The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-05-09
CHEROKEES IN LUCK.
This Thrifty Tribe of Indians Lila
BILE to Realize on OklahOma's
Boom.
Harrison Recognizes the New South
by Some Really JudiciOus Ap-
p0intments.

WASHINGTON, May 3.-The Cherokee In
dians are going to make more out or the
Oklahoma boom than anybody else. 1t Will
probably bring them GEAR cash return of
81, SOC. 600. All tue settlers and corner lot
spectators in the country token together
will not realize such q money profit out of
their investment in the course OF a genera
ton. The opening of the Oklahoma coun-
try will compel the immediate opening Of the
Cherokee outlet The outlet should have been
opened first, AS Oklahoma can only be
reached bv crossing it. But the Cherokees
were more thrifty than the Creeks and
Seminoles who claimed Oklahoma. The
latter sold their land to the government
last winter The former waited for the value
of the outlet to be enhance by the rush to
Oklahoma They are shrewd fellows, these
Cherokees Southwestern people call Them
the Yankees OF Indian Territory, and they
merit their title in ali their dealings with
the white men and with the government
The commission to negotiate with the
Cherokees for the purchase of the strip,
which has just been completed by the ap-
pointment of ex-Congressman Baker of In
diana, is authorized, if necessary, to pay them
the full government price of 81 % per acre for
it UIder ordinary circumstances it would be
obtained for great deal less The outlet is
not occupied by the Cherokees and they
have made no use of it except to lease it TO
the cattle men. Under the last lease they re-
celved 800, 600 year for it. The cattle men
were ready to pay $4,000 per year for
renewal OF the lease, but the government
would not permit it. 1t is understood that
they are paying the Indians at the rate of
$2OO,OOO per year for their present tenn
| Of hn
this lease at per cent we have from
$4,000, 900 to 100000 as the probable
commercial value of the strip This is from
| so to 60 cents per acre.
| The government might have bought the
Cherokee outlet at this price last year, but it
can't do IL this year. The Indians will be as
quick as anybody to see thai, in view of the
| settlement OF Ok ahoma, this strip must aD-
| solutely be opened to settlers this summer,
| and they will make the most of the necessi-
! ties of the government The Cherokee COM
mission will have a harder task than the
! Sioux commission had last year. They will
| probably end by agreeing to pay the full gov
ernment price of 1925 per acre for the
| land. 1t is quite probable, too, that this
sum will have to be paid at once, without
any provision for repayment to the govern
ment by settlers The whole available coun-
try in the Indian Territory should have been
| opened. like The Sioux reservation, to pur-
chase by settlers, the purchase money TO be
invested for the benefit of the Indians. But
the opening was provided for by husty legisla-
tion enacted under political pressure from
the boomers. The result is that the govern
ment, which in Dakota simply becomes the
agent for the sale of Iudian land to the set
tiers, in Oklahoma buys the land from the
Indians, at a good round price. to make a
present of it to the settlers.
There are six million acres in The Cherok "a
outlet At 1925 an acre this will bring the
tribe plum OF So, 100000. The Cherokees
| are not rich in invested fluids, though nota-
bly, thrifty in their tribal and individual
dealings AL the funds invested for their
benefit and held for them in the treasury
national, school and educational-amOunt to
about So, 500, 900 The sale of the Cherokee
out ct will at once increase their national
wealth to SIC, ,OOU, 900 and make them the
wealthiest tlibe in the United States, taken
as the Osages. Ihs little tribe, numbering
only 1900 souls, has fund of about
IS, 600, 900 realized from the sale of their
original lands. Their annual interest is
$4OO, 600, which gives an annual income OF
neally 81 600 year TO every family. There
are 23, 900 of the Cherokees so their wealth
would not 90 so far if divided. But it will
make them a very prosperous nation, and
give them reason to bless the Oklahoma
boom. I. A CARLE-