia.
The stage left Caldwell at 2 p.m. and arrived at the Agency about half past 2 o'clock the following afternoon, after an all night drive. At the Agency we had the pleasure of meeting Agent Miles, Will Darlington, Capt. Connell, and Doc. Mann, formerly of Wichita, who has taken a clerkship in Agent Miles' office.
Entertainment was found at the City Hotel, kept by Messrs. Murphy & Kellar, and after a good wash and an excellent dinner, the Agency and its surroundings were examined.
The next day, a visit was made to Fort Reno, which was found to be one of the neatest posts in the West, finely located on a high knoll and supplied with water works, the water being pumped up from the North Fork into two immense tanks. Pipes from these tanks extended all over the post, furnishing plenty of water for all purposes, and giving security against fires.
At Reno we met Capt. Bennett, commander of the post, and one of the oldest captains in the service. We found him a most agreeable gentleman, and an officer who enjoyed the good will and respect of citizens and soldiers alike. Also, we had the pleasure of forming the acquaintance of Neal Evans, of the firm of N. W. Evans & Co., post traders, and Herman Hauser, chief clerk in the quartermaster's department. Mr. Hauser has been in the Q. M. Department for twenty years, and ever since Reno was established, whatever the changes in its officers, has always been retained in his present position. This fact alone is sufficient testimony of his abilities and the faithfulness with which he discharges all the duties of his position. Messrs. Evans & Co., carry a large stock of goods and the appointments of the store are complete in every particular. We found Neal up to his eyes in business; but under it all, a genuine, affable gentleman.
Time and space will not permit a lengthy report of our experience while in the land of the Cheyenne and Arapaho, but it will not do to close without referring to a trip down the Canadian under the guidance of Tom Donnell, to whom we are under many obligations for courtesies shown. Tom procured an outfit, and on Friday we whirled out in fine style, down the valley of North Fork, taking in both sides of the stream to a distance of about fifty miles east of Reno. Thence, we crossed over to Deep Fork, and followed the rough and rugged banks of that stream west to the old Chisholm trail, thence to the place of beginning. The trip was a delightful one in every particular, and during its progress, Tom pointed out the differ- ent locations of the Payne boomers, and gave us an outline of his experience in scouting through that country in all sorts of weather. But little game was seen on the trip, though we were assured that deer, turkey, quail, and grouse were numerous on all of the many streams running through what is called the Oklahoma lands.
The North Fork has many fine, large bottoms, the soil of which is rich and deep. The valleys on Deep Fork are also rich, but small. On the uplands the soil appears to be of the same character as that of the uplands of Western Kansas; but we can't say that the country is an agricultural one in any sense. It is a splendid country for all kinds of stock, but the distribution of rain is too uncertain to make it a success as a grain growing region. From seven to ten miles east of Reno, several Arapahos have fine farms and this year have raised a fine crop of corn, but it is the first crop they have had in several years.
Of the return home but little need be said, further than that owing to the blizzard which came down on Wednesday afternoon, three out of the crowded stage deemed it prudent to hold over at the company's station on Kingfisher, where they were properly cared for by Tom Cluney, the station keeper. Tom is a Vermont Yankee, one who served during the late war, logged in Minnesota, drove a team in the Boston Mountains of Arkansaw, worked in California, and can turn his hand to most anything. He lives alone at the station, caring for all the stock, furnishing breakfast for passengers on the down coach, and makes himself useful in a thousand and one ways that only a Green Mountain boy can. We must also acknowledge obligations to Captain Bennett, Mr. Hauser, Agent Miles, Messrs. Murphy & Kellar, Henry Schneitzer [NOT SURE OF LAST NAME...TYPE PARTIALLY OBSCURED], Hauser's foreman, who gave us a splendid Thanksgiving dinner, Capt. Connell, and John Poisell, at whose ranch we camped one night, and last, but not least, to Tom Donnell.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 14, 1882.
Chief Bushyhead has vetoed the bill annulling the contracts made between cattlemen on the Cherokee Strip and citizens of the Cherokee Nation, and also the bill to lease the Strip to a combination of members of the Nation. His veto messages have not been received, but it is safe to say that in both vetoes, the chief was eminently correct.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 14, 1882.
Rev. Owens was called down to Todd's ranch on Polecat, last Monday, to unite in wedlock Richard C. Beibee and Lula F. McCandlass. This is the first marriage ceremony Mr. Owens has performed in the Territory.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 14, 1882.
George Graham, once well known in Caldwell and Perth, returned on Monday night from an extended trip to foreign parts, accompanied by his dog "Frank," out of Missouri by Jenni- son. During his travels, comprising a period of about forty-eight hours, he visited the cities of Belle Plaine, Derby, Douglass, Udall, and Seeley; viewed the fine architectural works of Muldoon, the ruins of Winfield, and the sand hills of Arkansas City. George was greatly interested in the latter place and attempted the task of taking notes of its ancient glory and renown, but not being able to speak the language of the natives, he only succeeded in obtaining the information that the Indian Territory laid to the south, and Bob Mitchell's Geuda Springs toward the setting sun, made a fat thing for the livery men of the sandy hills. George didn't wander as far as Wichita, the reputation of that mammoth emporium of trade and traffic and sin, being of such as character as to make youths of his unsophisticated nature loath to place themselves under its luxurious and enervating wiles. It gratifies us to state that notwithstanding the great temptations to which George was exposed on his tour, he returns to us with a reasonable share of his pristine purity and innocence, and as of yore, may be seen at 4 o'clock a.m., seated upon the top of the buss and calling for passengers for the early freight. The dog "Frank," however, looks as if had lost all of his wife's able-bodied relations.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 14, 1882.
While on our wanderings down in the Territory, we heard a conversation among cowboys accidently brought together at one of the stage ranches on the road between here and Reno. They were discussing the cattle business, as only cowmen can, and commented upon fencing, cowmen's work, etc., at the same time freely criticizing some of the cattle bosses. In speak- ing of the extra work entailed by reason of fencing, one of them stated that S. Tuttle was one of the whitest men on the range. He had built a comfortable house for his hands, and while he exacted faithful services on their part, at the same time he did not require impossibilities. The line riders had each only ten miles of fence to look after, instead of twenty-five, as on some ranches, and in so far as he could, Mr. Tuttle made the hard and laborious life of a cowboy as smooth as circumstances would permit. The moral to this will show itself next spring when, we believe, S. Tuttle will find very few of his cattle outside of his range at the general round up.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 14, 1882.
Wilmot Proviso Brush, that indefatigable stock journalist and traveling correspondent of the Fort Worth Live Stock Journal, swooped down upon us yesterday. Since his last visit to Caldwell, Proviso has taken in Montana, Dakota, Oregon, Washington Territory, and southern California, and he frankly confesses that after all he has seen nothing can compare with Kansas. He says our people don't know how well they are situated; but if any of them desire information on that point, let them pull out and take a trip over the section of country he has visited since last March. After that they will come back satisfied to live and die in the sunflower state.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 14, 1882.
Payne's case against Gen. Pope has been postponed for thirty days. That case may finally come to trial, but if it should, it will be after the necessity for itso far as Payne is concernedshall have gone glimmering in the great past.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 14, 1882.
A rumor was current in the Territory last week to the effect that Suggs, a cattle owner on the Washita, in the Chickasaw nation, had killed his boss herder. No particulars could be given.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 14, 1882.
WASHINGTON.
An Indian Territory special says the Indian authorities and Indian Agent Taft are trying to remove 2,000 Indians from the Creek and Seminole countries, who have moved in, settled, and occasionally intermarried. Secretary Teller has the matter under advisement. If removed, they may make trouble.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 21, 1882.
ITEMS OF INTEREST.
Buffalo Bill is worth $250,000.
An electric machine has been invented which will convert motive power into electricity or electricity into motive power.
The Panama Canal company paid $5,950,000 Saturday to the Central Trust Company of New York, as the last installment of the purchase money for the Panama railroad.
"Nana," the war chief of the Apache Indians, who was supposed to have been killed last spring, is now reported to be alive, and to be the leader in the recent raids in New Mexico.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 21, 1882.
The Vinita Chieftain says that the Cherokee council has passed a bill to restrict enclo-sures east of 96 degrees for purposes of pasture to fifty acres. It has also enacted that the Panhandle may be leased to Cherokee citizens with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 21, 1882.
Payne, in a letter to the Kansas City Oklahoma Colony, claims that the organization he represents has taken up a piece of country fifty miles square on the Oklahoma strip If being chased over the territory by the military and scouts entitles a party to the land they have traversed in their run, then Payne and his party may stand some show of getting that fifty miles square, otherwise not.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 21, 1882.
From Caldwell, Kansas.
EDITOR INDIAN CHIEFTAIN: As you have an outspoken people's paper, I send you a few lines upon matters west of 96 degrees.
The spirit of invading Oklahoma is on the boom, and they threaten to march about the middle of February in strength, and hold by force. If a rope and tree could be furnished the leaders, the cause would end.
After looking over our delegates' report to the council and seeing so much bosh from the U. S. Indian department, I feel it my duty to defend Cherokee rights. We have 6,500,000 acres of beautiful, rich land unsold west of 96 degrees, and we ought to control it like men, and quit begging thieving officials who always act in favor of those who pay the most for their influenceit is ours until sold and title conveyed. They claim a right to control by a clause of the treaty of 1866, which says, "the government may locate friendly Indians, etc.," which clause conveys no title and is abrogated by a provision to remove no more Indians from their homes, etc. Doing, and failing to do, are different things. Then they claim a set price of 50 cents per acre, dated 1878, when the treaty provides for a commission to value all lands sold. Admitting that a price was fixed in 1878 for such land at 50 cents per acre, to hold before sale and regardless of increased value, shows fraud which annuls the whole proceeding. They have bought and paid for the Oklahoma ceded lands, and have room there for more Indians than there is to locate. Such a sale of our land works an evil instead of good, it furnishes fusions instead of homes for other tribes, and gives land sharks an excuse to move and rob them of their homes at our expense. This country was provided by our parents, and we should hold it sacred as a headright for the Cherokee blood, and not ruin our inheritance by blind and corrupt legislation, as has been done with our homestead east of 96 degrees, where parties ignore Cherokee rights to buy foreign votes. If we have 15,000 Cherokees, a division of this land will give 433½ acres per head, and with an individual title placed on the market would bring from $3 to $40 per acre, and at a low average of $5 per acre, would give $2,166.83 per capita, enough to end our cry for bread money that politicians so eagerly take advantage of to make voting stock.
Fencing stock pastures west of 96 degrees, I will state, was a means of self-defense adopted by stockmen, and guaranteed by individual enterprise of Cherokees, upon common right.
Our land unsold begins east at the Arkansas River, and runs west to the Panhandle of Texas, being 178 miles long by 57½ wide, and joins Kansas on the south in length. Under the old mode of herding, no one could afford to hold stock nearer than 10 to 20 miles of the state line; they would ramble or be driven to Kansas pens, and to recover them, owners have to pay a fine, damages to crops, and other expenses, as per herd law. The result was that licensed herds left about one-third of our range vacant, which was covered by men living on the line with sheep and other stock on which they paid no taxes. Most of said range is being reclaimed by men fencing and stocking pastures, thereby saving the range and timber and creating more revenue for the Nation and establishing Cherokee rights by fencing squatters out.
It is true, some of our people abuse the cause by covering stock from tax or taking more range than is needed. Our treasurer has the right to tax all stock west of 96 degrees, and cover all extra range with stock, which will stop the swindle and greed. J. W. JORDAN.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 21, 1882.
The Cheyenne Transporter of last week has the following items. We offer the suggestion to Lafe Merritt that he put date lines at the head of the editorial and local pages. It will save a heep of trouble to his readers.
"The Canadian River Cattle Company has bought the Bugbee ranch, with 12,000 cattle, and the Turkey Track ranch, with 11,000 cattle, both adjoining the double H or horseshoe ranch, in the Panhandle, already owned by the aforesaid company, and the three are now consolidated, making the whole a herd of about 35,000 cattle."
"Service commences today under the new mail service from Darlington to Cantonment. The mail leaves Darlington on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6 a.m., and returns on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 9 p.m. The fare from Darlington to Cantonment is $6.00, and the express rates two cents per pound."
"W. N. Hubbell, an old Indian trader formerly of this agency, and W. B. Hutchison, of the Commercial, were down from Caldwell last week, spending several days here and at Reno, and in company with Tom Donnell, took a hunt out through what is known as Oklahoma land. "Hutch," being an old newspaper man and editor of the best paper on the border, of course made his lodge at the Transporter office while at the agency, and is one of those fellows whom we like to have happen around for what he don't know about the newspaper business is not worth learning."
"On Saturday last the prairie fires were sweeping the country north of the Agency, and for a time the Cheyenne mission was in danger. Seeing this, Agent Miles, with a large force of employees, went out to the scene of danger, and succeeded in checking the progress of the flames before extending east of the stage road, and the fire passed westward up the river without doing but little damage, save sweeping the range before it. Mr. A. M. Walker also had two of his men on the field to assist in keeping the leaping fire from the range which lies east of the stage road."
[THERE WERE TWO OTHER ITEMS, WHICH I SKIPPED.]
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 21, 1882.
City Marshal Carr left last week for Texas, and it is rumored around that he will bring back with him a frau. Wish you much joy, Bat.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 28, 1882.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 22. Captain Scott, of Arkansas City, Kansas, is here to consult with the interior department respecting the conflicting leases of lands in the Indian Territory, made by the Cherokee Nation to various cattle men of Kansas and Missouri for grazing purposes. This is the inauguration of a big fight between the original lessees, who are small cattle owners, and the large companies who are striving to acquire control of these lands to their prejudice.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 28, 1882.
Depredations in the Indian Territory.
MUSKOGEE, INDIAN TERRITORY, December 25. The party of Splechies who were previously reported as having crossed the Arkansas river, passed through town yesterday, in full war paint, under the command of the notorious Dick Glass. They went west in pursuit of the band of Chicate men who killed one of their party the day before yesterday, but returned in the evening not having been able to find them. United States Agent Tufts has notified them that he would disarm both parties on the committal of an open act of war. The company of United States troops arrived at Muskogee last night from Fort Gibson under the command of Lieutenant Crane, to protect the lives and property of United States citizens. Another squad will come to Muskogee today. The Chicate party is said to have seized, and are now guarding, all ferries on the Arkansas river, to prevent reinforcements from the northern part of the nation joining the Splechies. Dispatches give no explanation as to why these Indians are roaming about in armed bands, nor is anything regarding the matter known here.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 28, 1882.
