Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-05-02


Guthrie, Oklahoma, Indian Ter. Apr %, lss.
Two weeks ago | resolved to see
sad famillarize myself with a por-
tion of our country of which | was
ignorant, and at the same time unite
myself with what we call the
/ "Boomers." This was name synon-
imous with all that was desperate
and lawless, but 1 found as I have
often before, that when one is ac-
qulinted only by heavsay with "a
person or thing that he has no right
TO form such a preiudiced opinion.
A few preliminary remarks may
/ here be in place concerning The In
dian Ter, of which most people
have but hazy conceptions
First there are what is called the
i've civilized tribes; that is, those
that conform in dress and demeauor
TO their ueighbors, the whites. They
4 are the Cherokees, Choctaws, Greeks,
/ Chlcasaws and Seminole tribes. The
latter reservation is much the small
est These tribes govern themselves.
Make and execute their own laws,
have their capitois, their chlct
councIl and lower house; the chief
corresponding to Governor and the
TWO houses to Senate and Assembly
OF other states. Where q white man
is concerned in d suit Of any kind
the ease goes to the u. >. courts.
The Indians execute the death pen
atty by shooting the offender
United they are what Is called the
Union Agency. The agent acts
somewhat as consul on minister
between them and the Government.
/ The towns one finds in these nations
are occupied chiefly by whites VINO
4 do business under permits and
/ DO not differ materially from others.
Again, one may acquire right 10y
I intermarriage with some woman OF
the tribe and as Il great many OF
these Indians have a maximum Of
/ Caucassian blood iu them, such
marriages are not looked upon with
much disfayor by white men, and
one does not lose caste, as 10 were,
| by SO doing. lt depends on the
white preponderance of his coniu-
cal choice. But In the Cherokee
nation this privilege has been abated.
/ A great many of the Cherokees are
about as near white as they can be,
ana their land and rights were
| thls ncd by speculative white men,
who, marrying a called Indian
woman, could obtain almost unlim-
/ tied land for his use. Au Indian
may use all the land he chooses, rs
long as he encroaches OH no one
else, and as lour-fifJhs Of these
nations are practically unsettled
such rights have been abused. In
that nation now, if an Indian woman
marries a white man she loses her
"right'
Again, a white man may rent
from an Indian piece Of land, on
suiIrance, and near the markets
there are a great many such renters,
and few Indians. ] know Indians
in Ft. Smith, with just a unge Of
Indian blood, who are the nabObs Of
the land by such procedure. A
white man who thus rents land can
not at any time hold in the nation
more than ten head Of cattle over
one year old. This is to prevent the
encroachment Of cattle men, though
sometimes large tracks Of country
are set aside by tribe and rented
to such for that purpose for q money
consideration. Such funds go TO
! the Indians en- masse-for Instance,
| the Iowa reservation. Since 50
much Of the territory is unoccupied,
! il offers an asylum for a great mum
Der Of lawless men who find in its
recesses a secure retreat Over 800
murders were committed there last
wear. aud over TWO dozen u. S. dep
uty marshals were killed ia The at
tempt TO make arrests. IntOXlcants
Of any kind are prohibited from
/ being introduced into lhis territory
under heavy penalties. Still many
take the risk, as it is a paying busi-
ness. 'Introduciue" they call it.
On the 9th Of April three teams,
one OF which belonged 70 my Bro.
1 William and myself, left TT. smith
/ for a trip through the nation to
I Oklahoma, distant $50 miles. We
were an well armed aud united for
mutual protection-not from the
4 Indians but from the renegades who
make the territory their rendezvous.
Ferriel across The Poleau ~e took q
northwest course, making for the
Guthrie land office. Tbero4l- were
j bad from the start, ba. e fer the
/ first s. miles tie settlers were most
IR white. we had no trouble about
/ the way. The country through
there. crossing the Canadian by
ferry 10 Eufoala % the ~ X d Z,
is mostly wooded, rolling and with
occasional high prairie lands, rery