CHEROKEE STRIP LIVE STOCK ASSOCIATION.

Winfield Courant, December 1, 1881.

The Caldwell Post says the Indians that have been causing the cattle men so much trouble near the Cimarron lately, have been corralled at last, and taken to Fort Reno. It remarked that a killing bee would have done a power of good about the time they were setting fire to the ranges on the Cherokee strip. The cattle men pay their tax for the privilege of this range, and should be protected from other bands roaming around and burning off the ranges.

Arkansas City Traveler, Wednesday, May 28, 1883.

Leasing the Strip.

Muskogee, Indian Territory, May 16.

In the Cherokee council today, both the Senate and House passed by a small majority the bill leasing the Cherokee strip to the Cherokee Strip Live Stock Association for five years, for a consideration of $100,000 per annum. The bill was then sent to Chief Bushyhead and as he recommended the leasing, there is no doubt of his approval.

Arkansas City Traveler, Wednesday, May 28, 1883.

Arkansas Cattle.

Telegram of the 5th inst. to the Galveston News from Little Rock, Arkansas, says:

“Gus H. Bryan, of Texas, manager of the McClellan Cattle Company, today shipped from this point 750 cattle to Fort Smith, where they will be driven into the Indian Territory. Next week about 3,000 will follow. Hon. Charles H. McClellan, superintendent of the company, is in the city, arranging for the transportation of the stock, bought in this State and Mississippi. The company has purchased, altogether, 4,500 head in Arkansas. The cattle rate as average, and cost from $11 to $15 per head. In Mississippi about 2,000 have been bought at the same figures. The cattle are in good thriving order, and will be put on the range as rapidly as possible. The McClellan Cattle Company has a ranch of over 200,000 acres on the Cherokee strip, Indian Territory, and will have on it 30,000 head of stock the present season. Heavy shipments of stock will be made from this point to the border of the Indian Territory and the Texas Panhandle within the next few days by different parties, the intention being to have all the cattle on the trail by May 20.”

Arkansas City Traveler, May 30, 1883.

The Cherokee strip has been leased to the Cherokee Live Stock Association, whose headquarters are at Caldwell, for the sum of $100,000 per year for five years. This will be a great advantage to the majority of the stockmen in the territory, as most of them belong to this association, and will hold their ranges and go on fencing their pastures.

Arkansas City Traveler, May 30, 1883.

D. W. Lipe, Treasurer of the Cherokee Nation, writes C. M. Scott that the bill leasing the lands west of the Arkansas River to the “Cherokee Strip Association” passed the council but had not been signed by the chief yet. Mr. Lipe thought he would be in Caldwell June 30th.

Arkansas City Traveler, May 30, 1883.

The cattle owners of Harper and Barber Counties have issued the following notice to drovers.

“Whereas Chapter 105, Article 9, Compiled Laws of Kansas, 1879, and Chapter 161, of the Laws of Kansas, 1881, prohibits any person from driving cattle from the country south of Kansas, including Texas, Indian Territory, and Arkansas cattle, etc., and provides penalties for violation of said acts.

“Now, we the cattle owners of Harper and Barber Counties, Kansas, having suffered heavily from violations of said laws, have determined to prosecute any and all persons violating the aforesaid acts to the full extent of the law.”

Our people who are interested in cattle cannot do better than follow the precedent indicated in the above notice.

Arkansas City Traveler, June 20, 1883.

The conditions of membership to the Cherokee Strip Live Stock Association are an undisputed range on the strip and $10 membership fee, to be sent to M. H. Bennett, Caldwell, Kansas. Send description of range and the brands of horses or cattle.

Arkansas City Traveler, June 27, 1883.

Dr. and Mrs. Roberts, and Col. and Mrs. Windsor, and son, of Titusville, Pennsylvania, who have been spending several days on their Territory ranche at Willow Springs, returned to this city Thursday last and on Friday returned to their eastern home. Col. Windsor accompanied them as far as Wichita, but has since returned to the city where he will remain to look after business interests.

[Roberts/Windsor: O I L Company.]

Arkansas City Traveler, June 27, 1883.

Board of Arbitrators.

The decisions of the Board of Arbitrators of the Cherokee Strip Live Stock Association held last week at Caldwell will be found in brief as follows.

J. A. Hammers & Co., vs. Northrup & Co.; settled by mutual agreement.

Salt Fork and Eagle Chief Pool vs. Broadwell & Co. Broadwell entitled to a range of 15,000 acres.

Salt Fork & Eagle Chief Pool vs. The Texas Land and Cattle Company. This was a dispute about water on Sand Creek, and the Board divided the creek equally between the two.

Windsor & Roberts vs. Hodges & Stewart, owing to the absence of the defendants, was continued.

B. H. Campbell vs. Bates & Thompson, continued.

John Love & Son vs. Standard Oil Co., P. Fouts, manager, was next heard. Plaintiff moved for a continuance. Motion refused, and the Board decided that as plaintiff had no tax receipt, or other evidence that they had range privileges, and there being nothing to show that they had a range, therefore, plaintiffs had no rights before the Board. The representatives of the defendants protested against the name “Standard Oil Co.” It was therefore ordered by the Board that the same should be changed to “Roberts & Windsor.”

