The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-07-17
The Indian Territory.

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 adj
wiser and more than any other Ameri-
can has influence over them. Mr.sHay-
worth is tieshy, healthy looking gen
tleman of medium height, with q 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 l
asked him q number of questions re-
lating to the Indians.
Said he: 1.-The Indian population of
the United States numbers 263,000
This does not include the Indians of
Alaksa, who number about $4,000.
These Indians are scattered. About
$4,000 of them are in the Indian Ter
ritory, where we find five civilized
nations. These are the Cherokees.
Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws and
Seminoles. They number about $4,000
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 sherifs 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. ''The first and last for
the first offense. Horse stealing is pun
ishable for the first ofense by imprison-
ment, the second by whipping, and the
third by death.
'How do these tribes dressP" said I.
"Just the same as the white man."
replied Mr.. Hayworth. "Some of them
are traders, some farmers and stock
raisers, and some arc 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
| get 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 certain percentage
on their sales or license fee. The
| Greeks 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
a full blooded Indian. 1t is a princi-
| pie among them that the least bit In
| dian, all Indian. If the thirty
or sixty fourth part of man be Indian
he is entitled to equal rights, property,
| and otherwise with the others"
SIS 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-equal with them
selves. Since then the two races have
been intermarryfng 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.
"How do the Indians manage in re-
| gard to their land?"
| 'They are located, you know, on
| IoS0IFd lIOUS, tI0 1llulbS VI WHICH dt6
carefully defined. There is an abund-
ance of land for each tribe and the civ
ilized nations average about six hun
bred aofes of good land for each FAM
| lily. 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 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.
l knew of one in the Smith Paul Valley
which comprises three thousand acres
under cultivation. Governor Harris, q
full blooded Choctaw, has farm run
ming into the thousands of acres, a grist
| mill, and store. And another Indian
know, finely educated man, who
| speaks English well, has two thousand
| aoraS euoloQad and Tcas If nc a ctooly