Of Interest to Cattle Men.
LEAVENWORTH, Dec. 23. John Volz, of this city, who has a cattle ranch in the Indian Territory, near the Cantonment, has just received information from there that a council has been called by the head chiefs of the Cheyennes. The propositions to be discussed are:
1. The organization of a government similar to a territorial one.
2. The election of a Governor and Council, or Legislature.
3. The levying of taxes pro rata upon cattle ranges and herders. Mr. Volz favored the scheme, and thinks it will tend to shut out the larger cattle dealers, who are trying to freeze out the lesser ones, or at any rate give small herders a chance.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 28, 1882.
Steve Stroude, formerly foreman for J. G. Rees, has been arrested, charged with complicity in stealing cattle from Mr. Rees. He is supposed to have been in partnership with Bill Burke.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 28, 1882.
Indian Troubles.
Mr. A. L. Raymond returned yesterday from a trip in the Indian Territory over the M. K. & T. Road, leaving Muskogee on Monday last. From him we gather a few items regarding the late outbreak among the Creeks. It appears the trouble arises from an old feud antedating the war. On one side is the National party, headed by Chicate; and the other, the tribal party, headed by Splechie. The former is in favor of a government similar to the Cherokees, while the latter wants to maintain the old tribal relation, with bands governed by petty chiefs. Trouble has been brewing between the factions for some time, culminating last week in both sides arming and organizing to kill off or drive out the other.
Mr. Raymond states that the factions were concentrating at a point near Okmulgee, and it was expected, unless interfered with by two companies of U. S. Troops sent from Fort Gibson, they would have a fight on Tuesday. Mr. Raymond thinks the troops could not reach the place in time, and that a fight must have taken place, although he has failed to learn anything further regarding the treaties since leaving Muskogee.
The excitement is great all through that section, and it is feared that unless both sides are disarmed, they will slaughter each other without mercy and perhaps carry their operations so far as to murder others in no wise interested in their quarrel. On the other hand, if dis- armed, there will be a reign of assassination throughout the Creek country.
The Creeks are a bad mixture of Indian, negro and white blood, revengeful, and treacher- ous as only such a class can be, and if they could be penned in and allowed to have a regular Kilkenny cat fight, it would result greatly to the advantage of the peace of other tribes and the civilization of the survivors, if there should be any.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 28, 1882.
Missing Stage Driver.
Rumors were current on Tuesday to the effect that a stage driver on the route between Camp Supply and Fort Elliott had been killed, and that H. A. Todd, superintendent of Vaile Miner & Co.'s stage line, had been assaulted and badly beaten by Indians. Upon inquiring at the stage office in this city, we learned from the agent, Mr. Tushams, that about two weeks ago a dispatch came from Supply, stating that Dan Smith had started out for Elliott with the buckboard and mail, and he could not be found. The dispatch was forwarded to Mr. Todd, who was at Fort Reno, and he immediately went to Supply and instituted a search for the missing driver. The buckboard having the mail on it intact, with one mule hitched to it, was found on the prairie. The other mule was afterwards found a short distance off, but nothing could be learned of the fate of Smith, though strict search was made and creeks and water holes dragged for his body.
Mr. Todd proceeded to Elliott, when, so he writes to Mr. Tushams under date of the 22nd inst., that Dan Smith was certainly killed, and that suspicion of the crime had fallen upon certain parties. It appears that Smith had on his person two checks, one for $500 and one for $100 and four ten dollar transportation tickets belonging to the stage company. The fact that the mail was not molested, would seem to show that if he was murdered, it could not have been for the purpose of robbery.
It seems Smith was in the habit of indulging in sprees, and it is stated that when he left Supply for the last trip, he was greatly intoxicated. If that was the case, it is more than likely that he fell off the buckboard, and half crazed by drink, wandered to some out of the way place, where he laid down and died from exposure.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 28, 1882.
The Wellington Press, which assumes to be authority in such matters, says that there are eighteen saloons in Caldwell, while Wellington has an indefinite number of places where liquor is sold. The Press may be and is undoubtedly correct as regards its own village, but it is sadly off on Caldwell. Our town supports only seven saloons, that is, it has seven in full blast, but whether they are supported, we can't say. It is certain, however, that more intoxi- cated men can be seen in Wellington any day, Sundays not excepted, than can be found in Caldwell. Even the boys turn themselves loose.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 28, 1882.
The doughty Captain Payne has turned himself loose again in some of his choice English. We have no time this week to give him the attention he seems to require, but shall endeavor to impress upon his mind in the near future that it is neither good sense nor good policy to "fool with the buzz saw while in moshun."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 28, 1882.
Gov. St. John has offered $1,700 reward for the capture and conviction of the Talbott gang. We fear the offer will have but little effect toward bringing them to justice.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 28, 1882.
The City Council met last Friday night and appointed Henry Brown marshal in place of Bat. Carr, and Ben Wheeler assistant marshal. The appointments give general satisfaction.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, December 28, 1882.
There will be a meeting of the creditors of the Danford Bank at the Opera Hall at one o'clock p.m., Saturday, January 6, 1883. All creditors are requested to be present.
By order of the Committee.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 4, 1883.
OUR RAILROAD STOCK.
Last week the Wellington Press returned to its proposition for Sumner County to sell its stock in the Cowley, Sumner & Fort Smith Railroad, and undertakes, in a lengthy article, to show wherein the county would be benefitted by such a course. It urges that because Sedg- wick County sold its railroad stock to advantage, Sumner County can do the same thing. And perhaps it could, if there were any parties anxious to purchase and at the same time willing to pay a fair price for it.
At present the stock is not worth the bonds issued to pay for it, and until it reaches that point, or, as in the case of Sedgwick County, two or more parties need it in their business, it is not good policy in throwing it upon the market. We will admit that under the present situation of affairs, the stock is practically valueless; but the bonds issued for its purchase are not a burden upon the taxpayers of the county, for the reason that the taxes collected from the road pays the interest upon the bonds and leaves a margin of $9,000 to be applied upon the principal. The stock will also increase in value, because, now that the Wichita & South- western and the C. S. & F. S. have been consolidated, in the very nature of railroad manage- ment the time will shortly come when some other stockholder will want our stock in order to give him the standing in the company to which he aspires.
Taking all these things into consideration, it is not worthwhile to be overly anxious about selling our railroad stock.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 4, 1883.
THE CHEROKEE OUTLET.
Important to Stockmen.
The Globe-Democrat of last Sunday publishes the following special from Washington, which may or not be of interest to stockmen on the "outlet," according as they view it. It is dated Dec. 30, 1882.
Reports have reached the Indian Bureau from Cherokee County, Indian Territory, to the effect that the white men are erecting buildings and fencing off pastures in the "Cherokee Outlet." Commissioner Price today addressed a letter to Agent Tufts at Muskogee to warn the white herders to remove with their stock from off the reservation, allowing twenty days for the exit. If the herders fail to get out at time, the agent is authorized to call on the military to eject them.
If we understand the above rightly, the attempt will be made to remove the stockmen from the strip, or "outlet," as it is termed in the dispatch. Should such be the case, the move will be an outrage upon the stockmen, for which no excuse whatever can be offered. For they have paid taxes to the Cherokee Nation and received a permit therefor to hold their stock on the strip. In addition to paying taxes, many of them have also bought and paid for such right as the Cherokees could give to fence their pastures and to erect suitable buildings for the shelter and accommodation of their employees. They, therefore, have an equitable right to remain undisturbed so long as they do not violate the laws of the United States and the regulations of the Cherokee Nation governing the occupancy of the lands.
But, it will be urged, the Cherokee have no right to grant pasture-fencing privileges on the Strip. Why not? It is not worthwhile to quote extracts from their treaties at this time, for they have been published so often as to be familiar to everybody who has taken the least interest in the Territory affairs. It is only sufficient to state that these treaties convey to the Cherokees, in fee simple, the lands in question, and that, until paid for by the United States, the Cherokees have the sole control of the lands, with the undoubted right to secure from them the largest revenue possible. No one who thoroughly understands the full merits of the question will argue differently. Therefore, it seems to us that if complaint has been made against the stockmen, it comes from envious or malicious parties, parties who cannot occupy the country themselves and are not willing to allow others to do so.
The stockmen, in their own interests, should take steps to ascertain the full meaning of the dispatch, and if there is anything in it, adopt a course that will protect their rights.
Since the above was put in type, we have discovered the following in the Washington letter of the Kansas City Times.
"By the Cherokee law each Indian has been allowed to appropriate a given quantity of land suitable for grazing purposes in the Indian Territory. It appears that the rich and power- ful corporation known as the `Standard Oil Corporation' have gone into the speculation of cattle raising, and the better to serve a monopoly, have hired Cherokee Indians at nominal rates to take up grazing lands for the benefit of the company. Heretofore, the people of Missouri, Kansas, and Texas have been able to graze their cattle in the Indian Territory by paying so much a head, but the plan of the Standard Oil Company is to drive out all those engaged in raising cattle in a small way. The leases or contracts made with these Indians by the Standard Oil Company have been submitted to Secretary Teller, and to his credit, be it said, he has peremptorily declined to approve them. This evidences the fact that the Secretary appreciates the interests and wants of the western people, and is not to be dragooned into injustice even by so powerful a corporation as the Standard Oil Company."
This, we think, accounts for the Globe-Democrat's special.
It is well enough to restrain monopolists, but we venture the assertion that the parties who are objecting to the Standard Oil Company's leases are stock owners on the Kansas border, who have been in the habit of holding cattle in the Territory without paying one cent of taxes on them to the Cherokees or the state of Kansas. In their way, they were monopolists as well as the Standard Oil Company.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 4, 1883.
A Fine New Year's Present.
On Monday afternoon our efficient City Marshal, Henry Brown, was quietly tolled into York-Parker-Draper M. Co.'s store, and in the presence of a few friends presented with a new Winchester rifle. The presentation speech was made by Frank Jones, to which Henry responded as well as he could under his astonishment and embarrassment at the unexpected demonstration. The rifle is of superior workmanship, the barrel being octagon, the butt end beautifully engraved and plated with gold. The stock is made of a fine piece of black walnut, with a pistol grip, and one side of it has a silver plate inscribed, "Presented to H. N. Brown by his many friends, as a reward for the efficient services rendered the citizens of Caldwell. A. M. Colson, Mayor, January 1, A. D. 1883."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 4, 1883.
The Wilberforce Grand Concert Company give one of their entertainments in Danford Hall on Thursday night of next week. This troupe has met with great success and received highest praise from the press in every place where it has given concerts. We are confident they will give our citizens a rare musical treat, and advise everyone to make arrangements to be at the hall next Thursday evening. Tickets and reserved seats, we presume, can be secured at the Post Office Book Store.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 4, 1883.
From the following it will be seen that the southern tier railroad scheme has been or is about to be revived. A charter has been filed with the Secretary of State incorporating the Chicago, Oswego & Western Railway Company, for the purpose of constructing and operat- ing a standard gauge railroad from the city of Oswego, through the counties of Labette, Montgomery, Chautauqua, Cowley, Sumner, Harper, Barbour, Comanche, Clarke, Meade, Seward, Stevens, and Kansas, with a branch or branches through the counties of Crawford, Neosho, Wilson, Elk, Greenwood, Butler, Harvey, Sedgwick, Kingman, Pratt, Edwards, and Ford, to a point at or near Dodge City, and northeastwardly from Oswego to Pettison, on the Missouri River, with a branch to Clinton. The length of the line, as estimated, is six hundred miles. Place of business, Oswego. Directors: J. M. Hedden, of Coffey; Geo. E. Willey, of Dora; J. B. Ellis, of Minerva; C. M. Condon, B. W. Perkins, C. O. Perkins, H. C. Hall, L. S. Crum, and R. P. Carper, of Oswego. Capital stock: $3,000,000, divided into 60,000 shares of $100 each. The company covers a large territory in its project, but we fear that like its predecessor, it is organized for the purpose of being bought off by roads already built or in process of construction. At all events it won't be worthwhile for the people along the pro- posed line to worry themselves about it until they see some demonstration on the part of the company which looks as though they meant business.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 4, 1883.
There are two mad stones in Kansas. One is the property of Miss Lizzie Dollar, of Paola; the other of Amos Durbin, of Mound City. Leavenworth Times.
Add at least one more to the list: Thomas D. Reed, who lives four miles west of Oxford in Sumner County, who has a genuine mad stone, which has been handed down in his family for many generations, and traveled through and carried in many states. It has always done its work well. Press.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 4, 1883.
Dan Smith Found.
Mr. Tushaus, agent for the Stage Company, yesterday received a letter from Dan. Smith, written at Ft. Worth. Dan. returns the checks and transportation tickets, with a statement of his account with the company. He says that when he started out he was crazed with liquor, and upon recovering from its effects, he felt so ashamed that he would go not to Mebeetie. He therefore turned the buckboard team loose and started on foot in the direction of Fort Worth. Smith says he will make up any deficiency in his accounts as soon as he is able.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 11, 1883.
LEASING THE OUTLET.
The Schemes of Monopolists.
Last week the COMMERCIAL published a statement regarding the flurry created by an order, issued by the Secretary of the Interior, for the removal of stockmen from the Cherokee Strip. On Friday last, Mr. Tuttle, of this city, received a telegram stating that the order had been rescinded, and on Saturday the following appeared in the Globe-Democrat.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 5. B. H. Campbell, representing a syndicate of Chicago capitalists, is negotiating with the Secretary of the Interior for a lease of a tract of land thirty miles square in the Indian Territory belonging to the Cherokee and Cheyenne Indians. They propose using it for grazing cattle, and agree to cut only such timber as is necessary to provide posts for wire fences to enclose the land. They offer $50,000 rental for the land. The Indians are represented as being anxious to enter into the arrangement.
B. H. Campbell has evidently experienced a change of heart since he quit editing a green- back paper in Iowa. Then, his soul was harrowed by the privileges granted monopolists and their encroachments upon the rights of the people. Now, he is only too anxious to be enrolled in the ranks of that hated class.
Letting Mr. Campbell rest for the present, it is well enough to state here, that
1. The Cheyennes do not control any lands in the Indian Territory.
2. Even if they do, neither they nor the Cherokees, jointly or separately, have anything to say about leasing lands in the Territory for grazing purposes.
3. Secretary Teller has no authority to lease lands in the Territory for any purpose whatever.
But even if he has that authority, and chooses to exercise it in favor of a cattle syndicate or an individual who desires to engage in the stock business, then he may also lease a tract or tracts to colonies or individuals for agricultural or mining purposes.
