The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-10-17
How the Indians are SwindIed,

How the Indians are SWindIed,
In the course of long article on the
Indian question, the Louisville Journal
has the following:
We had the pleasure Of an hours con
versation a few days ago, with the foster
brother Of the celebrated Seminole chief,
Billy Bowlegs. His "reminiscences Of
the Florida war are exceedingly inter-
esting. He was one of the moderate
party in the tribe, the tribe friendly TO
the whites. When the tribe finally split
upon the subject, he was with those who
petitioned General Zachary Taylor to
transfer them beyond Arkansas.
At no time during his life had he been
hostile to the whites, although he fought
with his tribe so long as general warfare
was kept up. He says that he does not
remember o single instance in thirty
years in which the whites have religious
ly kept an engagement with the Indians.
He never has known treaty which, car
ted to the prejudice of the Indian. He
has known but one or two Indian Agents
who were honest men. The rest are all
scoundrels and Invariably cheat the In
dian out Of seven-cighths of their annui-
ties, Or of their money in trade. He
draws very striking picture of the pay
ment of annuities; one such scene will
represent tue whole.
The Indian Agent makes his appear
ance at a certain point TO distribute the
annuities. The Indians of the tribe,
having been previously notified, are pre-
sent. A young warrior in the first flush
of manhood, ambitious, inexperienced,
comes up to receive, say, one hundred
dollars, which is due him as the son of
a. chief. The first thing that attracts
him is o beautiful blanket. red Nah
kee nah perhaps, which the artful Agent
has placed in q prominent position for
the very purpose. He must have that
blanket. Very well, the Agent is willing
that he should; it is just the same as
money. A roll is prepared in blank, but
the ignorant Indian does not know it.
He makes his mark. Then the blank is
filed by the Agent with as many blank
cts as he deems prudent. Our Seminole
has known of instances where the blank
has been filled with forty blankets, while
only one was actually received by the
Indian receipting. |
There are butcher knives, a very nice
article. An Indian who wishes one is
$40 for it. IT he gets drunk
and wishes to return it and get some
thing else, he is the same day permitted
to return it, and is credited with ST.
Presently the Agent. finding that his
receipts will cover the whole annuity to
the tribe, he closes his books, and an
nounces to the crest fallen Indians that
there is no more to come. But he has
still on hand few blankets and other
trifies for which he will decker If an
Indian would like an old French musket,
Tor which the Agent has paid So, he can
nave IL lOI Nto Ill CASH, OF lufS at the
lowest price. So the shameless trade
goes on. o4saas 4haesl 5Ss@1os a45
At night the Agent has full receipts
'or his goods, or cash, and bas seven
eighths of the whole sale in his pocket
ander guard. Perhaps he will have
arge portions of it exposed for sale on
he frontier shortly afterward. Perhaps
re will have it safely buried at his en-
g .aofss9s ffE 1afse4 s.
Now, if he can get ali the Indians
trunk, he can probably steal back the |
greater portion of the one-eighth distrib-
tied to them Next day he will swear
hey traded with him for whisky. So he
oils out a dozen kegs of whisky, knocks
tut the the heads and winds up the day |
With the biggest spree he can get up. 1
This is the m odel Indian Agent paint |
ID from life faseaa o63 ani8iapa1 iIif i