The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-21
TIE Usage LAND SWINDLE.
A $4,000 FEE ron BROTHER-IN-
LIW DENTS SERTICES

Claim Acting secretary CewrA'r Device.
WASHINGTON, March 20-The Committee
on Expenditures In tho Interior Department has
been inquiring into the payment of $4,000 to
Col. W. p. Adair and c. N. Vanu for services
rendered the Usage Indians In connection with
the sale OF the Usage reserve lands In Kansas.
Some very rich devolo ents have been made,
aud as yet only few OF the details Of this trans
action have been touched upon. To obtain this
sum OF $4,000, Col. Adar admits that he bad to
pay $4,000. The history Of this claim Is as fol-
lows:
Iu May, 1868 the capitalists and speculators
Interested In the Leavenworth, Lawrence and
ualveston Railroad succeeded In having n treaty
made between the United States aud the tribe
of Great aud Little Usage Indians for the especial
benefit OF the corporation Aforesaid. The Usage
Indians were the owners OF about 100000 acres
Of land In Kansas, which had been reserved TO
them by the Government of the United States.
This land, situated In tho most fertile region OF
Kansas, is abundanty watered with never failing
streams, and Is plentlfully supplied with timber
aud stone. 1t was indeed garden spot. aud ad-
venturous white settlers, attracted by its invit-
ing features. we're Hooking to it 10 large NUN
bers. The Indians, Jealous OF their rights, were
naturally incensed at this Intrusion, tGa 5v,,,s.
ions between them aud the whites we're frequent
and lives were occasionally Loaf on both sides.
the tribe that their people could not long resist
the toe Of settlers setting toward their hunting
grounds. and they began To urge upon them tue
Necessity Of exchanging their lands In Kansas
iJr an equally attractive locality In the
Indian Territory, where they would be for
ever free. from the intrusions of the
T nes Tue d gents IS Of p tsG heSyewor;n
were active and unceaslng In their efforts
g. induce the Osages To- sell their to that
corporation. ana AZ the same time the usual 10.
nuenoes were brought to bear at Washington to
make tue Goyernment Of the United States
par Y to the job These efforts were successful
a . If - aftn Ia pfA
~. 1858. was the result thereof. The commis-
SION appointed by thu, Secretary Of the Interior
10 treat with the Indians was undoubtedly
ccmposed entirely Of men In the Interest Of tue
railroad company.
TRYING TO ron rHE INDIANS.
This IL apparent from the terms they made
with the indians. The treaty Is a one-sIded
affair. from which the railroad company was
g. derive the LARGEST possible advantage,
robbed Of their lands under the pfeteIt OF sell
Ing them, ms curious nstrauent sets out IN
Article H. that the tribe of the Great aud Little
us.g Indians are DESTROYS of removing from
Kansas TO new and y Imanent home in the
tleeous and absolute sale of their lands In the
state OF Kans 8. They desire. moreover to so
extension OF the Leavenworth. Lawrence and
Ga, Galveston Railroad to aud through tue 10,
now In process u constructive run.
nins directly through the said Territory.
viii, h l. to be the future home of themselves
nnd l,ir race and Tor the further reason that
II VIII give them IN their new home tue means
OF ifulrli ia uanrpOrtdtlt n, ana Will tend to
pro,u' te among them aud their brethren the
arts and h4hl.s OF civilized life. The Govern
nent OF the United states Is willing that the
company constructing said railroad may become
the purchasers a said lands, on terms favor
bic 10 the Us yes and settlers, because said
rsilroad has received from the United States no
money subsidy. and only AN ipconside-
= lie land grant. and because when con
tructed 1t VIII b. come great trunk
line froin the Missouri river to the Gulf OF Mex
too, aud with It's branches will open To settle
Ineht vast ana fertile districts, low too remote
rom l. llrO aus ald nAV1g tDle O q rs
ceptl0le VI advantageous settlement and oulti-
the rair al conn ,ny VS. to have the privilege
Of putchasing s.ycO,OO0 acres OF the finest aRli-
I.eV .ODj TO be paid as follows; sioinoo in e.sb
~isnin three months after the Iatibcation and
promul-nt Of the treaty, and sl.5O0,OO0 Of the
bonds uf the comp ny bearing i've per cent. IN
teiest. The cash and bonds to be dep, sited with
the secret ~ OF tue Interior TO be held, aud
Of Tue Indians. and, the principal was annually |
paid IN sums of $4,000. II was to be relnv-sted
the Usage race. As fast as the CON psny built
twenty miles OF Its road, the Government was
To issue patents for the lanus eqaal IN value TO
one hftt entn part Of all the land acquired under
tue treaty. No provision was made tor the Uro-
lection Of actual settlers on the reservation
rr per, tut II was provided that settl. n on the
sitlp Of laud north OF the reservation, known as
uust lands" should have the privilege within
one wear OF purchasing from the United States,
Al Sl2J per acre, quarter section for each head
OF fauily.