Furthermore, to acknowledge the authority of the Secretary to give a lease to Mr. Camp- bell's Chicago syndicate, is practically an assertion that the land in question belongs to the government, and therefore is subject to settlement. Certainly no one assumes that to be the case.
In the above we do not wish to be understood as objecting to leasing the lands in the Territory, west of 96 degrees, and not absolutely required for the use of the Indians now occupying them, for grazing purposes. On the contrary, the COMMERCIAL has been the first to advocate such a course, believing it would be beneficial to the Indians, a great saving to the country, and put at restfor a time, at leastall attempts to force the Territory open to settlement. But this must be by the authority of Congress, and under such regulations as will not permit the entire country to be absorbed by two or three combinations like the one represented by Mr. B. H. Campbell. And it is well to remark right here, if the attempts being made to place the control of the grazing lands, in the Territory, into the hands of a few men, or any combination of capitalists, is persisted in, the results will be that in less than one year the land in question will be dotted with claim houses instead of cattle. A little reflection on this point may possibly save some useless and likewise expensive trips to the national capital.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 11, 1883.
COUNTERMANDED.
Notice was received from Agent Tufts, on Monday, to publish the order notifying stock- men on the Strip to remove fences and improvements. Yesterday morning a dispatch was received from him countermanding the notice to publish. It would seem, from this, that the order issued by the Indian Bureau had been suspended until the condition of affairs on the Strip are thoroughly investigated. Should this prove to be the case, the stockmen need not fear any further trouble, as such an investigation will undoubtedly convince the Interior Department that no cause exists for interfering with them.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 11, 1883.
Some fellowmost likely a white man who has been permitted to marry into the Cherokee Nationturns himself loose, through the Vinita Chieftain of last week, in a lot of rot over an article published in the COMMERCIAL some time ago. Mr. "Spectator," so he signs his trash, seems to think that the Cherokee own and control the entire Territory, and that any suggestions offered in regard to any portion of that political sore is a direct blow at the rights of the Cherokees. In the article which "Spectator" pretends to criticize, there is not one word which can be construedsave by a noble "Cherokee," who has pocketed money for pasture rights belonging to all the Cherokeesinto a desire to deprive the Cherokee Nation of a right nor of one foot of land belonging to it. Nor is there anything which infers that the Cherokees are a set of paupers; though, for that matter, if we may believe the reports of the proceedings of the Cherokee council, they are always crying for bread money. For the information of "Spectator," we will state that in its present situation, the outlet is not under the control of the national government, only in so far as may be necessary to protect Cher- okee rights; but if the former should pay for and take possession of the outlet, we can't see wherein wrong would be done the latter if the lands were leased to cattlemen and the proceeds devoted to the support of the tribes not so favorably situated as the Cherokees. Unless such a course is adopted, we fear that only a favored few of the Cherokee Nation, like "Spectator," for instance, will ever reap any material benefit from the outlet.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 11, 1883.
H. A. Todd, superintendent of the Southwestern Stage company, returned home on Monday, after a rough trip of six weeks over the route. He had a tough time of it, but did not have any trouble with Indians or white men.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 11, 1883.
The southern branch of the St. Louis & San Francisco railroad is now running through trains to Fort Smith, Arkansas, giving the west the shortest railroad route to that point. Parties wishing to go to Fort Smith can take the "Frisco Line" at Wichita and go through to Eureka Springs or Fort Smith with only one change of cars.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 11, 1883.
An Oklahoma Meeting.
Pursuant to notice previously given by bills scattered over the town, about sixty persons, men and boys, assembled in the Christian Church building on Tuesday night, with the expec- tation of hearing something from Capt. D. L. Payne, the Oklahoma boomer. The Captain failed to put in an appearance, and the assembled multitude seemed to be at a loss how to proceed.
Finally, old man Haley took the chair and called the meeting to order, and requested that, as the room was used for worship by the Christian Church, no one present spit upon the floor or use profane language. Just then, some boomer ejaculated what sounded very much like "d n it!" And a coterie of other boomers threw out about a quart of tobacco juice upon the floor, while the not overly fragrant aroma from "stinkers" and pipes floated lazily toward the ceiling.
After this came a long, serious pause, during which the entire audience wore a look of indefinite curiosity as to what would happen next. This unpleasant state was relieved by someone moving that T. H. B. Ross act as secretary of the meeting, which motion prevailed. Mr. Ross, in assuming the duties of the position, stated that the object of the meeting was to organize a colony to join Capt. Payne's Oklahoma colony. He said it was expected that Payne would be there to address the meeting, but from some cause he had not arrived. The speaker went on to say that several parties had been organized to accompany Payne, that they would go from Wichita, Kansas City, Independence, Rich Hill, Missouri, and other points, to the number of 1,000 men, all of whom would assemble at Arkansas City on or about the 1st of February, and gaily slip into Oklahoma like a sore foot into an old slipper. Mr. Ross also stated that the colony had the newspaper material, and the men to run it, at Wichita, and a saw mill, all of which would move with the colony.
[This is some kind of taffy Payne has been giving the public for the last three years. ED.]
The speaker stated that Payne said he would start his colony from Caldwell, if it were not that the newspapers here were against him.
[If we remember rightly, Payne used to give as a reason for not concentrating his vast forces here that the people of Caldwell were opposed to him and his scheme. ED.]
At the close of Mr. Ross' remarks an opportunity was given those present to sign the roll, and after a long wait, two, more bold than the rest, walked up and signed the paper entitling them to the privilege of being taken in on the Oklahoma lands by U. S. Troops. Emboldened by the example of the two braves, about twenty-five others put down their names. Notice was then given that a meeting would be held on Wednesday night, when only those who had signed the roll would be admitted. The meeting was undoubtedly held, but as the COM- MERCIAL reporter was not entitled to be present, we are unable to even give a hint of its deliberations.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 11, 1883.
Ben Wheeler, assistant marshal, was walking up the south side of Fifth Street about two o'clock last Sunday afternoon, when he discovered a man attempting to hide some plunder under a building in the rear of the Opera House. Ben took in the situation; and the man at once. An examination of the fellow's person developed the fact that he had been wandering up and down in a lady's chamber, for he had concealed about him various articles of lady's underwear, such as corsets, etc., besides jewelry, neckties, shoes, slippers, stockings, garters, and handkerchiefs, in all to the value of nearly $40. Ben locked up the fellow, who gave his name as Smith, and started out to find the owner of the stolen property. Upon inquiry he learned that someone had entered the rooms occupied by the girls employed in the Leland Hotel, and taken therefrom the articles in question. Smith was brought before Judge Kelly on Tuesday, plead guilty to the charge of larceny and committed for trial at the next term of the District Court. He now enjoys such hospitality as the county is enabled to furnish through Sheriff Thralls. He seems to be a stranger here, no one knowing who he is or where he came from.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 11, 1883.
Last week a chap wearing a fair suit of clothes and also the appearance of one rather depressed, financially, made his appearance in town. He represented himself as one Con Orem, a pugilist and ex-middle weight champion of America, and proposed to give a sparring lesson on Saturday night, and induced one of our local sport lovers to stand good for the cost of handbills announcing the exhibition. Saturday came, but it was a cold day
especially for pugilism. At least Mr. Con. Orem thought so, for at three o'clock p.m., he gaily threw himself upon the platform of the out-going passenger train, waived a sad adieu to Caldwell, and with the train left for the north. The truth is, Con. Orem, who, in his day, was a Colorado prize fighter, has been dead for several years, and the chap who represented the deceased Con., is Frank Mason, who used to hang around Leavenworth several years ago, giving boxing lessons. Mason used to be a bruiser for "Wicked Jennie," a woman of the town, and a holy terror to the police force of all the towns on the Missouri River.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 11, 1883.
The COMMERCIAL office had a pleasant call on last Saturday from A. W. Harris, formerly of Council Grove. Mr. Harris is making arrangements to go into Oklahoma with Payne, when the latter makes his next raid, advertised to take place on or about the first of February. Mr. Harris appears to be a man fully competent to run a newspaper, but we venture the prediction that if he waits to begin the newspaper business until Payne opens up the Oklahoma lands to settlement, he will never know the joys or sorrows incident to the life of a country publisher.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 11, 1883.
Stockmen's Meeting at Topeka.
We see by the Commonwealth that a special meeting of stockmen belonging to the Stock-men's Association of the Cherokee Strip, was held in Topeka on Monday. M. H. Bennett was elected chairman pro tem., and after a free and full discussion of the order issued by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs removing all improvements from the Strip, on motion Hon. E. M. Hewins and Maj. A. Drumm were appointed to wait upon the Secretary of the Interior and request a thorough investigation of the intentions of the stockmen in erecting enclosures and making the improvements complained of. Also, to request a suspension of the execution of the order until the investigation is made.
The meeting adopted the following preamble and resolutions.
WHEREAS, We have an association known as the Cherokee Strip Stockmen's Associa- tion, whose members own over ninety percent of all livestock grazed upon the Cherokee Strip, Indian Territory, and all difficulties heretofore arising between members of this asso- ciation have been amicably settled by themselves, and
WHEREAS, We, as stockmen of the Indian Territory, claim no right whatever in said Territory, only as guaranteed us by virtue of paying a grazing tax on stock to the Cherokee nation; therefore, be it
Resolved, That we would respectfully request the Secretary of the Interior to make a full and complete investigation of the interest and purposes of the stockmen on the Cherokee Strip in the Indian Territory, as regards their improvements further than to simply protect their stock from trespassing upon the ranges of their fellow stockmen.
Resolved, That we are opposed to any company or individual monopolizing any part on the Territory that infringes upon the rights of any person or persons that have paid the graz- ing tax upon their cattle and have grazing ground allotted and set apart for the benefit of the cattle upon which said tax has been paid.
Resolved, That we unanimously disapprove of the Standard Oil Company or any other corporation or company of individuals, in fencing up the grounds known as the "quarantine grounds," said grounds having been set apart by the association, by and with the consent of the Cherokee authorities, for the benefit and use of persons driving cattle from Texas and other points for shipment.
Resolved, That we, as members of this association, will use our utmost endeavors to pre-vent all trespassing upon the timber lands of the Cherokee Strip by whomsoever it may be. We do also insist upon all persons holding stock upon the Cherokee Strip preserving order and quietly submitting to all the laws and decisions of the governing power of the hour.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 11, 1883.
The annual meeting of the stockholders of the Caldwell Savings Bank, held January 1, 1883, the following officers were elected for the ensuing year: S. P. G. Lewis, President; Wm. E. Malaley, Vice-President; T. E. Neal, Cashier; C. J. Neal, Assistant Cashier; and G. W. Reilly, Secretary. Directors: T. E. Neal, A. M. Colson, I. N. Cooper, W. E. Malaley, S. P. G. Lewis, W. E. Campbell, Wm. Corzine, C. H. Manning, and Geo. W. Reilly.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 11, 1883.
Business Change.
Messrs. Wm. Morris and J. A. Covington have dissolved partnership, Mr. Covington retiring. The business will be continued by Wm. Morris at the well known Diamond Front. Mr. Morris entered into the grocery business in Caldwell about eighteen months ago with a small capital, etc., etc. SKIPPED REST!
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 11, 1883.
Mr. H. A. Ross has associated with him, in the dry goods and grocery business, Mr. A. T. Gordon. Both gentlemen have the experience in their line of business, are well known, and will undoubtedly command a full share of the trade of this city and surrounding country. They will soon make large additions to their stock of dry goods, boots and shoes, etc., whereby they can meet all demand for goods in their line.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 11, 1883.
The Commonwealth: The Chicago capitalists who are negotiating with the Secretary of the Interior for a lease of 2,400,000 acres of land in the Indian Territory, are under the leadership of B. H. Campbell, late United States marshal for the northern district of Illinois. They offer the magnificent sum of two cents an acre for the richest land in the west. The scheme goes on all fours with Uncle Rufus Hatch's offer to take the Yellowstone Park off the government's hands for a hotel site, or that other proposition of the Standard Oil Com- pany to "freeze out" all the small cattle men in the Territory.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 18, 1883.
The Commonwealth of the 14th informs us that "stockmen in the Indian Territory are much pleased over the news that they are not to be removed until an investigation is held by the Interior Department."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 18, 1883.
THE CHEROKEE LAW ON FENCES.
Elsewhere will be found the law relating to pastures and fencing the same, passed by the Cherokee Council at its last session, and approved December 9, 1882.
On the face of it, the law was intended to apply only to that portion of the Cherokee country east of the 96th meridian, yet if it means anything, it means that all fenced pastures on the Strip must also be reduced to fifty acres, and that those who have erected fences enclosing a greater number of acres, must remove the same immediately after the first of March next.
If this is the construction to be placed upon the law, then it is only fair to characterize it as a piece of bad faith on the part of the Cherokee Nation toward the stockmen who have fenced ranges on the Strip. By virtue of the laws of their nation, Cherokee citizens had taken those ranges and authorized the parties occupying them to build fences and such other improvements as would make them complete stock ranches within the meaning of those laws. That being the case, the stockmen acted in good faith, with no intention of wronging the Cherokee or assuming rights to which they were not entitled.
And this was fully explained to the Cherokee Senate by Mr. P. N. Blackstone, one of its members, in the discussion on the sweeping confiscation act introduced by Mr. Ross, and which failed to receive the approval of the Principal Chief. Mr. Blackstone, to his honor be it said, stated at that time, that he and other citizens of the Cherokee Nation were alone responsible for the course pursued by the stockmen, and if any punishment was to be meted out to parties for encroaching upon the rights of the nation, he and others, who had taken possession of the lands in question, should suffer and not the innocent stockmen. In this course Mr. Blackstone gave an example of manliness, moral courage, and a sense of honesty and justice deserving of all credit, and which might be advantageously imitated by the Cherokee Nation.
The COMMERCIAL stated when the fencing began, and so believes now, that it would be an injury to the men engaging in it and the stock interests on the Strip, but it has been adopted by many, at a great expense, under what was ample authority, and now they should not be disturbed without just cause.
If they are now compelled to remove the fences, it is only right that some compensation should be made them in return for the expense which they have incurred through no fault on their part. At all events, there should be no such thing as total confiscation or destruction of their property, such as seems to be contemplated in the law of December 9.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 18, 1883.
A CHANCE FOR PAYNE AND HIS BOOMERS.
