Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-03-28
The INDIAN NATION.
Life in q Community of Which We are
STRANGELY Ignorant

tile acres OF Texas lies wild and beaut1
: full region known as the Indian Territory
The imaginary lines which divide /
from the neighooring states hav
been strengthened by national ,aw int
strong walls, which, if not actually i'm
pass;bIe, have yet proved suostantia
barriers. Even the inhabitants Of the con.
tiguoua states have little personal knowl-
edge Of the people or the land beyond 6
strong hatred OF the one, born of an IN
due lust for the other. The eastern part
of this territory is inhabited By Whist are
called the "hys civilized tribes"-the
CnerOkees, Creeks, Ssminoles, ChoctsWs
and ChickasAws. Zach Of them lives q
life absolutely separate from the rest, with
Its own pecuisrities, Its own institutions
snd It's Own national chart ct .ristics.
Tor esch-let 1t not be forgotIen-saeh
Is 8 nation. But certain things are true
OF them ell. Comm. circumstances and
common needs have wrought upon CONS
mon traits of race and character to pros
duce like results. The Vernment OF
each nation Is republican, with fredEsnt
recurring elections, legislatures, & Gu
lives ana systems Of ju1iclsry. Each
nstion supports common schools and
high schools, provides charitable iusti-
lotions and fosters churches. Whether
Choctaw or Cherokee, these Indians
carry on large busint s. interests, and live
intelligent and valuable lives.
Toe traveller VINO leaves St. Louis at
night wakes TO ind himself 10 the prairie
country, gtrewn thick with villages OF The
peculiar, unshriftS, huddled sppesraI &c
| II southwestern bsmlets. He has
scarcely breakissted before, on sudden,
ne discovers the prsirie roll away before
him, unVexad with hui or herd and mile
after mile the railway strides on through
the luxurious acres, past The fertile bot
toms. The mysterious silence and space
explain the mselves. This Is Indian land,
and the Cherokee people have as yet
fouEd no better use for this northern
country than to keep an unoccupied strip
between themselves and their white
town appears, 1t is still q
southwestern town, but It Is - brick
and mortar city, with shops and new
papers and busy life of It's own. It .
considerable tsx on credulity to discOV. 4.
hat this town Ct Vinits is also IuCian,
and altogether Indian; that its business
life is full and active and reacbing out
widely; that its citizens hAV- private in
! the public s6air5 Of two nations, moYiTg
sometimes thesdest'nies Of an alien sno
mightier race th.n their own. les meu
and wumea have their live in books and
thought and music, brave men mary far
women, and children play about the
streets, whose future holds happiness
and prosperity.
This Is the most commercial town Of
this nation, but not It's NEST represents
tive settlement. "aaYe you seen Table
Gunu7" ID Ihe instant question asked OF
aim VINO processes a knowledge of the
Indian Territory, and not without reason.
located in the interior of the country,
|, among the mountains, the approach oY
the alIday ride among the wooded hills,
over the grassy ePlsnoe, and through the
forest glades threaded everywhere with
rushing creeks, serves TO heghten the
effect. Theqush first disc vers
herself sfsr n, across one Of the most
beautiful of these prospects, IN large and
somewha imposing BRICK building stand
ing out alone upon swelling height
Uaneighoored, and yet requiring co.,
siderable population to FL 1t, it seems
something of 8 mystery; and when the
winding road comes face to face with Its
simplicity and its size, it proves no LEST
, mysterious, although IN . differt Mt way
} Ice 1t is . public college for Iodian boys
aud young men. Three miles further
rid-, still in the open country, thougn nc
longer through aa altogether uncultiVateo
region, brings the traveller sEGdeDly into
the long main street Of large town
Here sits in serene and self-centered iso-
iation the capital of nation, c Intsinine
: IN itself every element of such q caplta
kept thuse metropolitan products which
belong to crowded centers Cf the World'f
J life.
, In the very middla of TAhleqush is its
!; capitol, q large brick structure sur
rounded by ga open square filed wi
locust trees. The size and relAt We i'm
DortsRce OF this building mark the feeling
that this is q nation. Here meets Leg
> lslsture composed of two Houses, retaln
! ing traces OF the common IndIan and
. white L. faence over their cTigt0, 10 therl
titles OF C Iuucu and Senate. Pne Coun
Gil is presided over by Speaker, and th'
Senate BY the Assistant Clitf. Bills mus
a pass both Houses, and rtqaire the sigma
lure of the Execu i've. TIE eli ;er pos
sesses much power, 81 is mao OF msn,
; ties, since he Is actually Prezid nj. snt
is letter known IS Prlncipal-Cai5f
WhlI6 II common CONVERSATION no
ususlly addressed as Governor. Unde
I him is an assistant chief answering To GU
q President, Secretary Of Safe,
treasurer, 9 Superintendent of Pdoli'
Destruction, and several other OH ;ers
r All are elected directly by the people
ana for terms of four years. These holly
contested. elections occur every tw'
: years, when half OF the Council
Il are chosen, and in August,
3 month of agricultural vacation, thu
! marking the chief &C upsIion OF tn
g people. All the sftAirs of the nation
Il very literally nearly all of tnem--tre de
/, oated and settled by this L glslsture
o rne establishment snd support Of SCHOOLS
questions OF finance, pcrgsssions o
" licenses to railways or Ielegra7hs, the sc
mission of religious. sssclfs to IN
= privileges of the natios Fs4lsese mss.
are decided IS Of u ;oIncu; BIT
neither the hereditar rig yet ludia
custom on the one hsSks Hhe Auglo
c. Sax IN condition OF ~ d So'hef' ao
a Every lad among bl' Cherok ee2ma
~ vote and be voted for. In he C.p,sol al
the various Offices Of tle President, Il
treasurer and other officers Of state. an
uers they spend busy oays, for is is I
Y. hra fha AHai