Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-07
QUITE A DECENT SET OF PEOPLE
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH,


crosses the southern line of Kansas to the
ninety-sixth meridian, thence due north
back TO Kansas and follow the State line to
the starting point and you have bounded
the Usage country. 1t is triangular piece
of territory containing !, 600, 900 acres.
HOW THEY GOT RICH.
When, In 1873, President Grant adopted
what is known as the "peace policy" in
dealing with the Indians, the Osages were
occupyingia vast reservation in thevery heart
OF Kansas. 1t was becoming more valuable
every year, and, as the whites were crowd
ing in closely upon them on all sides, the
Osages asked Uncle Sam to let them sell
out and go to the Indian Territory and
grow up with the country. This PROPOSE
tion was satisfactory all around. Apprais-
ers were appointed by the Government and
millions of acres soon changed hands.
A part of the proceeds was used to pur.
chase a new reservation in Indian Terri
tory, but the bulk OF it was held in trust bv
the Government. As the sale OF the Kan
sas lands proceeded, the trust fund grew,
and now it has reached the enormous sum
of $S, 200 000, Be it said to the credit of all
connected with this transfer of land, and
the handling of such vast amounts of money,
that it was accomplished with as little job
berry as any transaction of the kind in the
history of the Government.
THE osAGE PROPERTY.
The Osages bought their present reserva-
tion from the Cherokees, at the average price
of IS cents an acre. To-day 80 per cent of
it is worth So an acre, and the remainder
the tillable portion--is valued at from $S to
S12 an acre. Their personal property is
represented by nearly million dollars, and
they have a school fund of $1S0,000. Foot
l., IL L.
worth, in round numbers, Sl5, 600. 900. As
the tribe is made up OF about 1900 persons
all told, it is an easy matter to compute the
average of wealth per capita.
There is enough tillable land in the Usage
reservation to give every man, woman and
child 200 acres apiece for farm, and enough
grazing lana lett to tack on to each OF these
| farms 800 acres for pasture lot. 1t con-
tains 10, 900 quarter sections. As quarter
section is half mile square, were these
placed side by side it would make a strip of
land from Manitoba to the City of Mexico.
1t is an easy place to make a living. The
resident United States agent some years ago
offered to serve the tribe in his official
capacity for six years, without salary, for
the Unlimited privilege of putting cattle to
eat III some of the millions of tons OF grass
going to waste in the reservation. Ofcourse
this official knew better than to m axe his
proposition to the department at Washing
ton, so nothing came of it, as the Indians
themselves were powerless to accept or reject
business overtures.
MARRYING OUT OF EXISTENCE.
The fact that of the Osages iully one-third
are half-breeds, or "white indians" as the
| Iull-bloods call them, shows what q tempta-
ton it is for a white man to marry into the
tribe. The full-bloods are slowly decreas-
| ing in mum 5ers, but the other branch OF the
tribe is rapidly on the increase. 1t is matter
| of only few years when the Osages will be
nation of whites. as capable of holding land
in severalty, and of enjoying all the privi-
| leges of United States citizen as are the
average citizens of the States.
Do these Indians work at all? Yes; many
| of them would shame some white men. One
| of the best fields of corn ever saw was
raised by as red an Usage as could be found
in the tribe. He was proud of that crop.
He would wave his hand toward the field
and exclaim: "See what an Indian can do!'
But the blanket must 20 out with the COM
ing in of general farm work. 1t is inimical
to manual labor, although an Usage plowing
with his robe of pride tucked about his
waist is no uncommon sight.
KNOW A GOOD THING.
The most Of them, however, do not work.
They know all about that big nest-egg OF
theirs at Washington, which pours more
than S60,000 into their laps every three
months. They also know that it is inex-
| baustible, so what's the use of working?
The interest on the trust fund is paid quar-
terly. E,ch member of the tribe comes. in
for an equal share OF this money, which
amounts to S41 80, or S166 annually. No
matter how young the offspring is. if he only
has name on the roll within "a hours of the
tlme payment begins, he draws as much as
the biggest chief. A head of a family,
which consists of three wives and two or
three children to each wife, has an income
not to be ashamed of. And this is only pin.
money.
A few acres of land under cultivation and
few cattle and ponies will keep the aver
age family, or would have done so in the
days of aboriginal simplicity. But with
the present-day lu1uries in reach, some oi
these simple children OF nature emulate
their white brethren, and are always hard
up. What do they do with their money?
They live it up or gamble it away. That is,
some do. E -.
A PERPETUAL DEBT SYSTEM.
Much of 1t goes at once into the hands oi
the traders to pay off accounts which have
been accumulating for three months. 1t has
been but few years since the payment wa:
almost wholly swallowed up by these run
ming accounts. When the old score was set
tied, the Indians found storeiul of new
goods waiting to be bought on credit. But
the cash system is coming more and more
into vogue as these people become fore
handed. There is considerable ready money
among even the full bioods.
After paying cash for everything they
buy they still have money. They cannot in
vest it in real estate. for land is as free al
air. Some of IL they loan to an unfortunate
brother whose wallet has a mysterious hole
in it Some of it goes to satisfy taste fol
fine ponies and mules. They can afford t
ride in good carriages, and SO the carriage
has come to supplant the saddle. But there
are poor fellows among them who never hav'
any money. When they draw their slice a
payment, up steps the trader and present
his account. 1t eats big hole. which trad
I. er No. proceeds to make larger. 1t BY
7 chance he comes out with few dollars lei
be is tempted into game of "moccasin,
: and the little balance yanishes like Sep
tember frost at sunrise.
WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN.
Thus 1t would be II the entire trust fund
, OF 5000, 900 were equally distributed
among the Osages The money woul'
quickly gravitate into the hands Of thos
who knew how to keep it, and some woul'
. be penniless.
The Osages have made great advancemen