The status of that strip of land lying between Kansas and Texas, bounded on the east by the Indian Territory and on the west and north by New Mexico and Colorado, having been brought to the attention of the Interior Department, Commissioner McFarland, of the general land office, has decided that it is not a part of the Indian Territory, "which" the commis- sioner says "is protected from disposal by the government by existing treaty stipulations." The commissioner therefore thinks that the said Strip, composing an area of about 165 miles in length and 40 miles in width, while not surveyed and platted, is open to settlement.
Now here is a chance for Captain Payne, and the fellows he has induced to put in from $2 upwards toward his Oklahoma colonization scheme to secure "free homes" and to wrestle with the coyote and prairie dog for the possession of an inheritance which shall descend to their children's children.
Personally we know nothing of the character of this "No Man's Land," but from the best information obtainable, we have no hesitancy in stating that it is fully equal for agricultural purposes to the famed but unattainable Oklahoma region. It is said to be well watered, has excellent grass, and many claim that it has coal veins running through it, and other valuable mineral deposits.
To those of a scientific turn of mind, this "No Man's Land" offers peculiar advantages for studying the flora and fauna, in petrified forms, of the ages when the arctic regions were the home of the tropical plants, and mammoths. For, if we may believe the late Prof. Mudge, this "No Man's Land" was the great dumping ground of the drift sent down from the north on the great ice floes and arctic currents which swept over this part of the continent ere the Rocky mountains reared their peaks above the surrounding waste of waters and glaciers.
If Payne really wants to do great good for humanity, and likewise enroll his name among the savants of the age, he will direct the steps of his colony to this favored land and there, with pick and shovel, delve among those rich deposits of a pre-historic time, thereby adding to the information of this and succeeding generations and at the same time keeping himself out of mischief, and, perhaps, his name off the guard house book at Fort Reno.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 18, 1883.
The people of Kansas having failed to send Bill Hackney to Congress, William is endeavoring to get in his revenge upon them by submitting the female suffrage question. He has gone so far in his hellish designs as to introduce a bill for that purpose into the state senate.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 18, 1883.
Leasing Indian Land: Secretary Teller's Statements.
WASHINGTON, D. C., January 5. There have been repeated efforts of late on the part of different syndicates to lease large tracts of land in the Indian Territory. Among the appli- cants is B. H. Campbell, of Aurora, Illinois. Upon applying to Secretary Teller tonight for information, he said that he has not yet considered the application of B. H. Campbell and others for a confirmation of a lease with certain tribes of the Indian Territory, which is for a tract of land thirty miles square. The secretary stated tonight that he is not unfamiliar with the subject, as it was brought before his attention last summer in the form of complaints from the Wichita tribe of Indians that stockmen had come into the Territory and made contracts with the Indians, imposing on their ignorance, and giving them hardly enough consideration to justly warrant the application of the term. The secretary stated that the War Department was called upon at the time to drive these men and their cattle out of the Territory, but was unable to do it. He had no doubt that today there were many of these men who have made contracts with the more ignorant tribes for the lease of large tracts of lands, where the consideration allowed the Indians was a mere trifle. "This," he stated, "is especially the case along the northern boundary of the Indian Territory, where the dishonest cattle raisers in the southern part of Kansas have imposed on the Indians most shamefully."
The Secretary explained that he had no authority to lease the land, but that he could only confirm or reject a lease made by the Indians. He stated that Mr. B. H. Campbell presented his case to the department, and he understood it was to lease a tract thirty miles square; this in round numbers would be about one million acres, and the price proposed was two cents per acre per annum, which is the price paid for grazing land in Texas. The Secretary did not know whether or not he would be in favor of issuing such a large tract to one party, and was inclined to think two cents too small a figure. He thought, however, that the gentleman referred to would pay more than two cents per acre. He called attention to the Cherokee reservation, in which there are 6,000,000 acres, which leased at two cents an acre, would amount to a rental of $120,000 per annum. This, the secretary said, was more than could be realized from any other use of the land, as it is not arable except in occasional spots.
Besides the small price offered for the land, the Secretary thought that another objection was the promiscuous crowd allowed to enter the Territory under these contracts, such as cowboys, who, he thought, had a demoralizing effect upon the Indians. This, he said, it was proposed to remedy by selecting one-half of the herders from among the Indians, which, he thought, would be a check, especially in view of the effort now being made to disarm the cowboys.
The Secretary summed up his statement by saying that, if a fair price was offered for the land, and the Indians agree to the contract, he thought that to lease it in tracts of reasonable size, with certain restrictions, would be a benefit to the Indian. He stated that there were several cases of this character before the department. One from Mr. Babbitt, of St. Louis, and one from a Mr. Duncan, of the same place, were the only two names he could recall, though all of the applicants were stockmen of the West. He stated that he would probably take up the cases early next week.
The above is copied from the Kansas City Indicator, not for its intrinsic worth, but to show that all the humorists or fools have not put the wild, rushing Mississippi between themselves and the surges of the Atlantic coast, and for the further purpose of giving our readers an idea of the misinformation which can be put into circulation with the aid of lightning and printer's ink.
A careful perusal of this artistically constructed dispatch will naturally impress upon the mind of the average citizen of this section that the writer of it, whoever he may be, has attemptedto use a vulgarism of the dayto put it upon the venerable Secretary of the Interior, or that he means to create the impression that the aforesaid venerable is as innocent of all knowledge regarding affairs in the Indian Territory as a high salaried editor of an eastern daily or an intellectually pale student of a theological seminary. Contemplate for a few seconds the idea of Indians, singly or in tribes, leasing any portion of the Territory! And then the inference that the Indian
"Whose untutored mind
Clothes him in front and leaves him bare behind."
save when he adorns himself with the picturesque "gee string," is a higher order of mam- malia than the white herder employed in the cattle camps of the Territory. Well, it is too rich for anything.
Notice, too, the oracular way in which the Honorable Secretary is made to class the stockmen on the Cherokee Strip as a set of thieves. It must, of course, be highly flattering to such men as Andy Drumm, Ed. Hewins, Tuttle, Milt. Bennett, Ben Miller, Tony Day, Charley Moore, Johnny Blair (the editor of the Post), and even Barbecue Campbell. While we haven't the least doubt that these men would for a moment hesitate to take in out of the wet anything they might see lying around loose, it seems impossible to believe that they could concoct any scheme whereby the poor Indian would come off second best. At all events, the Indian is ahead, so far.
To sum up, if the Honorable Secretary of the Interior did unburthen himself in the above manner, it must have been all Barbecue could do, with all his gall, to refrain from stuffing his "wipe" into his mouth. It is a safe bet, that so soon as B. Q. could do so, he withdrew and sought the friendly shade of some elegant Washington bar, and there drowned his risibilities in the beverage of the age A rare joker isB. Q.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 18, 1883.
Messrs. Stone & Dickey have bought forty-six sections of the Houston and Texas Central railroad lands, situated in Archer, Wichita, and Baylor Counties. This firm has a large pasture, between 250,000 and 300,000 acres, in process of enclosure and expect to have it completed by the first day of next March.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 18, 1883.
Penal Law.
An act to prevent monopoly of the Public Domain.
WHEREAS, The Constitution declares that the lands of the Cherokee Nation shall remain common property, and that the National Council shall have power to adopt such laws and regulations as its wisdom may deem expedient and proper to prevent citizens from monopolizing improvements with the view of speculation, and,
WHEREAS, The Inclosure of large bodies of land for whatever purpose is violative of the paramount ownership of the people in the common property of the Nation, and calls for the exercise of the power invested in the National Council to adopt such laws and regulations as it may deem proper to prevent citizens from monopolizing improvements, therefore,
Be it enacted by the National Council, That all inclosures of the lands of the Cherokee Nation by wire, whether barbed or plainand posts, wood or iron, the said material having been at no time recognized as constituting a lawful fence in the Cherokee Nation, or as constituting any part of an improvement under the constitution, are hereby declared to be unlawful, and where such inclosures exist, the owners or claimants of the wire and posts used in making such inclosures are required to remove the same within ninety days after the passage of this act, or it shall be the duty of the sheriff of the district, wherein such fencing may be found, to remove it, and to sell so much thereof as may be required to cover the costs of such removal, after giving further notice of the time and place of sale in three successive issues of the Cherokee Advocate.
Be it further enacted, That from and after the passage of this act it shall not be lawful for any person to hold, for the purposing of grazing, a greater quantity of land than fifty acres attached to the farm owned or occupied by such person, he being a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.
Be it further enacted, That in case any farm is or shall be inclosed by wire and wood or iron posts, such fence shall be lawful when constructed as follows, to-wit:
Wooden posts not less than seven feet long, six inches in diameter, firmly set in the ground two feet, and not exceeding eight feet apart; one wire four inches from the ground; next, one board, one by six inches, four inches above first wire; next, second wire four inches above first board; next, third wire fifteen inches above second wire; second board one by six or eight inches, eighteen inches above third wire; said wires to be fully stretched and securely fastened to the posts, and the boards to be securely nailed to the posts.
Approved, Dec. 9th, 1882.
[The ninety days for which the above penal act has to be published before it becomes a law, will expire March 27, 1883.]
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 18, 1883.
Probably it is a fair thing to rob the poor Indian whenever opportunity offers, still we can't help thinking that some steps should be taken toward stopping the wholesale stealing of timber from the Territory. Caldwell Commercial.
Can the Commercial tell us whether the fencing in of the Cherokee Strip is serving any good purpose as a barrier against timber thievesor does the wholesale stealing of timber from the Territory go on regardless of the barrier of posts and barbed wire?
Cherokee Advocate.
Yes. Where the timber is fenced in, the timber thieves are barred out, and compelled to seek localities where barbed wire is not. We do not regard fencing as any great benefit to the stockmen on the Strip. On the contrary, we think it has been and always will be an injury to them under existing circumstances. But it is of great benefit to the Cherokee Nation, in protecting the timber and keeping out parties who have been in the habit of using the Strip, and taking timber from it, without paying one cent into the Cherokee treasury. If the nation consulted its own interests, it would have the entire Strip occupied and fenced by responsible parties On the other hand, we believe that if the stock men consult their own interests, they will have as little fencing as possible. That's about the situation, Mr. Advocate, and it will be realized by the Cherokees when it is perhaps too late.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 18, 1883.
Kansas is the only state of the Union that derives a profit from its convict labor, and the only state that can show a penitentiary against which no complaint has ever been made of brutality toward prisoners or speculation on the part of the officials. Under the wise, economical, and human management of Warden Hopkins, the institution has become a model, which other states are attempting to copy after, and Kansas has secured the honor of solving the question of prison management upon the highest plane of our present civilization.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 18, 1883.
The Ottawa Indians want to take their lands in severalty, and the Cherokee nation objects. Perhaps the time will come when the question will be seriously asked: Does the Cherokee nation own the United States and every Indian in it?
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 18, 1883.
A Proposition to Sell Sumner County R. R. Stock.
The Board of County Commissioners at their session on the 5th inst., passed an order to submit a proposition to sell the stock of Sumner County in the Fort Smith railroad, at not less than eighty cents on the dollar. The proposition will be voted on at the general township election to be held on Tuesday, February 6, 1883.
We are not prepared at this time to say anything regarding this proposition, because we do not fully understand its merits. It may be the best thing for the county to adopt, and it may not. If the proposition carries, the money derived from the sale of the stock, must be used to take up the $172,000 in bonds issued for its payment, and the whole question resolves itself into this: Can the bonds be bought for the price at which it is proposed to sell the stock? If so, then the proposition should be adopted; otherwise, the people of Sumner County will be perfectly safe in rejecting it.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 18, 1883.
Messrs. Hewins and Drumm were to have left Washington for home on Tuesday, "well satisfied," so the dispatches state, "with the situation regarding the stock interests in the Territory."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 18, 1883.
Western Territory Items.
From the Cheyenne Transporter, January 11.
W. E. Malaley and wife, of Caldwell, have been here the past week visiting friends among the agency people.
Little Spring purchased two nice presentsa silver cup and an accordionfor his son, Otto Whitman, and had them put on the Christmas tree. This indicates civilization.
Thomas Lemons, for the past year in the employ of Oburn & Montgomery, and who since relinquished his position with that firm and went north with a herd of ponies, returned last week as happy and jovial as ever. He disposed of his ponies at Arkansas City at good advantage.
White Shield, a chief of the Cheyennes, died this week at Kingfisher ranch, while returning from Caldwell with freight. White Shield was a prominent man in his tribe, and was very friendly with the whites. The remains were interred in the cemetery north of the agency yesterday morning, and a large number of the deceased's people assembled to pay their last tribute of respect to their departed chief. The pupils of the Cheyenne school, together with the teachers and mission employees, also attended the funeral services, and joined in singing and conducting the ceremonies.
[THERE WERE OTHER ITEMS THAT I SKIPPED.]
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 18,1883.
THE DRIVE OF 1883.
The Fort Worth Live Stock Journal estimates the total number of cattle that will be driven up the trail this season at 220,000 head. Of this number not more than 120,000 will go upon the open market. The Journal says: "The prices at which these cattle have been contracted on the ranches where they start from varies from $10.50 to $12.50 for yearlings, and $14.50 to $16.50 for two year old steers; the three year old steers ruling at $18 and $19. The few female cattle to be driven are nearly all for ranch purposes and sold at fancy prices. The demand for two year old steers has been largely in excess of the supply and the entire crop will, in all probability, be brought out by the high prices offered. The demand for young steers for ranch purposes in the state is greater by one-half than it was last year, owing partly to the fact that female cattle are worth as much money on southwestern ranches as they are in the north, and are really not for sale. The tendency to hold on to breeding stock, evinces the fact that southwestern ranchmen prefer to breed cattle to grow beeves, and that for breeding purposes no country in the world excels Southwest Texas."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 25, 1883.
AGENT TUFTS APPOINTMENT.
Agent Tufts has been appointed by the Secretary of the Interior to investigate the occupa- tion of the Cherokee Strip by cattlemen and the fence question. Mr. Tufts is general agent for the Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws, and Seminoles. While we believe he will act impartially in making his investigation, we are at the same time convinced that it would have been better for all concerned if the Secretary had selected someone in no wise con- nected with either side. No information is given as to when Agent Tufts will enter upon the discharge of his duties, but it is presumed that he will make his report in time for the Secre- tary of the Interior to lay the whole matter before congress, should such a course be deemed necessary.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 25, 1883.
An Indian agent proposes that the sum of $263,000 be appropriated for the purpose of buying breeding cattle for the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache Indians in the Territory. He wants the cattle to remain under the control of the Indian Department, and some competent white man to be placed in charge of them, and their increase, until the end of ten years, when the entire lot is to be turned over to the Indians. The agent estimates that at that time the cattle will number 400,000 head, all to be sustained upon the 3,500,000 composing the Kiowa and Comanche reservation.
