OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. XXXI Indian Territory (Gulf, Colorado a d Santa F4 Railway-Soutkerm Kansas Railway).-At the last session of Congress two acts were passed granting to the above-mentioned railroads, respectively, a right of way through the Indian Territory, and for other purposes. The legal right to t.hus legislate was based upon the principle of eminent domain in the Federal Government over the Indian Ter r i tor~(s ee House reports Nos. 110, 1451, 48th Oong., first sesliion). Both acts received Presiden-tial approval July 4,1884. The first mentioned of these acts empowers the Gulf, Colorado and Santa F6 Railway Company, a corporation of the State of Texas, to build and operate a railway, telegraph and tele-phone liue throughthe Iudiau Territory- Beginning at % pointto be sslectsd by said railany eaulpany on Red Kiver north of the northern boundary of Cook Connty, in the State of Texas, and rt~noingth ence, bytha most practicable route throngh the IndizuTer*itnry to a point on the so~~tbem boundary of the State of Kansas, the line to be loeatecl in sections of tweaty-five vile8 each, and before work is begun au any seot,ion the line thereof is to be approved by the Secretary of thc Interior, with the right to construct, use, and nmintaiu weh tmcks, turnouts, sidiogs,and exten~ionsa s said company may deem it to their inter-est to construot along and npon the right of way and depot grounds hereby gmnted. For these purposes the act grants to said railway company a right of way 100 feet wide through the Indian Territory, and a strip of land 200 feet wide by 3,000 feet long, in addition to the right of way, for such stations as may be established, not to exceed one station fbr every 10 miles of road. Acaording to the general route mentioned in the act, this line will probably run through the Chickasaw country, the ~o-called Oklahotna lands, and the Cherokee outlet lands. The other of these acts invests the Southern Kansas lhilway Uom-pany, s corporatiou of the State of Kansas, with like powers and au-thorities and with similar limitations as to the quantity of landin the construction and operation of a railway and telegraph and telephone line through the Indian Territory- Beginning at a point on the northern line of said Territory, whore en extension of the Southern Ka~tsns Railway from Winfield in a southerly direction would strike aaid line, running thence aouth in the direction of Donison, in the State of Texas, on the most praotioable route to a point at or near whare the Washitn, River empties into the Red River, with a, branch constructed from a point at or near where Medi-cine Lodge Creek crosses the northern line of said Territory, and from that point in a southwesterly direction, crossing Beaver Creek st or near Camp Supply and reaoh-ing the west line of aaid Indian Territory at or near where Wolf Creak oroases the ame, with ths right to can8truot.-, and mnintaiu suoht,raoks, turnouts, and sidings rn said oornpany may deem it to their interest to odnstruot aloog and upon the right of way and depot grounds hereby granted. The main line of this mad will probably run through the Cherokee outlet land west of the Arkansas River; the lands upon which the Poneau, Otoes and Missourias, Iowas, Eickapoos, and Pottawatomies are settled; a portion of the so-called Oklahoma lands, and the Chick-asaw country. The branch line will traverse the Cherokee outlet lands for its entire length as laid down in the act. |