Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1885-01-31
INDIAN NATION.
Some Observations Of the People and
Their Country.

Their Country.
Passing through the snow covered hills
of Missouri and K9nsas down into the
beautiful Indian territory" writes q
correspondent at Eufaula, Indian Terri
tory, to the Kansas City Times, it is
surprise to find the country here clear of
snow. This is indeed beautiful cOun-
try which Uncle Sam has given to the
red men, and is as fertile as it is beauti-
full, capable of producing excellent crops
of cotton, grain, and all the grasses.
The eyes ofthe white man turns longing
ly toward this splendid country, and
general opinion prevails in Missouri and
Kansas, and even in the Indian territory
that congress will at an early day open
for settlement all the western portion of
this territory, which is not now assigned
to any tribe of Indians, and known as
the Oklahoma country.
Euaula is a small place, having only
about dozen stores. Situated in the
valley of the North Canadian river, a
very rich country, it receives more cotton
than any town in the territory, having
already shipped about two thousand
bales this season up to this time. Chief
Perryman, of the Creek Nation, lives
here and is engaged in merchandising.
He looks very much like a full-blood
Indian, but dresses well and is very gen.
tlemanly in his conversation and mar
ners. Judge Steadman is also a very
prominent man among the Creeks having
emigrated to this country with the tribe.
He is said to be the most competent
interpreter in the nation, and has been
to Washington frequently on important
missions. He is an amiable and pleasant
old gentleman, with seemingly large
amount of white blood in his veins
Col. Mcintosh, the leading lawyer among
the Creeks, and a man of great influence
among them, is the most distinguished
looking man belonging to his tribe. With
long gray hair pushed back from a prom
inent forehead and falling down below
his shoulders pleasing and intelligent
face. he presents striking appearance
and would attract attention anywhere.
There are number of merchants and
others here who do not impress you as
having much Indian about them, and
also a number of whites who have mar
ried into the tribe. Nearly all these own
valuable farms, and most of them are
rented TO white men who come into the
territory and get farmers or laborers
permits which cost them S25 year and
entille them to bring their families and
work stock, and rent land and farm or
work as labOrers during the year. Ply
sicians get permits to practice their
professions on about the same terms, and
there are few lawyers in the nation
who secure permits TO practice law in
the same way.
The "full blood" Indian does not take
very kindly to farming, and is satisfied
with very small patch of ground,
although he has choice from thousands
of acres of the more fertile lands, without
money and without price. He lives in a
small hut of the most primitive style Of
architecture, adorned with mud Chin
ney. and he usually owns pony and a
few hogs. You see great Zig. fat, yellow
fellows, with high cheek bones, coarse
black hair, and nearly invariably dressed
in coarse ducking clothes, wrapped in a
red blanket. The women 1ress in cheap
calico, and show the same partiality for
red shawls that the men do for their
blankets. The Indian girls, however,
seem to have made some progress in
civilization, as great manv of them
bang their hair, wear brass rings and ear
ornament, and irdulge in ''gored" and
"cut biased" calico dresses. The red
shawl, however, holds firm place in
their affections, as the red blanket does
with che men. The truth is, these In
dians seem to have advanced in civiliza-
ton only to that extent with which they
are mixed with white blood, the pure
Indian being about as much averse to
work as he was half century ago, when
: the government first settled him in this
{ magnificent country.
The introduction and sale of liquor
!, is strictly prohibited in the territory
and the law is strictly enforced. This
, seems to be a wise pro vision, for all
) Indians-every man, woman and child
Of tLein-love whisky, and they proceed
,, without any unnecessary loss of time, to
get big drunk" whenever an opportunity
S is presented, and it is said, though this
4 may not seem reasonable, that they beat
=, the white man raising Cain" when they
get full, and the women are as bad a:
the men. Not long since Texas cow
e boy whose supply of Texas whisky haG
4 given out, began to get very dry up in
the territory and rushing out of the traiI
| - 10 hn ln1 Of Inn
y for pint of whisky. "Got no whisky,
/ was the reply, 'you get whisky at Par
n sons" Where in the dickens does th,
parson liver yelled the cowbor, as h,
y made rush for the moving train. Th'
It indians may make prohibition law
# which really prohibit, but you can al
q ways count with certainty on getting al
" the whisky you want in states like Kan
{ sas. The cowboy got all the whisky h
:, wanted at Parsons.