The plan is a good one in so far as it seeks to make the Indians self-supporting; but the better way would be to allow cattle men to occupy a portion of the reservation with their stock, at a fair rental, the proceeds to be devoted to purchasing stock for the Indians. In this way the Indians would acquire a taste for the business and an experience in the handling and care of stock, which they could not obtain under the guardianship of one man, whose only object might be to make a good thing for himself. The fact is, the Indian needs to be taught to rely upon himself, and not upon a system of paternalism, which, if practiced toward white men would make them as helpless as any set of redskins under the care of the Indian Bureau. Give him ample protection against the white man's cupidity, an opportunity to do something for himself, and then let the Indian work out his own salvation.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 25, 1883.
Senator Hackney has introduced a bill to abolish jury trials in justices of the peace courts. The object of this is, as stated by Mr. Hackney, to secure the better enforcement of the prohibitory law. A little debate on the bill developed the fact that the legal fraternity, as represented in the state senate, have a very low opinion of the intelligence of the average justice of the peace. We fail to notice, however, that any of the talented gentlemen who pose as "attorneys and counsellors at law" between sessions had anything to say about jack-leg lawyers.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 25, 1883.
STOCKMEN'S MEETING.
The Annual meeting of the Cherokee Strip Stockmen's Association will be held in Caldwell on Tuesday, March 6th, of which official notice is given in another column. This will be one of the most important meetings the association has held, and it behooves every member, and all who are interested in stock matters connected with the Territory, to be present.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 25, 1883.
STOCKMEN'S MEETING.
Annual Meeting of the Cherokee Strip Stock Association.
The annual meeting of the Cherokee Strip Stock Association will be held in Danford's Hall, Caldwell, Kansas, on Tuesday, March 6, 1883.
The meeting will be called to order at 11 a.m., and it is hoped every member of the association will be present.
Stockmen generally are most cordially invited to attend. BEN S. MILLER, President.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 25, 1883.
R. M. Allen, of the Standard Cattle company, returned on Saturday and went below on Monday to see about the situation of affairs on the company's range in the Territory.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 25, 1883.
It is stated that Oklahoma boomers are gathering along the line, preparatory to a grand rush across the Cherokee Strip. They had better go west and grow up with "No Man's Land."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 25, 1883.
The route agent on the regular passenger yesterday, brought the report that Sheriff Shenneman, of Cowley County, had been fatally shot on Tuesday afternoon, by Sam Cobb, who recently murdered a couple of officers at Valley Falls. The sheriff had got on the track of Cobb near Udall, in Cowley County, and attempted to arrest him, when Cobb fired at the sheriff, sending two balls into him. Cobb was afterwards captured. Sheriff Shenneman was one of the most efficient officers in the west, and with our Sheriff Thralls, made a team terrible to all classes of evil doers and outlaws. We trust the report regarding his dangerous condition is exaggerated, and that he may live to do more efficient work in holding in check the lawless element.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 25, 1883.
The report comes from Wichita that Major Drumm has sold his cattle and ranch and will go into the banking business at that place. We doubt the story, but do know for a fact that the Major always had a kind place in his heart for Wichita.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, January 25, 1883.
STATEMENT OF THE CONDITION OF THE STOCK EXCHANGE BANK,
CALDWELL, SUMNER COUNTY, KANSAS.
At the close of business, January 22, A. D. 1883.
RESOURCES.
Loans and Discounts: $80,737.82
Bank Building and Fixtures: $6,585.20
Expenses: $294.00
Cash and Exchange: $23,572.81
TOTAL RESOURCES: $111,189.83
LIABILITIES.
Capital paid up: $10,000.00
Profit and Loss: $10,140.00
Deposits and Bills Payable: $91,049.83
TOTAL LIABILITIES: $111,189.83
STATE OF KANSAS, SUMNER COUNTY.
I hereby certify that the foregoing statement is true to the best of my knowledge and belief. BEN S. MILLER, Secretary.
Sworn and subscribed to before me this 24th day of January, A.D., 1883.
JNO. W. NYCK, Notary Public.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 1, 1883.
THE MURDER OF SHERIFF SHENNEMANPARTICULARS, ETC.
Last week we stated briefly that Sheriff Shenneman of Cowley County, had been fatally shot while attempting to arrest Charles Cobb, charged with killing a constable at Valley Falls on the 6th of last month. The circumstances connected with the shooting are about as follows.
The sheriff had been on Cobb's track for several days, and receiving information that the latter was stopping at the house of Mr. Jacobus, about five miles northeast of Udall station, he started for the place on Tuesday morning, January 23rd. Arriving there, Shenneman called Jacobus out and informed him as to his errand. The two went into the house, and Jacobus introduced the sheriff as Dr. Jones. Cobb was eating his dinner at the time. One story is, that the sheriff also sat down to the table, and another is, that he busied himself about taking care of his team, passing through the house several times, while Cobb was eating. At all events, it appears to be certain that when the latter got through, he started to go out, when the sheriff, thinking he was fully able to handle what appeared to be a mere boy, threw his arms around Cobb from behind. The latter managed to get hold of his self-cocking revolver, and pointing it backward, fired, the ball penetrating the sheriff's bowels. Notwithstanding the wound, the sheriff held on to Cobb, until Mr. Jacobus came up and wrested the pistol out of his hand, and was about to shoot Cobb with it, but Shenneman begged him not to. Cobb was secured and taken to Wichita to prevent the people of Cowley County from hanging him.
Sheriff Shenneman died on Friday morning, and was buried at Winfield on Sunday.
Mr. Ben S. Miller, who went up to Wichita last Wednesday, states that the officers having Cobb in charge got on the passenger train near Mulvane that afternoon, and that he had a good look at the fellow. Mr. Miller says he don't look as if he knew enough to handle a pistol, that in fact he is the most stupid looking young man he has seen in a long time. He is strong and well built physically, but he seems devoid of ordinary male intelligence.
After he had been locked up in the jail at Wichita, word was sent to the sheriff of Jefferson, and the latter visited Wichita, accompanied by a young man who knew Cobb well. Cobb denied all knowledge of the young man, although the latter identified Cobb as a former companion and the man who had shot the constable at Valley Falls.
In an interview the reporter of the Wichita Times had with the young murderer, Cobb stated that he was seventeen years old, was born in Pennsylvania, left there about a year ago for Texas, and had been a cowboy ever since; that he had a father, mother, one sister, and two brothers. He would not tell the town he came from, because he didn't want his people to know his fate, and would not be photographed for the same reason, and more such stuff, probably all cooked up for the occasion out of some dime novel.
Cobb was finally taken to El Dorado, to prevent a mob of Cowley County people from hanging him. If he is so fortunate as to obtain a new trial, some jack-leg lawyer will do his best to clear him, solely for the purpose of obtaining a reputation as a great criminal lawyer.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 1, 1883.
West of 96.
Hon. John Q. Tufts, our excellent agent at Muskogee, has very properly been chosen by the Secretary of the Interior as special agent to investigate the rights of the Cherokees and cattlemen in this fencing of the land west of 96. He is the right man in the right place. We are confident he will make an honest and fair report of the matter, and that the rights of the Cherokee Nation in the premises will be protected as far as his report can do so.
There is something in this matter beside the wire fences belonging to Dick, Tom, and Harry, and in suing for their destruction by the hands of the U. S. Government, the rights of the Cherokee Nation are disregarded. The Secretary of the Interior has no more right to order a fence torn down west of 96 by virtue of his right, or of that of the U. S. Government, than he has to tear them down east of 96. The land west of 96 is ours; we own it under patent; we have never alienated it; we have never sold it, but have only agreed to do so when the government wants to settle friendly Indians and is ready to pay for it, and when thus sold and occupied, we yield "possession and jurisdiction," which we have especially retained in this agreement. (See treaty of 1866, Art. 16.) But if it is not sold or occupied, we do retain possession and jurisdiction, and we make every man but our own citizens pay for grazing thereno man can use it without paying our Nation tax or rent money. Have we the right to demand and collect rent money and yet no right to protect ourselves in using this property? Have we a right to the field and yet no right to protect it from intrusion? Can we rent or use this grazing farm and yet have no right to fence it? This seems to be the Secretary's idea, as he endorses the communication of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, from which we quote.
"Neither have the Cherokees, in their national capacity, the right to make settlement and improvement, or to authorize the same, on the lands in question. This right, I understand, the Cherokee authorities do not claim, and that they have not authorized such settlement and improvement."
The Cherokee National authorities have never disclaimed the right of settlement and im- provement there, though they have taken no action authorizing it. They do have, however, unquestionably, the right to settle it and improve it, according to the treaty, but if the govern- ment of the United States wants to settle friendly Indians there, the improvements and settle- ments will have to be vacated so as to make operative the promise made by the Cherokee people in the treaty. Until that time they have the right, and will maintain it. The opinion of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs seems to be guided by the contemptible opinion of Chas. Devens, Esq., while acting as attorney general. We heard some time since a distinguished gentleman, who had occupied the executive chair of a great state, define an attorney general as a man of legal attainments, who was salaried to furnish legal grounds for the course the executive wishes to pursue. Mr. Devens seems to have been such an attorney general, for it is unquestionably expedient that in view of future settlement of friendly Indians on this land, no settlement of a substantial kind should be made by Cherokees. And this was doubtless the executive wish. Mr. Devens makes his legal opinion, which is a poor pretext, uphold this wish. He does as he is paid to do and the world rolls on.
If the government were to want to remove these fences in response to our request, as a Nation, it would be all right, but when the government desires to move the fences of its own motion, we cry stop! If you can destroy fencing of your own motion west of 96, you can do it east of 96! We object to such a precedent.
Some of our dignified citizens who are, under ordinary circumstances, fairly good think- ers, have rather rejoiced at the recent action of the secretary; quite overlooking, in their eagerness to destroy these leases, the dangerous precedent. There is a principle in this busi- ness; let us bring it to light and stand by it. If we want to destroy these fences, let us do it as a government as our right, but do not let us call on the United States to do it as their right, lest when the precedent is established, the government think it well to lay down our eastern fences and have them run north and south, and east and west on section lines.
The above is from the Indian Chieftain, published at Vinita, C. N. The position taken by the Chieftain is the same advocated by the COMMERCIAL for the past three years, viz: that the Cherokees had the sole control of the Strip, and that neither congress nor the interior department had the right to dictate how the Cherokees should manage it, or what use they should make of it.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 1, 1883.
Hon. John Q. Tufts, by advice of the 15th inst., has been directed to report substantially on the following points on the lands west of 96:
1st. How much fencing has been done on the lands in question?
2nd. To whom do the fences belong?
3rd. Name of each individual company or organization, claiming to own such fences and the quantity claimed by each.
4th. How long since fencing was commenced?
5th. What effect has such fencing had upon legitimate trade and travel, and also upon mail routes?
6th. What effect upon preservation or destruction of timber on said lands?
The agent was directed to suspend all further operations under office letter of the 30th ult., until a full report as called for above is made and action has thereon been taken by the Indian department and communicated to him. Vinita Chieftain.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 1, 1883.
CHEYENNES AND ARAPAHOS LEASING LANDS.
Last week several heavy eastern capitalists and stockmen gained the consent of the Cheyennes and Arapahos to a grass lease of the western and southwestern portions of this reservation. The Indians have signed the leases, covering bodies of grazing land of about 500,000 acres each, with the privilege of fencing the same and erecting the necessary ranch buildings and improvements. The leases will have to be approved by the secretary of the interior before going into effect, but as the action of the Indians was unanimous, it is ex- pected that he will not hesitate to approve the grass rental. The matter will certainly receive prompt attention, as it ensures a yearly maintenance fund of nearly ten dollars per capita for every man, woman, and child on the reservation, and also makes of utility and value a por- tion of the reservation which yields at present no revenue toward the support of the Indians. Cheyenne Transporter.
Without desiring to be inquisitive or asking unanswerable conundrums, we would like to ask the Transporter from whence the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians derive the right to occupy the land upon which they are at present located?
Also, desire to be informed under what law of congress, or ruling of the interior depart- ment, the aforesaid Indians claim the right to lease any portion of said lands for grazing purposes?
Also, would like to know, if the aforesaid Indians have said right, if they cannot also lease other portions of their reservations (?) for farming purposes?
Also, by what act of congress is the secretary of the interior empowered to grant or confirm leases to lands claimed by Indians?
The above are very simple questions, and hundreds of people in this neck of prairie would like to have them answered promptly and unequivocally.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 1, 1883.
Senator Bill Hackney, of the Principality of Cowley, is to be admired for what political aesthetics call "manliness," and untutored western folks denominate "gall." In the first dawn of the present term of the legislature, the Senator introduced a bill to abolish juries in mis- demeanor cases before justices of the peace. Some of the anti-prohibition senators flew to arms at once, and said the sole object of the bill was to aid in the enforcement of that law. The prohibition senators said nay, its sole purpose was to protect the defendant and the majesty of justice against the stupidity and the prejudices of the average jury of a justice of the peace court. At this juncture Senator Hackney came to the front, like a little man, and insisted that he knew what he wanted when he offered the bill. The measure was intended to aid the enforcement of the prohibitory law, and it was not worthwhile to deny that fact. The people of Kansas had demanded prohibition, and it was the duty of the legislature to pass such laws as would make that demand effective. Of course, the senator will be faulted on both sides for the course he has taken, but he is to be honored, withal, for his plain, open way of obeying the wishes of his constituents. Such a man may make bitter enemies, but on the other hand, he will tie to him those who believe that the first duty of a representative is to do the work of those who elect him.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 1, 1883.
OklahomaNational Highway.
The following resolutions were offered in the lower house of the legislature on Monday. They are of considerable interest to the people of Caldwell, especially the one relating to the national highway across the Indian Territory. The proposition comes from Dodge City, and if it should be carried out, it would practically shut out this vicinity from any benefit of the drive from Texas.
WHEREAS, There are certain lands in the Indian Territory known as "Oklahoma," to which the Indian title has been extinguished since 1866, and the same is now in the United States, and the said lands are part of the public domain, and subject to the homestead and pre-emption laws of the United States, therefore, be it
Resolved, the Senate concurring, That our senators be instructed and our representatives in congress be requested to use their influence in securing the passage of either a resolution or a law forbidding the exercise of arbitrary power, by any department of the government, in preventing the settlement of said lands by citizens of the United States.
