New-York tribune., 1873-06-20
INDIAN PROSPECTS.


THEIR VIEWS on LAND AND TRANSPORTATION
oUFsrroNs-NDOLENCE THE OBSTACLE TO THEIR
ADVANCEMENT.
IFRoM THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF rITE rBmUNE.l
NEw-ORLEANs, May 27.--The Indian Terri
cory has until recentlv terra iHc0gnita to the
railroad of the United States Considerably
moved from the older and yet much crowded by the
later settlements OF the adjoining States tuversed by
no railroads aud destitute of every other Of pub
&c conveys with its lands unsurvcyed and closed 90
the settler and its trade mouopozed by licensed few
the United states soldier az the frontier post was almost
the only white whom the Texan cattle drOvCr
moving uor,hward with has herd wont 20 meet
within It's borders Thus gcographcay and artidcially
isolated until the railroads have recently placed it
within easy REACH its political organization, even, has
not been such a. % increase the popular knowledge Of
the Territory No matter how remote any other portion
f our country may have been how difficult OF access,
the Government of the United States has. sooner or
later stretChcorth It's and planted there the germ
Of future state which has continued 90 daw its vitality
from Washington. But the Indian country has yet
lost It's essentially flr u character For the last forty
years have treated its people not a. citizens nor
even as the inhabitants of the Territories over which
Congress has exclusive Jurisdiction but as foreign pow
ers whicl be dealt with through treaties. We sold
them The land they occupy and gave them patents for
it: we cadeI ~ -hcuamost me entire Jurisdiction
Co. Congress makes no laws for the governments Of the
Cherokee Indians or the Choctaws or the Chclsaws-
does not require the laws they make themselves
o. conform 20 the Constitution Of the United States.
Were for the Irresistible advance OF civilization, or
II were even possible ,or American enterprise
aside and 20 around this artificial barrier 800 400
miles sluara The I1dian might possibly have remained
fy years longer in quiet possession Of Als beautiful
home.
Bat 10 was not possible. The great State Of Texas.
richer n agricultural resources believe, than any
other must have other outlets than that through Cal
weston. with bar preventing the entrance Of large
ships 10 lbs lar5or. New-MeXco was determined 20
have shorter route 20 the Mississippi than any yet
opened and the Indians seeing that inevitable
yielded their the construction of two rail-
roads extending through the territory from north
20 south and The other from east % west and granted
them simply the right of war. The companies TO whom
this privilege was given are the Atlantic and Pacific
which has already built its line from ST. Louis Ci niles
10 vu-a, which is miles the Indian border. and
the Missouri. Kansas, Texas, whose rold now ex
tends entirely the Indian country, terminating at
DcnusOu, Texas SIX miles south OF the boundary.
These roads .utersect each other az Yiu-tl.
AHEArrrrL AND USCULrvArED COUNTRY.
No description can do justice ito the beatty md fer
tltv of The Indian Territory Enterugit ON the east
after ride of 33O miles through Missouri IL is almost
like coming into world. don't melI 90 say that
the change u the character Of the c0unay iustan-
taHeous. After crossing the Ozark Mountains and for
nearly 100 miles before reaching the Indtal boundary
there lis much very dne land. There are few ltue
prs but most OF the land is broken and altogether 10
u entirely different country from that be cud few
miles the border. the slightly hilly lud covered
with 'blaCk Jack" disappears and the tra runs ont
upOu 0 the Tandest and most beaucful prTies Of
the whole West The remainder OF the journey through
the Indian country is a continuous succession OF
these fertile plains II Ike riding 300 mikes through
one gigantic natural park. Sometimes the rich, green
Surface stretched Ia every direction almost without
break orunduaton 20 the horizon whcrca narrow fringe
-Ha.
umes there long rol 70 The prairie like the maIes
nc swe of the deep after storm. and occasionally
the surface resolved itself into little hills mounds
whose tons the carpet Of grass is spread
and grows rankIy as in the valleys. To add beauty /
and variety % the scene, the spring flowers OF the
praiues embroidered In brilliant colOrs and fantastic
pattern the bright surface or the earth while every few
miles We crossed some small stream blrdored with a
rich bottom well supplied with timber.a
Very little the land has over been disturbed by the
plow-haIlly an acre q thousand. Here anu there
intervals of miles the traveller viii Indians cabin
Of the udet order surrounded Jy few acres Of poorly
cultivated ground The contrast between the richness
Jf the country and the povcrrvcken character the
dwellings and their surroundings was most striking.
The latter were so small and poorly 0llt. and appa-
renty going rapidly decay, ana sueh general
OF shfe-suas and discomfort pervadej them ALL That I
AFRAID that the civilized Ildan lid Dut leave
favorable impression upon the members OF party.
II the whole three hundred miles l0ut remember see
ing single Indian at work,.n the field. We them
all along tle riding their ponies, and the
nearest approach labor which discovered was at /
MuSE0-gee. where I a solitary man on horseback ]
gathering herd OF cattle from the prairie aud driving
them in toward the station. And this was half /
mile off, that could not De that be was I
white man. was also surprised TO and SD small num-
ber OF cattle razne these uch broad pastuts 10 is
theory " those Who striving 90 civ Western
Indians that the first step is 20 make herdsmen ofthem
But here are about 71O00 Indians. tle most OF whom
already civilized, aud Who hold undistur5et posses
of rlcl grazing country God ever made, with
climate mild that cattle require no shelter or Winter
feed. Wlo unless Tie tribes whose country did noe
pass through are far thrifty than those did Sec
have Htte more beef than what they themselves con-
sule Tic part Of Texas through which we subsequent
y east OF tha grazing section OF the state, aud
the p8Op.e more OF their attention 0agrcuitlre
than 90 SOCK raising, and yet saw ten head o. cattle
in Texas 60 one in the I1dian Territory From my uu-
ited observation and from conversation with gentlemen
best acquainted with The character OF these tribes
% conclude that they lazy raise
cattle
INDIAN REMEDIES FOR INDIAN TROUBLES.
The parry stopped about two hours for dinner at
yul.a, ra. point where the Atlantic ana Pacific and
Missouri, Kansas and Texas Roads iuteIsect. This place
is railroad town 4OJ feet square and ucOsed by
The railroad companies have been granted tAc usual 100
feet right 0f way, aud tine Indians watch them with
great jealousy % that they do not eHcrOaeh beyond
these m- u one Of the dep0ts or auy other railroad
building were TO extend few feet over the Inc, the Ii
daus would SET fire 70 at once. In addition TO the
right Of Congress has granted the customary alter
nate sections Of land whenever the Indian title shall
have ieen eXtnguished The Indians are not OF course
parties t0 this bargain. The delay Vnta gave us an
opportunity o. meet numb r of the CherOkees some of
whom had gathered the station. and % converse with
them about their present condition and their plans for
the future. A few Of the Indians whom saw were
fuboolel but the majority of them were at least half