Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-29
OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.
Destitutinn and Hunger Constitute the
Lot of Many HouseholderS.
The Glass of People of Which the Territory is
Made Up-Notes Of Interest from the
State Capital
THE APPROPRIATION EXHAUSTED.


Special TO the Gazette.
AUSTIN, Ten, Nov. 2T.-Professor
r. T. Hill, who went about three weeks
ago 10 Oklahoma TO investigate the
artesian water supply there has re-
turned. He found the condition of the
people there TO be hard one. Outside of
the towns, they are all settlers, and very
poor as Il rule. No crops of any sort
with the exception OF little cotton in
one OF two places were raised this year.
The drouth destroyed everything.
Many of the people in the towns as well
rs the country are stepped in poverty and
covered with rags. Desttution and
hunger constitute the lot of many a
householder. TIE government appropr-
alton made Mt the last session of congress
for tho benefit of the needy in that
section has been exhausted, aud the
governor of the territory has advised the
legislature, still in session, 10 make an
appeal TO congress for additional aid.
Owing TO lack of facilities, Mr.. Hill
was not able 10 learn much of u definite
nature about the existence of artesiau
water. No deep wells have yet been
sunk. the officials having an idea that
the government should bore Il few at its
own expensefor purposes OF investigation.
OF COURSE they were mistaken. Mr..
Hill thinks, however. that artesian
water VIII be found at Guthrie aud King
fisher, but not ut Oklahoma City.
A POLITICAL SCRAMBLE.
Politics there he describes IA a mad
scramble for Office. There Is bat little
else to do, and ;he swarms of jay states
-.H,VF.
locked into the Territory from the North
and East are tumbhug over and reldng
each other in frenzied struggle for
whatever comes in sight. The legisla-
ture is u veritable bear garden, where
the monkey and parrot act is of almost
daily occurrence. There is nothing OK
tHnt in the wild and woolly line to COM
pare with IT, except perhaps the mad
antics of the dancing dervishes in the
Sioux ghost dances. Mr.. Hill did not
say ;his, but that is perhaps not very
strained Inference from what he did say.
And speaking about the ghost dances,
he had che satisfaction of witnessing the
novel aud interesting performance both
ut Fort sill aud Fort Reno. At the first
nnmed place ne went out ut night to the
camp OF rendezvous of the kioxus, in
company with the innkeeper, where he
found the males OF this tribe gathered in
great numbers. They, too -ad caught
the infection, inoruluted perhaps by
AN ENIsSARY OF SITTING Bull
dispatched by that cunning rascal TO
tramp al The way from Dakota for the
purpose OF rousing up the braves of
the Territory. There WAS nothing excit-
lug in the Kiowa dance. which WIS really
no dance at all. The bucks formed in
b.a H.. sG,,t-l
.ight of o single lantern swung TO Il
neIghhoring tree they moved slowly
around, all the while chanting a wierd
sort OF Indian song or melody with very
little melody 10 il. There were no other
demonstrations, and the performance
was conducted exclusively by the males,
10 squaws being visible.
At Fort Reno, however, the pro-
Gramme was different. The CheynGes
seemed TO be more eScitable and demou-
strBtive than the k!owas. The bucks
formed in circles inclosinC q number of
squaws VINO made the welBin ring with q
svuseeSs huliaDaloo that seemed to be
iutermiuabie. They were in constant
motion, going round and round, which
they kept up until, utterly exhausted,
they fell into swoon, or rs the Indians
suppose, Il trance in which they see the
Mes. iah, and learn ali manner of silly
and prepnsterous things. Although la
boring uuder the
COMMON DELUSIoN,
the Indians do not appear, says Mr..
Hill, to be actuated 10y any savage or
bloody instincts. They believe that the
NJ ssiah will come, ana that he will in
SOM way nnnihilnte The whites and re-
store TO them the land once more,
stocked with buffalo ard game without
end. The bloodthrstiness inspired in
the Dakotah Indians by Sitting Bull is
not present III the Indians Of the Terri