Crocker vs. Hollenback was compromised.

P. J. Burroughs vs. Richmond was decided by giving Burroughs a strip of two miles bordering on the Nez Perces reservation.

Colson & McAtee vs. Reese & Stoller, continued.

Casteen & McDonald vs. J. W. Hammers & Co., decision that Casteen’s range be as follows: Commencing on the State line one fourth of a mile west of the sheep camp on Middle Crooked Creek, thence south to the old Manning & Nicholson fire guard; thence west on line of fire guard to Rhodes east line.

M. Blair & Co. vs. Windsor Bros. was continued.

Only two appeals were filed with the Board: that of Broadwell against the decision of the Board in the case of the Salt Fork & Eagle Chief Pool vs. Broadwell; the other the appeal of J. P. Richmond in the case of Burroughs vs. Richmond.

Arkansas City Traveler, July 4, 1883.

Col. Windsor, of the Willow Springs, was in our city several days of the past week.

Arkansas City Traveler, July 4, 1883.

Col. Windsor yesterday received a telegram from Dallas, Texas, stating that the first of their two herds of 2,000 head each crossed the Red River on the 30th ult., and requesting him to meet them at Hunnewell.

Arkansas City Traveler, July 4, 1883.

D. W. Lipe, treasurer of the Cherokee Nation, will be at Caldwell, July 1st, to collect taxes for grazing on the Cherokee strip west of the Arkansas River. He will collect for July, August, and September, after that date the Cherokee Live Stock Association will have a control of it.

Arkansas City Traveler, August 1, 1883.

Trouble on the Range.

Reports come to us to the effect that parties have been killing sheep and driving stock off the range of Roberts & Windsor, on Willow Creek south of Arkansas City. Tuesday afternoon Mr. Fouts, manager for the above firm, received a telegram that a party of men had driven the stock off the range. If these reports are correct, the Cherokee Strip Live Stock Association will be compelled to take some action for their own protection, for the reason that if lawlessness of that kind can go unpunished in one single instance, it will be but a very short time before others will suffer, and the fact of being a member of the Association, will be no protection whatever. It would seem now, that if the Strip is made a part of the U. S. District of Kansas, there should be some way of punishing those who commit depredations upon the property of persons occupying the Strip in accordance with the laws and regulations of the United States and Cherokee Nation. If not, a range on the Strip is not worth a song, and if any man undertakes to hold one, he will have to do so through force. No argument is necessary to show that if such a condition of affairs is brought about, the Strip will become a strip of terror, where no man’s life or property will be safe for a single moment.

Caldwell Journal.

BILL: THIS IS AS FAR AS I GOT...LATER ENTRIES DONE BY KAY. BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE A LOT MORE ENTRIES BEFORE THIS IS COMPLETED. QUESTION IS: SHOULD THIS GO IN NEXT BOOK??? MAW

Arkansas City Traveler, September 26, 1883.

The pasture now being enclosed by Evans, Hunter & Newman on the Cheyenne and Arapaho reservation is an immense affair, taking some 250 miles of barbed wire fence to enclose it. There will be about 150 miles of cross fencing, making in all about 400 miles of fence. The range thus secured is one of the finest in the southwest, having an abundance of fine, pure water, and a luxuriant growth of nutritious grass. This, with their interest in the Comanche pool, will make them the largest cattle owners in this section, and if they have the success that has heretofore met their investments, they will make a mint of money in the next few years. Medicine Lodge Cressent.

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Traveler, August 8, 1883. The lessees of the Cheyenne and Arapaho country last week purchased in St. Louis 150 tons of barbed wire to be used at once for fencing their range.

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Arkansas City Traveler, August 8, 1883.

Big Lease. Last week was consummated the final arrangements between the Kaw tribe of Indians and our townsman, T. J. Gilbert, by which the latter gentleman becomes the lessee for ten years of one-half of the Kaw Reservation, a tract of land embracing some 50,000 acres of fine grazing land. This will be of great benefit to the Indians as they will now realize a rental of about $2,100 per year whereas heretofore they have not realized over $300 per year from this land. The other half of their reservation will be fenced in and used by the tribe as a stock range. At the meeting of the council of the tribe to take action on this matter, the following was submitted, which will explain itself.

“Our reasons for asking that this lease be made are: 1st, we do not or cannot occupy it or cultivate it; 2nd, it will effectually keep out objectionable persons who would otherwise occupy it; 3rd, we will thereby receive the greatest possible remuneration for use of said tract of land.”

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Arkansas City Traveler, October 3, 1883.

AD. WILLOW SPRINGS STOCK RANCH. Sheep, Horses & Cattle. PINK FOUTS, MANAGER. Horse Brand: O I L on left hip. Cattle Brand: O I L on either side. Information given of strays of above brand will be rewarded. P. O. Address, Arkansas City, Ks. Ranch at Willow Springs, Indian Territory.