Resolved, the Senate concurring, That our senators are hereby instructed and our repre-sentatives in congress be requested to use all proper means to secure the location and establishment by the government of the United States of a national highway or cattle trail through the Indian Territory, Kansas, and Nebraska, to convenient railroad points in the two last named states; said highway or cattle trail to be located west of the more densely settled portion of the last named states, and as near as may be to the route now traveled by herds seeking a northern market.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 1, 1883.
The Cheyenne Transporter of the 26th ult., has the following.
Andy Sandell, the beef contractor at Ft. Reno, has been sick for some time. Thomas Lemons is handling the herd and business while Andy is sick.
The range boys have been enduring a severe time during the recent cold snapsome freezing their fingers, ears, and nose. That's pretty tough on 'em.
The river at this point has been closed for the past two weeks, and today the Agency people commenced laying by a second supply of ice, which is about six inches thick.
Indian horses have been dying from some unknown disease the last two weeks. News comes in every day of horses dropping off in various camps, and the disease seems to prevail throughout the countrysouth and west Oburn & Montgomery have lost some twenty head of their cow horses, and Wm. Frass reports four head died at his camp.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 1, 1883.
Ben Wheeler, during the absence of Henry Brown, will have in charge the peace and good order of our city. Ben is equal to the occasion, being of that class of men who have very little to say but very prompt when action is necessary.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 1, 1883.
THE BOOMERS ABROAD.
U. S. Troops Waiting to Receive Them.
Reliable reports are to the effect that the threatened raid upon Oklahoma is about to take place. Boomers are concentrating at Arkansas City, Coffeyville, and various other points along the line. There seems to be two factions. One under D. L. Payne, and another under a Kansas City management. All claim to be well fixed, with all the appliances necessary to establish a strong and good working colony upon the lands in question.
It is certain, however, that they will not be allowed to go in. Information comes to us, from reliable sources, that two companies of cavalry and one of infantry are ready to receive the boomers when they cross the line, and, in accordance with orders, drive them out. Of course, loud threats are made by the boomers that they will not submit to military resistance in carrying out their designs. But that is all bosh. When they get sight of the blue coats, the boomers will retire with the best grace possible.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 1, 1883.
Shooting in the Territory.
John Johnson, of Mitchell County, Kansas, was brought in from the Territory yesterday, suffering from a gunshot wound in the upper part of his right thigh, inflicted by one Jim Pierce. Owing to the lateness of the hour, the only particulars we can give are that after the shooting, Pierce escaped on a small sorrel pony, branded with a connected TK on the left hip, Denison made saddle. Was seen after the shooting and said he was going to Seymour, Texas. Pierce formerly lived in Winfield, Cowley County.
Johnson, the wounded man, is now at the Moreland House, and is being attended by Dr. Noble.
Previous to the shooting, Pierce had for a companion a young fellow named Henry Stover, who claims to live fifteen miles west of Wichita. After the shooting Stover started for Kansas on foot, with the evident intention of seeking his old home.
Johnson's wounds are not dangerous, but sufficiently serious to lay him up for a few weeks.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 1, 1883.
Henry Brown, our city marshal, having obtained a leave of absence from the mayor and council, left yesterday on a visit to his old home at Rolla, Missouri, after an absence of ten years. Mr. Brown, during the past eight months, has given his entire time and attention to his duties first as assistant marshal, and then as marshal; and has proven himself a most efficient officer and fairly earned the holiday. It is no flattery to say that few men could have filled the position he has so acceptably occupied. Cool, courageous, and gentlemanly, and free from the vices supposed to be proper adjuncts to a man occupying his position; he has earned the confidence of our best citizens and the respect of those disposed to consider themselves especially delegated to run border towns. One other thing may be said in his favor. He has never been the recipient of self-presented testimonials nor hounded the newspaper offices of the surrounding villages for personal puffs, and it gives us supreme satisfaction to state these facts. For one, the COMMERCIAL hopes Mr. Brown will heartily enjoy his trip, the visit to scenes of his childhood, and return with renewed energy for the duties of his position.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 1, 1883.
John G. Rees returned last week, having spent the most of the winter in Colorado. He says the Rees & Stoller cattle, horses, ranch, and all equipments are for sale for the sole reason that his health will not permit him to give the business the attention it requires.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 1, 1883.
SPECIAL STOCKMEN'S MEETING.
Official Report of Proceedings.
A special meeting of the Cherokee Strip Stock Association was held in Caldwell, Kansas, January 27, 1883.
The meeting was called to order by W. E. Campbell, vice-president of the association; John A. Blair, Secretary.
The object of the meeting was stated by the chair and letters were read by Mr. Walton from E. M. Hewins concerning matters pertaining to the vital interests of the association.
On motion a committee of five was appointed by the chair to draft resolutions. Messrs. M. H. Bennett, A. McClain, S. Tuttle, Marion Blair, and O. Ewell were appointed as such committee.
On motion, a committee of five was appointed on reception of Major John Q. Tufts upon his arrival in this city, February 7th, 1883. E. M. Hewins, I. S. Ballinger, S. Tuttle, J. W. Hamilton, and M. H. Bennett were appointed as such committee. On motion the committee was increased to eight and A. McClain, Ben S. Miller, and A. M. Colson were appointed as such additional committeemen.
The following resolution was adopted.
Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed to make a draft of the Cherokee Strip, showing the quarantine grounds, trails, fencing, etc., and report the same to the annual meet- ing of the Association on March 6th, 1883, together with such recommendations as they may deem best for the interests of the association.
Messrs. A. M. Colson, M. H. Bennett, J. A. Blair, H. Hodgson, and S. Tuttle were appointed as such committee.
The committee on resolutions submitted, through its chairman, the following report, which was adopted.
WHEREAS, It is to the interest of every person, company, or corporation grazing cattle on the Cherokee Strip, that that scope of country known as the quarantine grounds be left open for the use of Texas cattle drovers and local shippers, and that the trails across said Cherokee Strip used by Texas cattle drovers and local ranchmen be left open and free from all barriers of any kind. Therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of this meeting that all the trails across the Cherokee Strip, leading to all shipping points in Kansas and the northwest be left open and free from all barrier, such as wire fences, board fences, or any kind of fences whatever.
Resolved, That we, as an association and as individuals, deprecate and discountenance the actions of any person, company, or corporation in building any wire fences or other bar- riers upon the ground set apart as quarantine grounds for through Texas cattle or for shipment of Territory cattle, and that we will use our individual efforts to discourage any further occu- pancy of the said grounds for ranch purposes by local stockmen.
Resolved, That this association recognizes the rights of the Cherokee Nation in collecting a grazing tax upon cattle grazed on Cherokee lands in the Indian Territory, and that under the permits issued by the Cherokee Nation is our only legal right in said Cherokee country.
Resolved, That it is the earnest wish of this association that the title and control of the said Cherokee Strip be definitely settled and the unquestionable legal control of it be determined that we may be the better enabled to conform to all the laws governing it.
Resolved, That this association fully endorses the action of the official meeting of the association held at Topeka, Kansas, on January 8, 1883, and that we re-affirm the resolutions there adopted as the sense of this meeting.
Resolved, That the thanks of this association are due and are hereby tendered Hon. E. M. Hewins and Major A. Drumm, for the able and efficient manner in which they represented our interests before the Secretary of the Interior, and that we full endorse their actions and statements in the matter; and that the association is entirely satisfied with the action of the Secretary of the Interior Department in appointing a special agent to investigate fencing matters on the Cherokee lands, and will give said agent all the assistance in our power to arrive at an equitable conclusion in the matter. M. H. BENNETT, Chairman.
There being no further business before the meeting, a motion to adjourn prevailed.
W. E. CAMPBELL, President.
J. A. BLAIR, Secretary.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 1, 1883.
John M. Strange, general superintendent of the Wichita Agency, passed through town yesterday on his way home. He had been to Wichita and other points with a view of purchasing mules for the agency, but the high prices frightened him off the track, and he returns without any long eared animals. Mr. Strange says that they have had sufficient cold weather on the South Canadian to enable them to put up about 400 tons of good ice.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 1, 1883.
CRIME.
Dispatches from the Indian Territory say that a party of men who have been selling liquor in different parts of the territory, in violation of law, while in camp, on Lee's Creek, a day or two ago, got into a row among themselves, and Hawk Pete, a noted desperado, was killed, and George Maxwell mortally wounded.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 8, 1883.
Agent Tufts failed to arrive yesterday, as advertised.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 8, 1883.
The Vinita Chieftain at Vinita, Indian Territory, is doing a good work in advocating the enactment of laws that will enable outsiders to collect debts incurred by citizens of the Cherokee Nation. As the law now stands, any Cherokee can slip into Kansas, run up a bill
if the people will trust himskip back to the Territory, and however much property he may own, defy any process for the collection of the debt. On the other hand, if a citizen of Kansas, or any other state, contracts a debt with the aforesaid Cherokee, the latter can pursue the debtor to his home, and under the laws of the United States, recover. The Chieftain thinks what is sauce for the goose, ought to be sauce for the gander, and believes that the Cherokees, Indians though they be, should practice honesty in all their dealings, while demanding the same of whites.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 8, 1883.
WINFIELD SPITTERS.
Winfield is a temperance town, a moral town, a religious town. Its church members, its bankers, its lawyers, its merchants, its workingmen, its laborers, and even its editors, all pride themselves upon the freedom of the place from the degrading influences of the whiskey seller, and the gambler, and even thank St. John and Providence that the wiles of the scarlet woman entices not the male portion of the population to violations of the seventh commandment.
Yet some of these angels, whom infinite mercy permits to dwell in the state as a little leaven, after hanging Cobb last Wednesday night, spit in the face of the corpse as it was ostentatiously displayed to the public gaze. If the dead sheriff, for killing whom the boy was strangled by a Winfield mob, could have been a spectator of this expectorating scene, and had the voice, he would have cried out, "For shame!" With his last breath he begged for a recognition of the majesty of the law, the law for which these same spitters seem to have such a high regard, and would have declared the greatest insult they could have given to his memory was the abuse of the inanimate form of one whom they had killed out of mere revenge. The next thing in order is one of these high toned, moral, and religious lectures from the saintly editor of the Courier.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 8, 1883.
Charley Davis Captured.
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 4. A Globe-Democrat special from Albuquerque, New Mexico, says C. H. Davis, who shot and killed George Wood in Caldwell, Kansas, last year, has been arrested here by Detective Stewart of the Atlantic and Pacific. Davis has been working here ever since the murder was committed, and none ever suspected him of the crime. He admits that he killed Wood, but he says it was done in self-defense. He expresses perfect willingness to go back and stand his trial, feeling assured he will be acquitted. Wood's mistress at the time of the murder offered $500 reward for the capture of Davis, which was supplemented by Governor St. John to pay $1,000. Two prominent citizens of Albuquerque were in Cald- well at the time of the murder, who say the general impression there was that the killing was justifiable. A requisition has been applied for, and as soon as it arrives, Davis will be taken to Caldwell.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 15, 1883.
Dispatches were received from Muskogee yesterday, urging Major Tufts to return at once, on account of the troubles in the Creek Nation. It seems that the Creeks are still at war with each other, and there seems no way of settling the trouble only by letting them fight it out, or sending in a sufficient number of U. S. Troops to kill off a few leaders on each side. As has been suggested before in the COMMERCIAL, the best plan would be to let both sides go in and kill, until they wiped out each other. All the other Indians in the Territory would then have peace.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 15, 1883.
THE OKLAHOMA BOOM.
Some newspaper men with detective instincts should get on the inside of the Oklahoma boom. Capt. Dave Payne does not prosecute his expeditions merely for the sake of doing something foolish. He is backed by somebody, for he has no money of his own. Who is that Somebody?
Without professing to know anything about the matter, we guess that if it is investigated, it will be found that some railroad company or companies are banking Payne. There are a number of railroads anxious to build through the Territory, and those that have already se- cured the right complain that their lines there are like lines through a tunnel. Champion.
We not only profess to know, but we do know for a fact, that no railroad company has been banking Payne. True, he has no money of his own, neither has he expended a dollar of money earned by himself during the past four years. He has depended entirely upon selling Oklahoma Colony certificates and stock in his so-called town company. He has also gathered in considerable money from gullible parties to whom he represented that the Territory was bound to be open at a certain time; and in consideration of said parties paying him $25 in coin, he has agreed to select and build for them a quarter section on the Oklahoma lands, they thereby being relieved from accompanying any of the raiding expeditions. In all the raids he has made, the supplies have been furnished by the people accompanying him or by a few individuals who have put up their money in full confidence that Payne was honest and would do the fair thing. In this last raid, we are credibly informed that he sold at Arkansas City fifty-six hundred colony certificates at $2 each. This is exclusive of the number sold between the time of his release last fall and the assembling of the boomers at Arkansas City on the 1st, inst.
The fact is, Payne belongs to the adventurer class. He is particularly anxious to make money without work, but he would starve rather than not see his name in print. His egotism is insufferable, and his inability to comprehend the beauties of truth, combine to make him an instrument no shrewd railroad man would use in furthering a scheme like that of breaking down the legal walls which surround the Indian Territory. The Champion can take our word for it, that no railroad company is fooling away any time or money on D. L. Payne.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 15, 1883.
Cherokee Interests West of 96.
[From the Vinita Chieftain.]
The editor of the Chieftain has said well and truly that "some of our dignified citizens who are under ordinary circumstances, fairly good thinkers, have rather rejoiced at the recent action of the Secretary, quite overlooking in their eagerness to destroy these fences, the dangerous precedent. There is a principle in this business, let us bring it to light and stand by it." The principle in this business is that some of our people cannot tolerate individual enterprise even should it save them half of their territory; while they look on in silence and indifference at the violation of their treaty on the part of U. S. Government in appointing a commission of its own (in which the Nation has no representation) to put a price on their land of not one third of its value, while the Nation as a party in interest had the right to aid in fixing the price.
Another consideration is, the Cherokee Nation can protect its interests better, where its citizens have actual possession, than when the country and land are in the possession of persons that have no legal control over it.
The necessity of fencing and owning the range is becoming more and more apparent, and should be acted upon boldly by men advanced in their ideas, yet no further advanced than the times.
