The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-09-10

FoRr sxrrr. Anx... Aurus, g. IA

nm~s.r W-~a - -
na'~ r'o'sasan "a letter nom tnis corner
.e~ "a soa1 1eAue1s' sna' WIN your psEaai
1 whi renew, IN measure my seqeantsnoe
WIN tne members OF the fLoRmAA nmiu %
'eihng mem something concerning my recent
so1oorn IN Indian Territory
In company with genial soul ffom your -
Ter Ssate-deergia-l hnt visited Vinita. which
Is situated near the centre Of that beautiful tract
OF country set apart FOR the Cherokee Indiana
ms toWn has population OF perhaps fhree
nnnorea, and - one Of the principal staiions On
the ine oi tne Missouri, Kansas and Texas ltail-
ROAD m the Territory The majority OF the citi-
zens are white Indians, &, white men who
have Indian wivea Round about yinifa, far -
the eye can reach, extend vast rolling psairiess
the sameness OF which Is scarcely ever broken
by aught bearing semblance to civilization.
Notwithstanding the great scarcity of wates, We
learned that these Prairies afford excsllent gras-
ing Tor immense herds OF cattle during the
greater part Of the year. s
Upon tne day OF our arrival at Sinin the
streets were thronged with Cherokees, nom vari-
GUS parts OF the Nation, who had come hifher 70
~~->~NJ
in his magnanimity, had donated for the purpose
OF aiding them in purchasing seed fbr this years
planting, in consequence Of the partial failure
Of their crops last season. Old and young. little
and big, realized benefit of sixteen dollars and
fifty-five cents each. Why II was that this money
has not been paid in time to serve the purpose
LOT which Is was originally intended h enc OF the
mysteries connected WIN the management o.
governmental anairs Whicn II s Impossible ior
ordinary INDIVIDUALS to understand
Ii Is perhaps generally known that ifisunlaW-
iui either TO sell or have In ones possesion IN
toxlcatlng liquors within the borders OF the Ter
riiory Sweet cider" however, 10 sold IN abnn-
dance; but We were not aware that apple jaice
possessed intoxicating properties until we OBJ
served number of redskins reeling from the
enects OF II during our stay IN Vinita.
From Vinita we went to Muscogee, In the
creek Nation. his place mas popuiation OF
about five hundred. including some fifty or sixty
men who are employed in the machine shops Of
the M. 4. u I. k. r., located here. The Indian
Journal, q weekly newspaper of some merit ID
published here.
While at Muscogee we learned something of
the Creeks system OF education. The AuscoGee
high schools OF which there are two, the Ialle-
hasse and Asbury Mission, are manual labor
Schools and are what are called mixed boys
and girls being educated together. They are un-
der the general supervision of . board OF trus-
tees, which Is said to be composed Of the best
and most learned men in the country, while each
institution is governed directly by superinten-
dent and corps of teachers, These last are Sc
lected on account of their known ability to teach
and their moral and exemplary lives. The two
schools mentioned have been sometime in sue
cessful operation, and from their nature are Be.
coming almost seli-supporting- We learned
that the teachers receive four hundred dollars for
ten months session, payment being made quar-
terly. The school fund is said to be in a healthy
condition, and warrants are at par.
Muskogee is fair sample of the average fron-
tier town. Here it is that one from the States,
unaccustomed to the manners and customs Of
frontier life, sees sights not likely to be forgotten
in day. Brawny half-breeds and fallbloods
parade the streets with majestic tread, with Q
brace of navy skies" suspended from their
belts, ever ready to resent seeming insult with
a bullet. No attempt is made at concealing
weapons. On the contrary, every man carziea
his "defender" " in as conspicuous place as pos
sbe always seeing to it that ii is 80 arranged as
to render draw" matter of but moment
would not have you understand me a. saying
that all men in this region 90 about thus armed,
because they do NOT Ii 10 enly a number of ties-
perate individuals similar 10 those found in every
frontier town-men who regard the taking of q
mans life as matter of bat little consequences.
The dress of the Indians hereabouis 10, i'm the
main, similar to that of the whites, though the
love for fancy and high colored garments seems
inherent in them, and one frequently sees flashy
coats aad dresses, moccasins trimmed gaudily.
with beads, etc.
fair. to be participated in by all the tribes Of
the Territory, from the educated and (compar-
atively) refined to the blanket Indian, beains at
Muscegee ON the 20th of September, and will
continue four days. The premium list il quite
extensive, and q generous rivalry exists among
the people as to who viii make the banner ex-
hibits. The Commissioner Of Indian AfEairs, the
Commissioner of Agriculture, and the Secretary
of the Interior are expected to be present
The assertion that the Indians are fast dying
out and being absorbed by The white, man, i
uneouiyocal Unlimited misceeeuation goes ou-
fullblood Indians are fast decreasing In number
while the half-brseds are continually incsessiEg
In few years there win be no halfbseeis; vsst
numbers at present are far beyond the condition
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