THK SENATE COMMITTEE ASSISTS.
the Indian Territory quantity Of land within
certain ,med boundaries equal to 80 acres for
tacn ~ n. WON, n, nd enid Of the Tribe, or
about lSO,VJJ acles. for when tue Indians were
70 be charged - cents per acre, or about <l2y.5OO
The ptice they we're to receive for their lanus IN
KANSAS, wnion were then worm more theu
Ine Government prlce, was ABOUT l25q cents per
acre, ana tue lands they were to receive in the
Indian Territory were to be charged ~ them Ut
the rate oi - cents per ere.
Tins treaty was submitted to the Senate Of
tie United States June H. 1888, ana referred to |
no Committee on Indian Al IRIS the same day, |
" was uy TINS time known 10 all the world that
me I"gvrnwOrth, Lawrence and Galveston |
Railroad Company hHd maze ten atIiko by |
procuring treaty with the Osages. whereby the |
cDNetcI lands passed 20 II on sucn fayoraole |
tcrlns. ana forthwith the agents Of All the other
ra,llo. DIS IN Kansas whose lines traycrsed the |
southern section Of tue state hOcked to " ash
ington = struggle for snare In the |
ron prze. There were. all told, slx
tney were successful with The Committee on |
Indian an irs, foI 1t rep rted the treaty Of MAJ
Y back 70 tue senate April q, 1869. amended
a. TO allow the LeavenwoT. IA. Lawrence ana Cal |
ye-ion, anu Lac AtchlsOn, Topeka nj Santa Re
broad Conp4nies to. purchase eacn nve-six-
For, Scott ana Santa Fe. ana the l. .wrence and
kg.sho ltairoad Companies, eacn ono eighth.
ana IN Ia on L. ciGc k.ilway Southern Branch |
60 pany. and the Lravenworth ana topeka |
ha'lfoao COM any each onesix eenth Of tue
saiI inuds on The same terms anu conditions "a |
tha LeHV.hNur'n, Lawrence ana Galveston |
COMPANY was, under the original treaty, |
No hnal nct n on the amended treaty |
at that session Of Congress, anu la O mean |
ilmt the Usage lndisI began to discover how |
they had teen imposed upon, and To make ,oin- |
J.. int through The Hon. sidney CLARK If X N. |
T. ~n" claimed to be their REPRESENTATIVE at
WASN'T lgton.
Tue lSDIAHs DISCOVER THE swINDLE.
On the 2Otn Of August, 1859, the then Commits
tioner OF Ind Affairs, Col. f. ,. Parker,
directed En- Gu HOaR. SuperlntendeDt Of lndian
Affairs "A; Lawrence, Kansas, TO ascertain the
wishes Of the Indians In regard to the
urttY. Ioag reported Oct ii, 1862 that he had |
held a council with the whO,e natiun on the
81 OF September, and that after full
discussion u the treaty and It's proys-
ions he gave II IA his Judgment that the
LARGER poruon Of the tribe would prefer that the
treaty SHOULD not be ratified" lie further stated
that the Indians state that they were tolu Dy |
Tue commission that their lands would DO over |
run ny settlers, aud that they would eventually |
De onlged TO give II up TO them; that they could |
not i've Win The wni man. They reg I'd such |
conclusion by our Government as bad words |
Another point tina, had given them uueasiness
was the Impression they had imbibed from the
"a source that the commissioners, whom they
hdu 81 posed were authorized by the Govern
~ ht h ben sent by railroad COMPANY. |
~ or eng set right on that point their princi- |
their nds"
Appnt this time WIN. p. Adair and G. N. Vann,
~ u nrteds, " o were the delegates from the
,h'rohre Natl n al Washington apDe red ON |
ted ha oh az INA .,f 4 M.