Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-31
THE PROMISED LAM
Disconsolate Picture of Oklahoma
Drawn by a Correspondent
AFTER A DREARY DRIVE OVER IT.
Persistent Work Of Quakeress Among the
KickapOo indians.
ER A DREARY DRIVE OVER IT.
GLIMPSE OF The SHAWNEE PEOPLE


CORRESPONDENCE OF THE prsPATCHi
SAC AND Fox AGENCY, /. T., August
l9.-Carrying with me several letters OF in
PRODUCTION, book of travelling vouchers
and 500 of Uncle Sans money, was sent
out rom the Chilocc school to Sac and Fox
Agency via Oklahoma City, to solicit pupils
Tor the Chiloco school. There is no stage
line now between Oklahoma City and the
Sac and Fox Agency. so the only way to get
here is by private conveyance.
Oklahoma City is dead. The whole ofthe
southeastern part, dotted with Door m"
cottages, an ice factory, -four mills and Ia.
merous beer saloons is contested. One of
the marsLals OF the city holds it as his
claim. The greater number OF the lots have
three and -four owners, and the city is COM
paratively at standstill as far as public
Improvement is concerned. The only
sprucy, clean. sleek and well-fed men are
the soldiers who strut the streets from the
camp close BY, stationed there 10 keep peace
THE LEADERS GONE.
Oklahoma has had her history. The two
great leaders of the boomers are passed all
need OF claims and cheap homes. Captain
Couch was shot by a neighbor who contested
bis right to his land, and lies buried upon
have been poisoned. The hotelkeeper. a
large Texas man, at whose house 1 stopped,
shot and killed the man who built the ho-
tel. They disputed over bill $40. The
mans widow is struggling to get living
for herself and family by washing. The ho-
teikeeper's wife and spoiled daughter reveI
in ease and luxury in comparison. The
man is at liberty under heavy bond.
hired livery team at Oklahoma CITY
to bring me to this agency. The road took
us through a great part of the Oklahoma
claim. Some of the boomers have nice
neat houses, wells and good fences; others
look as IL vthey were on the point of desert
ing all and returning to the homes they left
where they had managed to scrape up a Iiv.
ing at least.
A BACKWARD RACE.
After we LETT the Oklahoma country we
were upon the lKickapoo reservation. The
Kickapoos fight against civilization. They
have never sent q child away to school, and
it is but recently that they have permitted
anyone to teach their children even at home
upon the reservstion.l Mss Lizzie Test,
Quakeress, has been among them ior years.
10 reach them she pitched her tent in their
midst. Then, like Daniel Boone, she lived
alone, her only conpanioq being an old
Kickapoo woman.
We met young Kickap0o girl, dressed
ir the conventional red, coming up deep
wooded cut carrying a kettle ull OF corn on
ber head. She smiled and made signs as il
willing TO give us in ormation. I wondered
at her politeness, and quickly asked her !;
we were on the road to the Sac and FL
Agency. She nodded yes, and gave that
peculiar gesture of the Indian when telling
the direction; but just as quickly as the in;
-. -. l.
and with much jsbbering aud head gestures
she made us know she wanted money for the
she gave Us.
RELIC OF AN EFFORT.
We had travelled on over old trails and
-oads evidently vacated, Tor they lead us
where the overhanging branches ol traea
almost tore off the top of the buggy. r.
beyond Kiekapoo village, with houses
down, stood the sehoolhouse.
neat plain frame building, with nice green
VeaitIan shutters. Inside were me seats
lack board aud all the equipments read
Or the education cf the KiekapoOs but nos
me child would they put into school, and !,
imply stond rs a monument of the gooC. g.
entions oi the Government.
We had been travelling, as We thouq..
owsrd the East. and were hoping We wou
oon be at the end OF our journey, when a ins-
md by raising his hand made us under.
tsnd he wanted US to STOP He was
zIckapoo Indian policeman. We were
white people on his reservation, He wanted
o know our business there and our destiua.
ion. Before he had time to sneak we asked
lin II we were on the right road to the Sac
nd Fox Agency. He told Us we were
way of the road. Asthe day was cloudy
ve had lost our bsarings,and were travelling
North instea1 OF East.
LOST ON THE PRAIRIE.
was beginning to doubt the truthfuInes,
I Indian information, and hecomiue dis
usted with the prosiness Of my aged driver
nd his mania for old traih, when he
shipped up the horses, dashed right across
he prairies, irrespective Of roaes and We
'ere lost sure enough. On we wen. through
n open country with not the sign Or s-house
r ANYTHING human as far as the eye eauIC
each. Va
It was a beautiful country ready for tn.
low, but reserved for the Indian. We
-aveled through miles Of timber. The cattle
Tere finding something to eat in this cool
etreat; some trees had been ielled, but there
Iere no signs of ranch or ranchmen. The
IN had hidden his face all day. but sank in
glow Of splendor as We emerged IRON the
mber and came upon Shawnee village.
A POLITE LITTLE GIRL.
The Shawnee women were flirting about
,e trees in their bright red dresses. ] asked
little Shawnee girl who had been to school
: 1 could stay with them all night. She
I'D me that her parents were away and she
as raid to keep me. Shehad all the po-
teness in her refusal that well-bred white
nild would have; so thanked her and told
er would remember her when Christmas
ame. A little larther on we met a young
ian, with his arms full of corn. We asked
i'm if we could stay ut his house all night.
Ie looked up, his honest face iuIl of smiles,
nd said: '1 guess 90, but we haven't much
eat" Then he added: Browns store
eeps travellers"
Browns store was two miles distant. Il
as dark when we reached 1t, and we had
aveled probably so miles. We had %
lies yet to go. I hope when the Chilocco
chool again wants Sac and Fox children
,ere will he more rniIioads