Propositions will be made to the Cherokee Nation, by Texas and New Mexico, to com- bine in raising cattle, then the goose that lays the golden egg will be found. Let Kansas and Arkansas stop their depredations and encourage the Cherokees in locating ranches where their best grain producing countries are, and where improved farms in their states on the Territorial line can be bought from $10 to $15 per acre. Encourage the fencing of all the desirable places in the Indian Territory; especially where grass, water, and shade trees can be found. Yes, encourage the breeding of cattle in Texas and New Mexico. In the spring those men on the southern ranches start for the northern ranches located in the Indian Territory. Prepare your millet, stock fields, and corn for feeding next winter. Stockmen have found out one thing, that it pays better to feed than to starve. It is better to unite our efforts, so the interests of all concerned will be served. S. S. S.
The above article of Mr. S. S. Stephens presents a new idea to us, to wit: "That the U. S. Government expected Cherokees would settle" west of 96. We think, however, the writer is in error in his view, because the treaty provides that the land taken for the settlement of friendly Indians should be taken in a "compact form." This condition precludes the idea of permanent settlement and in fact when the Osages were settled west of 96, the Cherokee government endorsed this interpretation by moving her citizens and paying them damages. Permanent settlements do not seem to have been contemplated in the treaty, and the Nation by her subsequent actions seems to have thought permanent settlement inconsistent with the rights of the U. S. Government.
The statement that the government of the United States abrogated the 16th article of our treaty in 1878, is erroneous. This act referred to, doubtless, is that providing that no more Indians shall be settled west of 96, without an act of congress authorizing it. It was simply an act limiting the power of the Interior Department.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 15, 1883.
The Fence Question.
Major John Q. Tufts, special agent of the Interior Department to investigate the fencing business on the Cherokee Strip, arrived on Thursday of last week, remaining here as the guest of C. F. Summer until Sunday, when he started for the range to make a personal exami- nation of fenced pastures, and gather such other information as would enable him to make a full report of the situation to the Department at Washington. It is expected that he will return in time to take the train today for Arkansas City and the range immediately south of that place, after which he will make out his report at as early a date as possible.
During his stay here, Major Tufts was called upon by many of our citizens, who were pleased to make his acquaintance, and speak of him as a most affable gentleman, and one who will do his whole duty regardless of consequences. Owing to unfavorable circumstance, we failed to meet the Major, but from what we have learned of his character through those who have known him for years, we feel satisfied that in his mission he brings with him no preconceived notions, and will be actuated solely by a desire to deal justly with all parties concerned.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 15, 1883.
The rumor was current a couple of weeks back, that Hon. D. W. Bushyhead, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, would make Caldwell a visit about this time. So far, he has failed to put in an appearance, greatly to the disappointment of a large number of our people, who, though having no personal acquaintance with him, yet cherish a high regard for his character as a man and a servant of the people. Through the Cherokee papers and the pub- lished proceedings of the Cherokee council, we have watched Chief Bushyhead's career during the past four years. In all that time he has shown himself a wise and conservative ruler, and while tenaciously holding out for all that is due his people, at the same time he keeps in view, the fact that the boundaries of the United States are not circumscribed by the section lines of the Cherokee Nation. In other words, he seems to believe that the Cherokees are a part and parcel of this country, and while caring for themselves, should at the same time contribute their share to the general advancement of the country. The Cherokees, during the past ten years, have proved themselves fully competent to exercise the functions of self- government, but better than all under the wise leadership of such men as Chief Bushyhead, they are gradually shaking off that spirit of selfish egotism and clannishness which has made them regard the outside world as enemies, and retarded them in the development of those qualities of liberality and justice which alone make any people great.
But we have wandered from the subject. What we really started out to say was that we trust Chief Bushyhead may find it convenient to pay Caldwell a visit in the near future, and we offer the suggestion, that he be invited to meet with us in March while the stockmen of the Cherokee Strip Association are in session. Who will second the motion?
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 15, 1883.
We published a dispatch last week stating that Charley Davis, the murderer of George Wood, had been arrested in Albuquerque, and that he wanted to stand his trial for the crime, being confident that he could prove self-defense. Since then we have learned the arrest was a put-up job between Davis and a man by the name of Lee Stewart. It seems that Davis, becoming satisfied that the witnesses against him were scattered so that they could not be found, was desirous of getting rid of the charge and making some money out of the affair at the same time, so that an agreement was made with Stewart, whereby the latter was to arrest Davis, receive the $500 reward offered by Mag Wood, divide it with Davis, and also obtain the reward offered by the governor. Sheriff Thralls discovered the game in time, and refused to obtain the requisition or send for Davis, so Stewart and Davis have had their trouble for nothing. Stewart is said to be the same Stewart engaged in the killing of Ledford at Wichita in 1871. If such be the case, he is a hard pill, and it is only a question of time when both he and Davis are made chief attractions at a western necktie festival, or shot down in their tracks like wild beasts.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 15, 1883.
The Boomers.
T. H. B. Ross received a letter on Tuesday from J. H. Miller, dated the 8th inst., in which it was stated that a squad of troops under Lieut. Stevens, had arrested Payne and a few others, but that the main force of the boomers had refused to pay any attention to the troops. The letter is dated February 6th, and was sent by a courier to Arkansas City. Since its receipt, we learn that troops from Sill and Reno had been sent out and the entire party of boomers cap- tured. One thing is certain, that the entire outfit will be taken in and removed from the Terri- tory, and the poor dupes who have spent their time and money in following D. L. Payne, will find themselves out to that extent, even if they are not punished otherwise.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 15, 1883.
DIED. Died in this city on Thursday, February 8th, 1883, of blood poison fever, Mrs. Fanny [? NOT SURE OF NAME] S. Thomas, wife of J. M. Thomas, aged 34 years.
Mrs. Thomas was born in Athens County, Ohio, and while a girl, her father, Mr. J. H. Devore, moved to Iowa with his family. In the spring of 1872, the family removed to Caldwell, and Mr. Devore took a claim on Bluff Creek, twelve miles west of Caldwell, where he now resides. In November, 1872, the deceased was married to J. M. Thomas, at Arkansas City, and returned to Caldwell, where she continued to reside until her death. In 1876 Mrs. Thomas united with the Presbyterian Church, of which she was an active and consistent member. One of the oldest settlers of the place, Mrs. Thomas was well known, and her unselfish kindness to those in sickness and distress drew about her a multitude of friends who will miss her labors as a Christian woman.
As a daughter, she exhibited true filial affection, honoring father and mother in strict accordance with the commandments. As a wife, she made home all it should be, and the grief of him who is called to mourn her loss is the best evidence of her loving kindness in all her home duties.
The funeral services over the deceased were held in the Presbyterian Church on Friday morning, February 9th, and attended by a large concourse of citizens, after which the remains were taken to the home of her parents, and laid to rest in the family cemetery, surrounded by friends whose only consolation was the reflection that "Blessed are those who die in the Lord."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 15, 1883.
Joe Weidenman [? MAY HAVE LAST NAME WRONG] returned last Sunday evening from a trip to Cheyenne Agency. He left the Agency on Tuesday of last week, and had to lay up three days on the road on account of the weather. He states that he heard on Friday that Payne had been captured and taken to Reno. Joe says troops came from everywhere, and the boomers couldn't avoid being taken in.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 15, 1883.
W. S. Decker, with N. W. Evans & Co., Fort Reno, Indian Territory, arrived on Saturday afternoon with Mrs. Evans and her mother. The party left on Monday afternoon, Mr. Decker intending to go as far as Lawrence. Mr. Decker informed us that the boomers were expected to arrive at Reno on Saturday, and it was likely that they would all be taken to Fort Smith.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 15, 1883.
Another car load of Mennonites came in yesterday, bound for the Territory on the high and holy mission of civilizing poor Lo. If Payne and his squad of adventurers will have the patience to wait, the Territory will shortly be opened by Mennonites and the boomers thereby saved all expense and worry in the way of raids.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 22, 1883.
The right of way has been granted the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad company through the Ft. Smith military reservation.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 22, 1883.
The Osage Indians, who are located in the Territory, are the wealthiest nation per capita on the globe. There are only 1,750 of them, but beside their home property they have four millions of dollars in the hands of the Government at five percent, and three millions yet in Kansas lands, which makes their average wealth outside of their home property $4,000 per head for each man, woman, and child.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 22, 1883.
Advice to Payne's Followers.
The following from the New York Sun shows the sentiment of that great journal in regard to any undertaking not strictly lawful. The advice emanating from whence it does is undoubt- edly good and Payne's followers would find it very healthy to take a little of it. The Sun re-ceived one of Payne's circulars through a correspondent, and comments as follows upon it.
"The language of Payne's circular glows with adjectives and promises. The beautiful land of Oklahoma is `the garden spot, the Eden of modern times.' `Come,' says Payne, `and go with us to this beautiful land and secure for yourselves and children homes in the richest, most beautiful, and best country that the great Creator, in his goodness, has made for man.'
"But the circular fails to convey, with sufficient clearness, that this garden spot is no more open to settlement by Payne and his colonists than are the Central Park and Boston Common. The Territory belongs to the Indians, and is secured to them by treaties. Payne has been taken by the nape of the neck already, and pitched out of the Territory. If he carries out his announced determination, and the government does its duty, he will be pitched out again; and the foolish citizens who allow themselves to be inveigled into an unlawful enterprise by his firm promises will get into serious trouble."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 22, 1883.
Last week some Indians came in from the north and went south into the Territory, accompanied by some two or three that had come up to meet them; they camped just over the State line. It seems that they had a supply of fire-water which they had obtained some- where on the route, which soon generated a row which resulted in one of them being stabbed in the breast with a knife. The wound was considered fatal by those that saw it. As the Indians started early next morning for home with the wounded man, we have not heard the result. A. V. Democrat.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 22, 1883.
The streams in the Territory are bank full or have been during the past week; consequently, the mail between this place and Reno has been very irregular.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 22, 1883.
The rains and the thaw last week raised the Nennescah and Chikaskia rivers so that the water ran over the railroad bridges across those streams. The bridge across the former was so badly damaged by ice and driftwood that no trains could cross it up to last Saturday, and all trains to and from Caldwell had to go by way of Winfield.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 22, 1883.
The Oklahomaites.
On last Saturday and Sunday, the Oklahoma boomers who went from here began return- ing and still they keep coming back from the "promised land." Some of the boomers ex- pressed themselves as thinking the expedition was an entire failure, as far as results are concerned at present, owing to the fact that there was no unison of action, and therefore each separate colony from the different parts of the country had their own ideas and notions re- garding the mode of procedure and acted accordingly. One McPherson County man ad- vanced the idea that it would take a greater number of soldiers to keep the boomers in Okla- homa than it would to put them out. The boomers are getting out of that region as fast as circumstances will permit, but find it no easy task to dodge the U. S. Troops that are picking them up wherever found. One thing is certain, we believe, this will be the last raid that will take place for many a day, at least until congress takes some action regarding the disposition of the same.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, February 22, 1883.
Major Tufts returned to Muskogee last Thursday afternoon, in obedience to a telegram regarding Creek affairs. We understand that the Major will make out his report at an early day, but what the tenor of it will be no man can say, excepting himself.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, March 1, 1883.
CATTLE MEN IN THE TERRITORY.
The following, which we clip from the Globe-Democrat, will be of interest to stockmen in the Territory. The land which Mr. Campbell wants to lease, does not belong to the Chero- kees, and even if it did, the Secretary of the Interior has no more authority to lease it than he has to lease a farm belonging to any man in the United States. As to preventing the Chero- kees from deriving a revenue from their lands in any way they may see proper, except by selling it to other parties than the government, it is hard to understand whence the Secretary derives any authority to interfere. One thing is plain, however, to the people in this section, and that is, if the Cherokees have no right to the control of their lands, known as the Strip or outlet, and can be prevented from allowing cattlemen to occupy them, it will be understood that the lands belong to the United States, and they will be settled upon before the Honorable Secretary can bat an eye. So long as the lands in question can be used for stock, there will be little objection to them remaining in their present status, but drive out the cattlemen and the farmers will at once take possession of them. Perhaps it would be well for some of our leading stockmen to impress this idea upon the Secretary's mind.
"WASHINGTON, Feb. 21. Mr. Campbell, of Illinois, a prominent cattleman in the Indian Territory, has been here several days, trying to lease a tract thirty miles square, in the Indian Territory. He offered $50,000 immediately for fifteen years. The Secretary of the Interior refused to grant the lease. Mr. Campbell is in receipt of a letter, which says a Western Congressman and a number of friends are trying to lease the same tract and addi- tional land, offering a greater rental. Unless the Secretary changes his opinion, the lease will not be granted. The Cherokees are anxious to have the land leased. The question has been raised whether or not the Indians have a right to let their lands to white men, and it is said a division will be made in the Interior Department which will prevent them. Now the leases are made, and ratified, by the Secretary, if he feels so disposed."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, March 1, 1883.
W. P. Brush, the live traveling correspondent of the Texas Live Stock Journal, made Caldwell a flying visit on Thursday of last week. Brush will not be here during the stockmen's meeting, being compelled to attend a big stock sale at Muscatine, Iowa.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, March 1, 1883.
Payne, and sixteen men who had made former raids with him, were brought up from Fort Reno last week, under a cavalry escort, and turned loose at the line last Thursday. We learn that at first it was the intention to take Payne and his party to Fort Smith, but orders were re- ceived to escort the outfit to the Territory line and let them loose. The entire party took the afternoon train for the north, Payne stopping off at Wichita. We have heard, however, that he is now at Arkansas City organizing another party to go into the Territory again.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, March 1, 1883.
We met one of the Kansas City boomers last Monday, who had arrived and went into camp on the creek last Saturday. He was about the most disgusted man we have run across in a long time, and is loud in his denunciations of Payne and his misrepresentations regarding the country. The Kansas City man said he would not give one-quarter section in Kansas for the entire Oklahoma country for farming purposes. The soil is thin and poor, he claims, and the country rough and broken. Some of the bottoms along the streams look very nice, but the soil is poor. K. C. said he had enough of Oklahoma, and no man could induce him to go there again.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, March 1, 1883.
We see by the Cherokee Advocate that Ed. W. Bushyhead, brother of Hon. D. W. Bushyhead, chief of the Cherokee Nation, is collector of taxes for San Diego County, California. Ed. Bushyhead is a Cherokee, a printer by trade, and served his apprenticeship in the Advocate office at Tahlequah. At the expiration of his apprenticeship, printer like, he started on a tramp, brought up in California, and by his industry, morality, and sobriety, worked his way to his present position. All this only goes to show that in this free America, if an Indian boy can work his way along after the manner of Ed. Bushyhead, there is plenty of room for white boys if they have the stamina.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, March 8, 1883.
STATE NEWS.
