The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-03-16
AMONG THE INDIANS.
Annual Visit of Thomas n. Stanley
7 Among the Tribes of the In
dian Territory.
improvements. Progress Of the Schools,


Improvements, Progress Of the Schools,
+ started on my visit among the
tribes of the Indian Territory 18th
mo-, 29th. 1884, first having secured the
| approval of the commissioner of Indian
laffirs to make the tour. went by rail
/ TO Arkansas City. and from ihere my
good friend, Uriah Spray, took me in his
buggy to the Kaw Mission, where / met
with . kind reception. The day follow
Ing, being the Sabbath, attended the
Scripture or sabbath school and meet
ing. The four days spent with this
people I visited some fifteen families.
and endeaVored To encourage. them to
live good. religious. consistent lives,
and the employees to discharge their
duties faithfully ia all respects, that they
might be successful in endeavoring to
elevate the condition of this people.
Owing to the dry season last year til ir
crops were light and they are very desti-
tute. Their number is reduced TO
232. There were about 40 in
school. Sixty or more were in school
when visited them last year. They
appear to be quite interested in their
religious meetings, but since DR.. VIM.
Hunt left them last spring, the meet
ings were discontinued. It seems to
me there ought to be . good missionary
located at this place.
The Osagss number 1850; boys, 296 (;
girls, 212. Only about 100 are in school
at the mission and some at Carlisle,
Pennsylvania. This tribe has lately
built about 100 new box houses with
good stone chimneys, the Indians them
selves doing much of the work.
They appear to appreciate them.
Jonathan Ozburn is missionary to this
tribe and can talk their language pretty
we'll. We hope he may be successful in
his good work, as he is extensively
known among them and highly esteem
ed. B. c. Larson is much respected
for his good council and example as a
minister.
next visited the POnca agency
where was kindly entertained by the
farmer, Geo. L. Beard. carpenter Fris-
hey and DR.. Minthorn At The Ponca
agency they are building a large
brick mission school. This tribe num-
bers about PSI. in all They are mostly
living in houses.
THE NEE PERCEs
number 3s7 in all; Christians, 1862;
men, "a; women, 140; children, 1903
james Rubens, full-blooded Indian,
has been very helpful to Chief Joseph's
band in improving their condition in
several ways. He taught their school
and preached to them, so that they have
greatly improved in the past three years.
attended three meetings with the best
of order and attention and they were
well dressed. Archie Lawyer, Nez
Perez Indian, is their minister. Will
liam Henry Nelson, white, is their car
penter. But some of the Nez Perces
have got to be pretty good carpenters
for rough work.
The Otoes are beng settled nearly
south of the Poncas about ten miles,
where they are erecting buildings on Red
Rock for the agency. This tribe num-
bers nearly $50.
PAwNEEs.
reached the Pawnee mission in time
to be at their evening meeting and
found Andrew c. Williams and wife in
charge of the mission, where there was
about 100 pupils. The next day went
on to Whistler's ranch, near the Cimar-
ron river, and the day following reach
ed the Sac and Fox agency, where 1 had
worked ten years ago. Great improve
ment has been made since then in build
ings. spent three days here visiting
and attending meetings. William Hurr
is their minister, and was feeling quite
encouraged by the addition of new
members.
Thirty-six miles, nearly south of the
Sac and Fox agency, is Shawneetown,
where helped to,bulld a school house
ten years ago. These people now have
large mission building and
about forty children going to
school. There I met their new super
intendent, Lindley Cox, from Hesper,
Kansas, going to take charge of that
mission. Franklin Elliott, missionary
of the society of Friends, is located near
there and has been successful in gather
Ing into or church 80 members, with a
prospect of 20 more soon. Most or all
of this number are connected with the
Pottawatomies, and nearly all Of them
that have Joined the Friends have quit
the use of tobacco. The Modocs have
also quit the use of tobacco. / attended
their meetings aud visited a number OF
| families between the Canadian rivers
among the Absentee Shawnees and
Pottawatomies. Their crops we're very
| light last year in this country, and great
| scarcity of provisions is the result
On returning came through the Creek
country and learned that there are
1900 OF that tribe, nearly 1000 of whom
are of the colored race. This tribe has
twenty-eight public schools and four
boarding schools. They have the Bap.
fists, Methodists and Presbyterians
among them, and some of them are do
ing we'll.
next visited some of the Shswnees
who live about fifteen miles south Of
Chetopa, Kansas. l met several &C
| qusintances made 40 years ago while we
were at the old Shawnee mission near
Kansas City. next visited the Ottowas
and attended two meetings with them
There is Friends meeting of IS mem
bers here number of tribe 1o8. There
! is woman in this tribe who they call
Grandmother King" who is said to be
ia years old. also attended one meet.
ing at the Wyandotte mission. This
tribe numbers about 100, and nearly 90
of them have Joined with Friends. al
SO visited the Modocs who number %
After visiting the Indians attended
the Spring River quarterly meeting o
Friends, and also the Agricultural and
| Industrial Institute near Columbus. Kan
sas. Some of the exodusters were quite
successful in raising cotton.
From Independence came on tc
Winfield and Arkansas City and from thu
latter place returned home, having
been gone about tive months. and travel
ed about 1,25O miles and of this walk,
ed about 500 miles, one day making
20 miles with but little fatigue.
In my travels in the territory I passet
over much poor country, but saw
many cattle which appear TO be doing
very well, getting their living as the,
can. The wheat in southern Kan
sas looks well and in places the corr
crop last year was pretty good, consider