The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-06-19
The Indian Territory.

Probably no man in the United States
knows more of the condition of our
Indian population than Mr.. Hayworth,
| the Government Superintendent of In
dian education. He was for years one
of our leading Indian agents and he has
| for the past twelve years lived right
among the various tribes both North
and South. He is known among the
Indians as their chief friend and ad-
wiser and more than any other Ameri-
| can has influence over them. Mr.. Hay
worth is a fieshy, healthy looking gen.
tleman of medium height, with a pleas
ant face covered with red whiskers; and
the indians call him Father Redwhis-
| kers. using of course their word instead
of ours for the name. He is an Ohio
man by birth and comes from Will
mington in the southern part of the
State In talking with him tonight
asked him number of questions re-
lating to the Indians.
| Said he: The Indian population of
the United States numbers $1,000.
! This does not include the Indians of
! Alaksa, who number about $4,000.
| These Indians are scattered. About
1900 of them are in the Indian Ter
ritorv. where we find five civilized
nations. These are the Cherokees,
Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws and
Seminoles. They number about $1,000
in all. and they have civilization
pretty we'll advanced. Each tribe has
a government of its own, modelled some
what on the government of the United
States. There is an upper and lower
house of the Legislatures Senate and
| House of Representatives. Both are
elected by the people. The Senate they
call the house of kings, and the House
of Representatives is the house of war
riors. This congress makes the laws
for their government, and the only re-
striction on these laws is that they be
within the laws of the Congress of the
United States. There is also an eX-
ecutive branch of the government to
carry out these laws, judges and courts
to pass upon them, and sheriffs and
constables to impose the punishment
prescribed in them. They punish by
death certain criminals, but they shoot
rather than hang the offenders"
What crimes are punishable by
death?" said |.
Murder. horse stealing and rape"
was the reply. 1.-The first and last for
the first offense Horse stealing is pun
ishable for the first ohense by imprison-
ment, the second by whipping, and the
third by death"
"HOw do these tribes dress?" said l.
'Just the same as the white man."
replied Mr.. Hayworth. ''Some of them
are traders, some farmers and stock
raiSerS. and some are engaged in the va
rious trades. They are mechanics. shoe
makers, blacksmiths and carpenters.
Some of the business is done by whites;
but a white man who wishes to do bust
ness in Indian Territory must first
oct a license from the Government at
Washington and from the Indian Ma
ton. The Indians are somewhat care
full whom they admit, and they charge
the traders either a certain percentage
on their sales or license fee. The
Creeks charge two hundred dollars for
each white business house. Native
Indians, however, pay nothing. as do
also whites who have any Indian blood
in their veins If white man marrieS
an Indian he can live in the Territory, but
he has nothing to do with its laws or
its government. His children. however,
BY an Indian wife have all the rights of
full-blooded Indian. 1t is a princi-
pie among them that the least bit In
dian, all Indian. If the thirty-second
or sixty fourth part of man be Indian
he is entitled to equal rights, property,
and otherwise with the others"
as there much intermarriage among
the different tribes and races?"
Eyes, among the tribe great deal,
considerable among the negroes, and
some among the whites. The different
tribes mingle to a certain extent. and
trade together. At the time of the
breaking out of the war there were a
great many negroes in the Territory
owned as slaves by the Indians. When
the emancipation proclamation was
sent forth the Indians gave these
negroes rights co-egual with them
selves Since then the two races have
been intermarrying more or less &C
cording to the tribes among which they
are located. This intermarriage has
been most among the Seminoles and
least among the Cherokees. Since this
time the negro has been increasing
more rapidly than the Indian, and he
will eventually outnumber him.
| ''t1OW 40 the 1UulduS IudustSC III L.
gard to their land?"
They are located, you know, on
reservations. the limits of which are
carefully defined. There is an abund-
ance of land for each tribe and the CIV
iIized nations average about six hum
bred acres of good land for each FAM
ily Each tribe holds all of its lands in
common, though the Indians have their
individual personal property. The land
, is divided into farms. at least great
part of it is and much of it is fenced
; and builded upon. An Indian can i'm
prove a piece of land, fence it and
build houses and barns upon it. He
! then has title to its use and he can
! sell this right to its Improvements and
its products to others. Many of these
civilized tribes are good farmers. and
some of the farms are very large.
knew of one in the Smith Paul Valley
which comprises three thousand acres
under cultivation. Governor Harris, a
full blooded Choctaw. has farm run
ming into the thousands of acres, a grst
mill, and a store. And another Indian
. l know, finely educated man, who
{ sDeaks English we'll has two thousand