The city council of Osage Mission have voted to change the name of their town to "Leona." The name is selected in honor of a former head chief of the Big Osages, "Little Bear."
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, March 8, 1883.
Muskogee Journal: Col. Tufts has received a complete map of the Cherokee Strip, showing the location and size of all the pastures on the Strip. There are about 20 pastures in all, aggregating 700 miles of fence. The largest pasture is 20 miles square.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, March 8, 1883.
The Vinita Chieftain makes war upon the Atlantic and Pacific railroad for its extor-tionate charges and refusal to pay damages for killing stock in the Cherokee Nation. Unlike the Kansas people, the Cherokees seem determined to take time by the forelock and hold the railroads level.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, March 8, 1883.
Stock Buyers in Indian Territory.
All non-citizens who contemplate buying stock in the Creek Nation are hereby notified that they must execute a bond to the U. S. Indian agent, and pay the taxes required by law before engaging in said business. All former U. S. citizens of other Indian Nations by inter- marriage, are considered non-citizens in the Nation, and are, hence, subject to taxation. See laws of the Creek Nation. All non-citizens who have complied with the laws, and are buying stock legitimately, are requested to report the names of such as buy stock without license. The law taxing stock buyers was passed as a protection to honest and well-intended stock buyers, and it is to their interest to see that no one competes with them except such as have paid their taxes. Joshua Ross, of Muskogee, has been authorized to receive taxes from stock buyers, and receipt for the same in the name of the tax collector. The same will be attended to by addressing the undersigned at Okmulgee.
A. P. McKELLOP, National Tax Collector, C. N.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, March 8, 1883.
Wm. Wykes has been appointed to superintend the construction of the Indian school building to be erected south of Arkansas City. Work on the foundation began last week. It is likely that Mr. Wykes will also have the superintending of the building to be erected near Council Bluff, Iowa.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, March 8, 1883.
Major John D. Miles returned yesterday, and was an interested spectator in the stock- men's convention.
J. J. Jewett, of the Kansas City Indicator, is in the city in attendance upon the stockmen's convention. He represents a livestock paper and one that has long been recognized as one of the leading stock papers of the west.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, March 8, 1883.
H. N. Brown, city marshal, returned on Saturday from a visit to his old home in Missouri, and has resumed the duties of his office. Since his return, the boys are not quite so numerous on the streets at night.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, March 8, 1883.
Several of the lower country folks came up last Saturday to attend the stock meeting. Among them were Lafe Merritt of the Cheyenne Transporter, Tom Donnell, the well known scout; Ben. Goode and Mr. Walker, all of whom reported at the COMMERCIAL office and received passes to go where they pleased.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, March 8, 1883.
On Tuesday afternoon President Miller read a dispatch from Dodge City, stating that owing to the prevalence of small-pox in that city, the stockmen's convention has been postponed from March 28th to April 7th.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, March 8, 1883.
THIRD ANNUAL ROUND-UP
-OF THE-
CHEROKEE STRIP STOCKMEN.
NEW ORGANIZATION MADE.
No Show for Monopolists.
The third annual meeting of the Cherokee Strip Stockmen's Association met in the Opera House on Tuesday, March 6, 1883, at 11 a.m., and was called to order by the president, Ben S. Miller, who made the following remarks.
It becomes my painful duty to call this Association to order again. Painful, because it will be a rehash of what we have done, the past year, some of which has come to light, and some of which may never show up. On looking to my right, I miss the face of one who, in life, was one of the best supporters the chair had, and whose council and suggestions were always so timely. I refer with sorrow to our friend and brother, A. H. Johnson, who was stricken down in the prime of life last summer, without a moment's warning, by the Power that controls the elements. He has gone to a place where "scattering," "gatherings," and "round-ups" are no more. Whether to a range that is fenced or open, we know not; but we do know that if it is fenced, no Congress, Secretary of the Interior, or Indian Commission can tear it down at their pleasure.
The roll was called and the following officers reported.
Ben S. Miller, president.
John A. Blair, secretary.
M. H. Bennett, treasurer.
The reading of the minutes of the previous meetings was on motion dispensed with.
M. H. Bennett, treasurer of the Association, presented his report, showing the receipts to be $3,645.16; expenditures, $1,537.12, leaving a balance in the treasury of $2,108.04. Report accepted.
On motion, Messrs. W. E. Bridge, T. F. Pryor, P. Carnagie, J. W. Carter, and Cid. Eldridge were appointed as committee on membership.
On motion, Messrs. Hodson, Eldridge, Drumm, Hewins, and Tuttle were appointed a committee on permanent organization.
On motion the president appointed W. S. Snow, James Hamilton, and Ed. Hewins a committee on constitution and by-laws.
Mr. Hewins moved that the president appoint a sergeant at arms, whose duty it shall be to see that bonafide members of the Association are seated together and apart from specta- tors. Carried.
The Association then adjourned to meet at 2 p.m.
On re-assembling at 2 p.m., the committee on credentials reported the following list of new members, which report was accepted.
D. R. Streeter, Northup & Stephens, C. W. Blaine, F. M. Stewart, R. B. Clark, R. H. Campbell, W. J. Hodges, G. A. Thompson, S. A. Garth, W. H. Harrelston, W. M. Dunn, G. B. Mote, Crutchfield & Carpenter, Walworth, Walton & Rhodes, W. B. Lee, W. W. Wicks, J. A. Emmerson, John Myrtle, J. H. Hill, A. J. Snider, A. G. Evans, R. W. Phillips, E. W. Payne, Tomlin & Webb, H. W. Roberts, E. P. Fouts, W. W. Stephens, A. Mills, C. M. Scott, H. P. Standley, Lafe Merritt, J. N. Florer, D. W. Roberts, C. H. Dye, M. W. Brand, Drury Warren, W. P. Herring, S. T. Tuttle, E. W. Rannols, N. J. Thompson, W. H. Dunn, E. A. Hereford, J. Love, Johnston & Housner, S. T. Mayor, D. A. Streeter, M. H. Snyder, P. S. Burress, C. C. Clark, K. C. Weathers, G. V. Collins, and H. H. Campbell.
The committee on permanent organization reported the following officers.
President, Ben S. Miller.
Secretary, John A. Blair.
Assistant Secretary, Tell W. Walton.
Treasurer, M. H. Bennett.
Report adopted.
Mr. Hamilton from committee on constitution and by-laws, asked for further time. Granted.
The committee on membership reported names received as temporary members until the constitution and by-laws were adopted. Report accepted.
On motion of Mr. Cooper, the report of committee on permanent organization was adopted. Whereupon Mr. Ben S. Miller thanked the convention for their united confidence in him as a presiding officer, and without any flourish, announced that the next order of busi- ness would be the appointment of a sergeant-at-arms, and therefore appointed Marion Blair.
On motion, the Association resolved itself into a committee of the whole, and on motion of Major Drumm, the following committee on round-ups was appointed.
A. Drumm, W. E. Campbell, Marion Blair, H. W. Timberlake, Syl. Fitch, J. W. Carter, Tony Day, M. K. Krider, Oliver Ewell, Pat Carnegie, and E. W. Payne.
On motion, W. B. Hutchison, Caldwell COMMERCIAL; H. P. Standley, Arkansas City Traveler; T. A. McNeal, Cresset; E. W. Payne, Index, Medicine Lodge; H. A. Heath, Kansas Farmer, Topeka; J. J. Jewett, Kansas City Indicator; H. H. Heath, Kansas City Price Current; R. L. Owen, Indian Chieftain, Vinita, Indian Territory; Lafe Merritt, Transporter, Cheyenne, Indian Territory; J. C. Richards, Press; C. T. Hickman, Democrat, Wellington; were elected assistant secretaries of the convention.
Report of H. B. Johnson, inspector at Kansas City, was read and accepted. The report sets forth that Mr. Johnson has caught 207 cattle wrongfully shipped, valued at $75.00. [Wonder if they meant $75.00 each???]
A vote of thanks was tendered Mr. Johnson, and various other inspectors, for their efficient work on behalf of the Association.
On motion the following gentlemen were appointed as a committee on programme for tomorrow's work: Ben. Miller, Carnegie, Bridge, Hodgson, Hamilton, and John Blair.
Messrs. John Reese and John Volz were instructed to furnish the Association with an exhibit of expenses incurred in pursuing cattle thieves.
A telegram dated Kansas City, March 6, to W. B. Hutchison, from Agent Miles, was read as follows: "Agent Tufts recommends that fences be permitted to remain and others with the consent of the Cherokees."
The convention adjourned until ten o'clock Wednesday morning.
SECOND DAY.
Convention called to order at 11 a.m., on Wednesday morning by President Miller.
Mr. Hamilton, chairman from committee on constitution and by-laws reported progress.
The following report of committee on round-ups was presented by its chairman and on motion of Mr. Hodgson was adopted.
REPORT.
We, the assigned committee on round-ups, appointed by the Convention of the Cherokee Strip Stock Association, held in Caldwell on March 6th, 1883, herewith submit the following report.
Division No. 1. To be composed of what is known as Red Rock and Salt Fork country, including the territory of, and then to the south line of Kansas, and thence west, including all tributaries of the Salt Fork, in the west line of the Comanche County Pool. Said division to meet at the Red Rock crossing of the Arkansas City road, and Thomas Wilson to be appointed as Captain of said division.
Division No. 2. To be composed of the country lying south of division No. 1, and extend as far south as the division between the Cimarron and the North Fork of the Canadian, and to commence work at McClellen's pasture, and, if necessary, to work on the North Fork, east of the crossing of the Chisholm trail, and work west as far as the west line of the Comanche County Pool. This division to meet where the Arkansas City wagon road crosses the Skeleton Creek, and Howard Capper to be appointed captain of said division.
Division No. 3. To be composed of the country lying south of division No. 2, and as far south as the Washita River; and to extend as far west as A. J. Day's range. Said division to meet at the Chisholm trail crossing of the North Fork of the Canadian, and H. W. Timberlake to be appointed captain.
We also recommend that the captains of the several divisions be empowered to discharge all parties not doing their duty or refusing to obey orders, and that the said captains be autho- rized to employ other men to fill vacancies, at the expense of the parties who were repre- sented by the parties discharged.
We also recommend that Marion Blair, A. J. Day, W. E. Campbell, J. W. Carter, H. W. Timberlake, and J. W. Hamilton be appointed as a committee to confer with the round-up committee appointed by the stock meeting to be held at Medicine Lodge on the 28th and 29th of the present month, and that the joint communities then decide upon a date for the beginning of the spring round-up, together with such other recommendations as they may desire to proffer; and that the report be published in the Caldwell, Anthony, and Medicine Lodge papers. A. DRUMM, Chairman.
The President read a communication from W. W. Cook, chairman of the Barbour County Stockmen's Association, inviting the stockmen of the Cherokee Strip, and all others, to attend their meeting to be held at Medicine Lodge, March 28 and 29, 1883.
The committee on credentials reported several new names for membership, which report was received and the members admitted.
Mr. H. S. Lane, inspector at St. Louis, reported 105 head picked up, which sold at an average of $75 per head.
The bill of Stoller & Reese, amounting to $213.00, and of John Volz for $216.00, for expenses in recovering stolen stock and prosecuting thieves, were referred to committee on finance.
The questions of continuing the reward offered by the inspection committee for the con- viction of stock thieves was discussed by Messrs. Buzard, Snow, Heran, McDowell, and othersthe general feeling being that the reward ought to be increased.
Mr. Hodges asked leave to file paper for consideration of the convention at the proper time concerning Oil Company troubles. Paper was read and discussed.
Mr. Gore, representing the Company, supposed to be the Pennsylvania Oil Company, stated that it was not a part of said company, but was a private enterprise, and that they were willing to agree to anything reasonable concerning the ranges.
Mr. Hewins thought the paper should go to the committee on arbitration.
The following resolution was read and adopted.
Resolved, That as the Kansas Legislature has adopted a railroad bill providing for com-missioners, the stockmen of Southwestern Kansas request that in the appointment of said commissioners, the stock interests of the State shall be taken into consideration; we, there- fore, request that Hon. A. B. Mayhew, of Sumner County, be appointed as a member of said commission.
THIRD DAY.
The convention was called to order at 11 o'clock a.m.
James W. Hamilton from the committee on organization, reported that articles of incor- poration had been adopted and filed with the secretary of state as the Cherokee Live Stock Association, that the board of directors for the first year were Ben S. Miller, A. Drumm, John A. Blair, S. Tuttle of Caldwell; W. Payne of Medicine Lodge; and Charles H. Eldred, of Carrolton, Illinois; and others. The committee also reported a code of by-laws.
The report was read at length, and after a warm discussion, adopted; and the convention adjourned until three o'clock p.m.
At the three o'clock session seventy-three stock men came forward and paid their mem- bership fee of $10, after which a meeting of the board of directors was called, the names passed upon, and then adjourned until Friday morning.
Just at this point, we desire to say that the new organization is a move in the right direc- tion. Through it, the rights of the smallest stockman in the Territory will be as fully protected as those of the powerful combinations. In fact, it makes of all parties one complete organiza- tion, wherein the weak will have a show for the capital they may have invested.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, March 8, 1883.
The stockmen did a wise thing in re-electing Ben S. Miller president of their Association. Mr. Miller thoroughly understands parliamentary rules, and while he is positive, at the same time he has a manner which permits of no encroachments upon the rights of the chair without tramping upon other folk's corns, and at the same time he advances business. The convention just closed is the biggest thing of the kind ever held in Kansas, and composed as it was of men of intelligence with diverse interests and yet having much in common, it required excellent tact to manage them so as to prevent any outbreak. Ben S. Miller filled the bill to the entire satisfaction of everybody, and on all sides, we have heard nothing but praise for him as a presiding officer.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, March 8, 1883.
SKIPPED ALL THE DETAILS ABOUT THE BIG BANQUET GIVEN FOR THE CHEROKEE STRIP LIVE STOCK ASSOCIATION...BASICALLY CALDWELL PEOPLE WERE MENTIONED.
The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, March 8, 1883.
Shooting at Hunnewell.
A report came in late last night to the effect that R. V. Dodd, employed as cattle inspector at Hunnewell, had been killed at that place by Pat Hanley, a herder in the employ of Syl. Flitch. Dodd left Caldwell for Hunnewell late on Wednesday afternoon, and upon arriving at the latter place, hit Hanley with a revolver. Hanley pulled his pistol and shot Dodd, killing him almost instantly.
This is the story as given us. It is also said that the trouble between the two men was of long standing, and grew out of their relations to one of the prostitutes of Hunnewell.
