, 1872-12-19
Indian country would Estrike stranger il he
were allowsd to enter it, say from Fort SMITH
Who would he encounter, and what would be

| Ee6t'
Swell, sir, il you merely entered it to look at
the country, andgo through it, you would not
probably be molested, and might receive some
very excellent hospitality from the farmers,
most OF whom live in double log-cabins, pretty
much Ike the pioneers in Arkansas and Missouri.
| ,iou would see country very far superior to
that which the Cherokees lost in Georgia and
tennessee; for nothing is more mistaken than
the idea that, when the United States removed
US from the Southern States, it gave us bad
that the Indian Territory, where we live at pres
| ent has tho most beautiful climate, and some
| of the best land and natural properties, In the
world.
TEE EJEcTERs.
! tIf YOU were to settle, however, at any spot
in the Indian Territory, you would be reported
to the Chief Of the tribe, and the complaint car
/ ried up to the Governor of the Indian Nation
where you might be; and he, in turn, would call
| upon the United States Military Commander to
remove you. You would be removed by force,
without loss OF time,-ten days being the out
! side generally given for preparation But so
large is the Indians domain, and so few are the
settlements, that yon might ride quito across the
whole Territory without seeing D living soul. It
has been done frequently, am told, BY herders
and horsemen who enter from Texas, say from
Sherman, and pass quite through to Kansas un-
noticed. Our country is mountainous in many
places, often densely wooded with deep streams
end river bottoms, and chaparral where one
might hide. We have q few little clusters Of
cabins called towns, such as
TAHLEQUAH,
the capital of the Cherokee Nation which
has from 800 to 400 people, and Is built
around square, in the middle Of which
is 3 state-House containing the Su-
preme Court rooms,-a neat brick building,
which cost 915, 900. Several stores are upon the
square some arc built Of brick, and some are
two stories high. This town is about twenty
fye miles from Fort Gibson, where there are
above thousand people, Indians and soldiers,
resident. This fort stands in an angle between
the Confederate or Southern Cherokees, the
Ross or Northern Cherokees, and the Greek
Nation. General Grieraon commands
which may be said to bo the biggest town in all
the Indian country. The great events in the
neighborhood. The two fine streams Of the
Indian country-the Verdigris and the Grand
RiyeIs-fa1l into the Arkansas close together,
and near BY Fort Gibson. At the Fort, also, the
comes down on. the west side OF Grand
River, and crosses the Arkansas Ferry.
About forty miles south Of this ferry, fthe road
again crosses the Canadian River, near North
Fork. This is small town, in q central posi-
ton to all the Indians; and good many think
that, if cur country ia ever opened up, the Capt.
tai will be at this place. The old road goes on
southwest, and crosses the Red River into Texas
at Colberts Ferry. Nov, sir, you can See at the
present time hundred wagons at any ct these
to Texas. The rush Of people to that country
surpasses anything OF the sort that 1 have seen.
More people seem to come from iowa, Kansas,
and Minnesota, than even from the Southern
States, On the road to Texas.
THE INEVITABLE.
Above TIE and below us, two great States are
developing with une1ampled speed; and it is
perfectly useless to suppose that ne can keep,
pire like the Indian Territory unde-
yeloped, with Texas, now rapidly
approaching Two millions Of people,
On the south, and Kansas, which appro1imates
dams accede to my suggestions or not mere
agitation OF the question would prepare the
minds Of our people for the inevitable"
BoUpISoT ON GRANT.
"What do you think, Mr.. Boudinot, OF Gen.
eral Grants proposition to dri7e al the Indians
in the country into the Indian Territory, and
make one vast reservation Of them there Z"
"Well, eir, you might aB wen talk Of driving
all the buffaloes IN the United States up into
Maine. II it could be done, they would make .
Pandemonium OF the Indian country, and the
Cherokees would be the first to fly out Of it, be-
fore the Apaches and tho class Of prow1ing
fends who constitute many OF the Wild tribes.
There is no natural utilization between the In
dians Of wide1y-diferent types, and the white
man is far more popular with Cherokee than,
for example, q wild Usage or Kiowa. We have
already, IN the Indian Territory, several tribes
which are IS wild as the buffalo. The Kiowas and
Conanches hare been raiding upon the Chicks
sawa, who are, in many respects, the ablest peo-
pie in the Indian country; and, at the late st.
Louis Fair, they took the three leading prizes
for the best cotton. II you vii give me your
map, will show you more clearly how the Indi-
ans are distributed amongst u.s."
THE MAP BROUGHT DOWN.
Alr. Boudinot took the map OF the Indian coun-
try, which presents the appearance Of an enor~
out to the west Right in the middle OF tho
eastern boundary, the Arkansas River descends
into the State Of Arkaneas at Fort Smith and
about 80 miles inland, it divides into the Cana
dian and Arkansas. each Of which rivers again
divides farther up in the country; while, mean-
time, the Red River Of Louisaua, which makes
the southern boundary Of the Indian
Ts9 separates Rfd nve snte7a the o9
the Arkansas broken ranges Of mountains are
scattered over the country for 200 miles. Said
Alr. Boudinot:
GOOD RESUME.
"There are four great semi-civi1ized Indian
tribes in this Indian Territory. The Cherokees
have the country On the Lower Arkansas and
along the Grand Verdigris River and there are
Il, 600 OF them, including whites and negroes,
and they POSSESS II, 000. 600, acres held in COM
mon, and not in severalIy.
TIE cRERoKEEs
are generally held to be tho most adept OF In
dians, and, at the same time, to have more
trickery than any Of the other Indians. They
are diminishing In numbers, and some OF them
than any other red men, the wild Indians
do not much molest them. When we moved
into the Territory first the Osages disliked
us, and excited a warfare that went on for
years but at last truce was agreed upon;
and We got along peaceably enough, although I
have heard many Cherokee say that wo were
not popular with the Sioux and other great
Northern Confederacies. My relative, Stand
Watie who has been 3 great character amongst
US, says that once, when he WAS in st. Louis, he
and his eomp2niona fell thaT n With II lot I'd q sou1
drink was proposed. As they were about to
drink, the leading Sioux said to Stand Waite:
"sWhat tribe, brother?'
Cherokee, replied the General.
"The other Indian dropped his glass, and
drew his knife with al expression OF hate, and
said:
"'You Cherokee.-too much Cd d-n!'"
THE WILD TRIBES.
"When the Cherokees moved from Georgia,
they brought above q, 900 souls. West of usare
the OHages, who number about 5000; they are
as wild as bucks, wear skins and so half-uaked
are always hunting, and are the largest
roca ~ pno,, nm fhe American Confinant