The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-03-22
= VISIT TO THE INDIANS.
Thomas STANLEY, Of AmerIcus
on their Condition,

The following account of a visit
to the Usage aud Kaw Indians, by
our old and highly esteemed friend,
Thomas Stanley, OF Americas, this
county, was handed in for publica-
ton some weeks ago, but was care
lessly put into a drawer with other
manuscripts, and not discovered till
one day this week. We regret this,
very much, but as the letter is not
at all spoiled by the delay, we pub
lish. II contains matter Of interest
to many readers:
AMERIoUs, KAs, ID mo. 7th, 1873
Esteemed Friends, STOTLER Il GRAHAM:
After leaving thy office on the Is
month 9th, walked ont 10 near
Madison, aud the next day SON
came up with b. A. Grover, of Eu-
reka, who kindly offe ed me seat
with him in his wagon and we soon
got into a pleasant conversation, to
our mutual satisfaction, and he
took me to his home, where
was Hospitality entertained. That
night had the pleasure of attending
temperance meeting and encoura-
ging them in the good work. They
appeared to be very earnestly en-
gagged in the cause. The following
day | walked on and got near low
ard City, but the next day it rained
nearly all day so that L made but
little progress on my journey. The
day following being the Sabbath
did not travel, but endeavored to
encourage, in best things, those
that so kindly entertained The sec
ond day morning, started on and
reached Samuel Corners at Sedan,
on the evening of the next day.
Sedan is a new. thriving town, the
county seat OF Chau4auqua county.
with some rough country around it,
as it is located or Little Cauey.
The country from here to the Usage
Agency is rather rough and billy.
On my arrival at the Usage Agen-
cy / met with several fellow laborers
among the Indians who very kindly
received me. soon learned that
my old acquaintance, A. G.. Boone,
or more familiary known as Colo
mel Boone, now Agent of the Pom
ca Indians, was there, so / soon
found him, aud we had a pleasant
time together talking over Indian
Affairs, &c. He said that it had been
50 years since he first knew the
Usage Indians and that he now saw
but very few of those that he then
knew; that there was thea nearly
$4,000 Osages, and now there is only
about 1000. He is grandson of
Daniel Boone, and has been much of
his time among the indians, and has
no trouble in talking with any he
meets. He has never had any
trouble with the Indians that l ever
heard of. He told me that several
years ago when he was coming from
FL. Sill he met war party going to
fight the post. He told his wife not
to be alarmed that he would do the
tSikiDg, and when they came up be
spoke to them and they told him
that he was their friend, but that
they were going to fight the Fort.
He tried TO persuade them not to do
it, but they went on. He has often
been appointed to go out-among the
Indians by our Coy eminent to make
treaties, and in one case after he had
got the treaty made and signed, and
some of the military officers were
witnesses to IL, and because the In
dams put their ponies little out o.
the limits assigned them in order
that thew might fiud grass as they
were getting poor and there was
not a spear of feed in The limits, the
officers sent the soldiers down and
broke IL all up. He told me that he
thought IL any one would show him
where the Indians broke a treaty ht
could agree to show a white crow
also met lnsp' cior Watkins a
the Usage Agency who informed
me that in some places the indiana
were progressing well, and in othel
places the same class of Indiana
were nearly as they were so years
ago; that some OF the workers were
much more efficient than Others, sc
Having often visited the Usage
Agency Il few years ago, when agent
l. Il. Gibson was there, and work
was being done to push the indiana
ahead and several good workers
were in different parts of the tribe
trying to do what they could to en-
courage the Indians in their work
inclosing fields and bulldog houses
now found but few in this kind D
work, and from what 1 saw anC
heard, the Indians were somewha
discouraged. One cause of this wa
lack of funds, but yet L was tolt
that $4,000 OF the Usage appropria
ton was not used last year and wen
back and $4,000 of the sppropria
ton for the Kaws also fell back L
the Government. Some thought
that agent Gibson used money too
fast and now agent Beedy will likely
be censured on the other hand 81
we find it very difficult to please all
There was no school at the Osagt
Agency, which was much to be re
GREETED, as they have buildings t.
accommodate nearly 200 children.
After spending three days at tn
Usage agency, took the most di
rect rout for the Kaw Mission, i
being 27JS miles west and eigh
miles north of the Osage Agency.
got along finely until l got abou
seven miles from Kaw Mission
when came to Salt creek. though
it was too high for me to wade il
safety so took up the creek and i
took me until nearly midnight t
reach Samuel Beyonew's house, the
only one near, where | was yer,