New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-05-08
#CHEROKEES IN LUCK.
This Thrifty Tribe of Indians Liza
BILE to Realize on Oklahoma,s
Boom.
Harrison Recognizes the New South
by Some Really Judicious APP
p0intments.

WASHINGTON, May 3.-The Cherokee IN
dams are going to make more out of the
Oklahoma boom than anybody else. It will
probably bring them a clear cash return of
~, 5OO,O 900. All tue settlers and corner lot
spectators in the country taken together
VIII not realize such O money profit out of
their Investment in the course OF 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 by 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 enhanced 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 APP
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. Under 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-
celyed 800, 600 a year for it. The cattle m en-
were ready to pay $175,0O per year for
renewal of the lease, but the government
would not permtit 1t is understood that
they are paying the Indians at the rate of
$500, 600 per year for their present tenn
porarY occupancy Of the land Capitalizng
this lease at per cent we have from
SIS. 900, 600 to 100000 as the probable
commercial value of the strip. This is from
% to 90 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 tha;, in view of the
settlement OF Oklahoma, this strip must ab-
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
eminent price of $1.25 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 hasty legisla-
ton enacted under political pressure from
the boomers. The result is that the govern
ment which in Dakota simply becomes the
ageat for the sale of Indian land to the set
tiers, in Oklahoma buys the land from the
Indians at good round price, to make
present of it to the settlers.
There are six million acres in the Cheroka e
outlet At 1925 acre this will bring the
tribe plum OF So, 100000. The Cherokees
are not rich in invested funds, though nota-
bly, thrifty in their tribal and Individual
dealings All the funds invested for their
benefit and held for them in the treasury
national, school and educational to
about So, 100000 The sale of the Cherokee
out ct will at once increase their national
wealth to ST. 1000, 600 and make them the
wealthies5 tribe in the United States, taken
collectively, though not so rich individually
as the Osages. This little tribe, numbering
only 1900 souls, has fund of about
So, 900, 600 realized from the sale of their
original lands. Their annual interest is
$500, 600, which gives annual income of
nearly 81, 600 year to every family There
are 23, 600 of the Cherokees, so their wealth
would not go so far if divided. But it will
make them very prosperous nation, ana
boom. T. A. earle,
T. IS s.