Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1883-05-12
THE OMAHA INDIANS.
They Agree to Sell $4,000
Acres Of the R0Ser-
VatiOn.
A Feast on Roasted OK ane
a Flow Of Native Buck.
a TCpee Takcn by tho Flood and
Led On to Destruction.


OMAHA AGENCY, Neb. May s, 1888
Last Friday, May b, was one of the
most exciting council days ever wit.
messed upon this agency. The object
of the council was to decide whether
the Omahss would sell all that portion
of their reservation lying west of the
St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha
railroad, comprising 90, 600 acres. BY
o'clock several hundred Indians had
gathered around tho council hall
Agent Maj, G. w. Wilkinson called
the council to order, and the ten
councilmen, or head men, took their
Iseats directly In front of
him. His clerk, Maj. w.
G. McBesth, was on hand also
DR.. + G.. DeBeli, ply slclan,
Bright Eyes," and otherJ, who as.
sisted in the proceedings. The agent
then submitted the proposition to the
Indians. The councllmen began their
loud and fiery speeche They thought
1t would be good thing for the In.
dians as well as the whites to sell this
land, but they are a very cautious
tribe, and hesitated before sigaing
what they seemed to think was won
derful document. So they adjourned
without taking any final action, and
had q great feast. Two oxen we're
slaughtered and the Indians were made
happy. But no sooner had they filled
themselves than their happiness van.
ished, and they reassembled at the
council sullen, and the old stoioal look
of ages ago crept back upon their faces.
They wanted to be alone, and ad journ.
cd the council to meet In a dark
ravine on the Black Bird, where no
one but the councilmen and leading
men of the tribe were allowed to en-.
ter, the women being absolutely OK.
cluded. The men cooked their own
feast and made the woods and dales OF
old Black Bird creek resound with
their bowling speeches. They de.
clared that they could not think Of
higning such great and glorious paper
all In a single day, when 1t took the
great fathers nearly a month to sign
the "lndependent declaration" as
they called it. The next day, In open
council, they gave their consent to the
bill, as it passed congress- last winter.
The land will be surveyed and at
once put on the market. II Is as fine
tract of land as can be found In Ne.
braska, portion of 1t lying In Logan
valley. The Indians will choose one
their number to assist two other men,
to be chosen by the commissioner Ct
Indian affairs, to appraise the land.
Miss Alice G Fletcher, of Boston,
who has spent a great deal of time
among the Indians, has been ap.
pointed special agent for the Omaha
and Wlnnebago Indians. She will
locate them on tracts of 160 acres of
land. Each man and woman who Is
of age is entitled to a quarter.sec-
tion, and Miss Fletcher will endeavor
to teach them to make use of this
privilege.
Mrs. 10 LaFlesche died here last
week. Mr.. LaFlesche is a very pop
ular man among the tribe, and father
of the renowned Bright Eyes" He
had two wives, and the mother of
Blight Eyes Is still living, although
she Is very sick at present from blood
poisoning, supposed to have been In
duced Id dressing the body of the
deceased Mrs. LaFlesche.
A terrific rain storm passed over
here last night. A waterspout broke
about two miles south of here, on q
branch of the Black Bird, and came
down with tremendous force. An In.
dian living in tepee with his wife,
three children and his mother, WAS
aroused by the roaring of the waters
He grabbed up two of the children
and started for the bluff. but before
be reached 1t the water was too deep
to wade, go he threw the babies over
on the side OF the bank and rushed
back for tho other one, aud Just bare.
ly escaped the rushing food that fol-
lowed. His wife got out, but his
mother was we'll along In years and
the relentless waters carried her away.
This morning her body was found
several miles down the valley. His
tepee and household goods were all
swept away, and his wagon was car
ried off and smashed to pieces