Arkansas City Traveler, January 9, 1884. As was stated in last week’s Chief, Hon Eli Titus visited Sedan for the purpose of closing the contract for a lease of 81,800 acre of (Osage) land in the territory. There were present at the meeting a number of Indian chiefs and the following cattle kings of Southern Kansas, who leased the number of acres set opposite their names. Hewins & Titus, of this place, leased 1,800 acres more than any of the other firms.

Hewins & Titus; 81,800 acres.

Wait, King, and Slaughter; 48,080 acres.

John P. Soderstrom: 65,000 acres.

Carpenter & Leahy: 50,000 acres.

Florer & Pollock: 75,000 acres.

Crane & Larimer: 80,000 acres.

The price paid per acre is three cents per year, the leases running ten years. The contract for fencing the land has been let, and it will be under fence next April. Grenola Chief.

Arkansas City Traveler, October 10, 1883. AD. T. E. BERRY & BROS. (Geo. Berry in charge.) P. O. Address, Shawneetown, Indian Territory, or Pawnee Agency, Indian Territory.

Cattle Brands: Cross and bell on left side.

Young cattle brands: With cross and bell on both sides.

Old stock: B cross on right side and cross bell on left side.

Other brand: bow and arrow on right side.

Horse Brand: Cross bell on left shoulder.

(Note - The cross bell brand ranch was east of Arkansas City. It was the site of the Mullendore murder in the 1950's)

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Arkansas City Traveler, Wednesday, December 26, 1883.

Two Pictures.

It appears that Col. Boudinot has “poked up” the animals in and about Washington by instituting suits and preferring charges against those who have seemingly acted crooked with reference to “leased lands” in the Indian country. The Colonel’s “prod pole” is punching in the right direction and while great bellowing will be caused, the “general savage” will be able to ward off any damper that may threaten him. Let him continue in his work and protect the nation’s wards is the general sentiment of the country. Springfield Herald.

We learn that Boudinot, in addition to bringing suit against Col. Phillips, has also brought suit against the directors of the Cherokee Strip Live Stock association. Boudinot is an outlaw in his own country; at least he don’t dare to set a foot inside of the Cherokee Nation, and hasn’t for several years. He is a lobbyist and a sharper, and the suits he has entered are only another tack to replenish his depleted purse. Washington is full of just such harpies. Caldwell Journal.

Arkansas City Traveler, January 9, 1884.

As was stated in last week’s Chief, Hon. Eli Titus visited Sedan for the purpose of closing the contract for a lease of 81,800 acres of land in the territory. There were present at the meeting a number of Indian chiefs and the following cattle kings of Southern Kansas, who leased the number of acres set opposite their names. Hewins & Titus, of this place, leased 1,800 acres more than any of the other firms.

Hewins & Titus: 81,800 acres.

Wait, King, and Slaughter: 48,080 acres.

John P. Soderstrom: 65,000 acres.

Carpenter & Leahy: 50,000 acres.

Florer & Pollock: 75,000 acres.

Crane and Larimer: 80,000 acres.

The price paid per acre is three cents per year, the leases running ten years. The contract for fencing the land has been let, and it will be under fence next April. Grenola Chief.

Traveler, March 19, 1884.

CHEROKEE STRIP ASSOCIATION.

The Second Annual Meeting at Caldwell.

The meeting was called to order at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 12, 1884, in the opera house in Caldwell, by President Miller.

The object of the meeting was very pleasantly stated in a neat speech by Mr. Miller, in which he congratulated the members of the association and the West in general upon the successful year just closed in their business. The minutes of the last meeting were read by the secretary, and on motion approved.

A committee of ten was appointed to prepare a place of proceedings in the matter of spring round-ups.

Considerable time was taken up in the discussion of the foot and mouth disease, now making such sad havoc in parts of our state, and a resolution was unanimously passed requesting the governor to call an extra session of the legislature to consider and enact such laws and regulations for quarantine and other purposes as may be deemed necessary and expedient. The association pledged its support to the governor and other public authorities in all measures taken to suppress the disease. Telegrams to the above effect were sent to Gov. Glick and to Major Hood, of Emporia.

The subject of the national convention then came up for discussion, and a letter was read calling for a convention to be held in St. Louis or some other central point this fall. Speeches were made showing the necessity for such a convention, citing that the stockmen should combine to protect their interests from the encroachments of designing politicians and others; that the English Farmers’ Alliance was organized with the sole view, and its best energies directed to, the prohibition of American beef from that country, and that it behooved the stockmen to be combined in their efforts to offset the effects of this class of men and organizations; that this end could only be attained by a national organization, and in support of his ideas offered a resolution in favor of holding such convention at as early a day as practicable. The association as a body favored St. Louis.

On motion, two car loads of corn were sent to the Ohio River Flood sufferers.

SECOND DAY.

The second day was devoted mainly to the reports of committees and discussion of matters pertaining to the cattle business. The foot and mouth disease received considerable attention, and the committee was authorized to increase the appropriation of $500 to aid in suppressing this disease to $1,000 or more if necessary.

The president announced that the roll would be called, and an election of a board of nine directors for the ensuing year would be had, and stating that the vote would be taken by acclamation. Roll called. Mr. Bridge moved that the present board of directors be declared reelected for the ensuing year. The motion prevailed and the old board was declared duly elected.