Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1889-05-09

Especial correspondence to the HERALD
GUTHRIE, Oklahoma, Indian Territory,
April $50 much has been expected and
so much has been said of this country that
now, at the elimination of it all, brief ac-
count of its present status may be readable.
First, however, of
THE INDIAN NATION
concerning which / presume a majority of
your readers are somewhat hazy. / have
lived on it's borders some six months, yet
had no very definite notion of it until
journey ed there.
We all know that in the first place it
contains the five civilized tribes, viz: the
Cherokees, Choctaws, Creeks, Chickasaws
and Seminoles. Then there are numerous
other tribes who are still partly blanket"
Indians. The first five mentioned occupy
the eastern portion Of the Territory and
have tracts of country assigned to them, as
have all, distinct from each other, which
would correspond in size to the larger
counties of Montana.
They govern themselves as do the other
tribes, formulate their own laws, and
where the Indians only are con-
cerned, execute them the same
as they do in the States. This applies to
the five tribes. Where a white man is
come cted with case, it goes to the U. s.
courts, where they are fined. imprisoned,
set free, or hung. The Indians execute the
death penalty by shooting Each of these five
tribes have their capital, their council and
lower house, where they proceed as under
like circumstances among the Whites.
When white man marries an Indian wo-
man he acquires what is called fright "
in the tribe from which he took his wife.
This fright" of an Indian is somewhat un-
limited He can take up and use all the
land he chooses, so long as he leaves GER
tain breathing room for his neighbors.
l am not quite clear as to what q
breathing room" is. When q white man
in this country marries an Indian, if she
be partly of white blood, it is not looked
on in the same light as it would he in the
Nor h. But then it depends on the tribe
here, also. Most of these civilized tribes,
who live near their towns, have good
schools and are we'll educated.
WHITE SETTLERS PLENTY.
There are great many more white
people in the nations than an outsider
would suppose How do they get there !?
Well, 1t is by the permit" system. By
the payment of S. per annum, if the ap-
plicant is not Objectionable, one may rent
q ranch the same as in any State, either by
payment of share Of the crop or money
rent. This is to the advantage of the In
dian who has energy enough to get up and
rustic. There are quite number Of such
and they are very wealthy. Such white
renter, however, cannot at any time hold In
the Nation more than ten head of cattle
over one year old; if his band increases he
must either ship or sell. This is to prevent
cattlemen from having sway over the
country. But some tracts of these nations,
by consent of the rulers, have been set
aside and leased for terms of years to these
men.
Such was the Oklahoma country before
its sale to the United States.
Over these five nations is an agent, who
is as much of an intermediary as anything
else.
Over each of the other tribes there is an
agent the same as in other cases. Many OF
these Indians talk nothing but "Injun," as
is also the case with some OF the young
Indians in the interior of the other nations;
at least the Cherokees have written Ian
guage and print books and papers IN the
same. But q great deal OF this coun-
try is
INFESTED WITH LAWLEsS MEN,
who flock here for hiding place from the
officers Of the law, a great part of the
nation being in its primitive state, its
wooded hills and valleys offering secure
retreat. Even in the civilized nations at
least four. .ffths of the land is entirely un-
settled. and for miles and miles one sees no
babitation. Bordering on the States one
meets with mostly white renters who keep