The weekly messenger., 1889-11-16
OSAGE INDIANS.
By Far the Richest Nation in the
World.
Each Member of the Tribe is 2
Dissolute Nabob,

Tie o'age tribe of Indians is by fa
the richest nation In the world. TIL
Osages are five times as rich as the ay
cage Of Americans, ten times rs rich =
the average Of Eng!ishmcn, and tn
French and Italians are paupers in com
par.s1n- there are among the Osaoc
10 pennies people, and none in wan
except that insatiable want that alwav.
wants more.
The whole Usage Nation consists Of
Just l5JI persons, and the number OF
children Of school age is about 400 Bot
they already have two schools, supported
By magnificent school fund of s12O
900, yielding regularly annual interest
Of 5000, or S15 for each schooloblc
thi!d-a larger fund than any other
community in the world.
Lei US see what is the actual waoltb
dthe Osages. There are 1901 of Them
iccOEIin5 to last years census. They
lave in the Cnitcl States treasury ST.
'''St t94 ct their own money, drawing
per cent. interest. This amounts TO
icapital Of $5l75 apiece for the whole
;ltiOn-mcn, women and children.
n
But besides this they have l, 40, 900
|'re' OF Iand-equal to just about 1000
FC!es apiece. This land is mostly fine
|nd arabic and would sell for an aver
|ge OF SO an acre, or $40, 900 for each
EdlVidual IS portion. This makes each
EdlvidcAi Oslge Indian worth:
(ash in United States Treasury. 51-o
iue OF I, 100 acrts OF land .. 10 ooo
ealth OF each member of the tribe. .s1517a
50 eacA Gage baby comes into the
F0lld with SIS, 900 in its doubled fist
FN only IS each member of the tribe
nth sl5, 900, but the property is so
fOtected that he can enjoy only the
F'ome OF it. lie cannot get hold of
F principal TO dissipatc it, and he
Fnnot sell the land, so absolute pro.
EaOn IS made for the most inclemept
vet days. Each family possesses
y OVO On an average, and the head of
II he be industrious and enterpr.s-
+ can grow SO, 0O0 worth of crops
fear on MS 4, 000 acres of land. He
Fai:ed permanently above want and t
|'ve fear of want. &
lAe Usage tribe has retrograded ever
Fea Big sale of wild land made it |
The population steadily dimin- /
f. IN 1855 the popul alton was Q
"; IN 1863. 4. 4S1; in 1873. 2, 391; 4
ioSS, /, 800. The rich Osages are c
falng out. There were seventeen p
FaS last year and only three births. C.
y one baby has been born during u
SIX months of this year, as far as 81
|~ed, and that is only about one ft
pure blool. pi
ne Osagcs refuse to be civilized. fc
mostly in blankets, breech-clouts h
nOccasins and are a lazy, ignorant, n;
Mess fragment of the human race. pC
are mostly drunken when they bl
get rum. They vii! not work, but he
: they have any work that a squaw
understand they hire white men
II. The government tries to train
Oung without any good results. hi
E fact IS tha: the Usage tribe is a p!;
|'un!ty of copper colored loafers, of ur
gate, dissolutc. lazy, filthy nabobs. am
20 nothing to better :helr condi- ca,
|1eept constantly tease the govern is
'oF moie and more money. They thi
and despise civilization, because agt
faaon means work. Like all peo- to
10 ar supported in idleness, the the
p seem to have lost their manhood pea
come not merely pensioners, but can
|~'ants. -BrooIlys Citizen. viii