Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1891-09-11
@!a!:'!;!! e! Rssi1s Rs,s1ss.
ABSOLUTELY Pune
THE LAST osAoe.
Whist 10 - Ne Done when ths Ttll
Owtndles - . D,ngis 1esprsssntativs,

Whoe 10 - Ne Done when thA 1tAhn
D~iadiss - . s.ngis Representative
A good many people are aware that
the Osagc Indians are the most horrible
example Of unearnsd increment In ~
world. For their labors in the sborie-
inal fields of drinking bad whisky and
evading the school teacher and the sosp
peddler they are paid BY the Govsrr.
mont y much of the interest," on the sum
OF IA, 600, 600 Is they can annually az
pose u in the fields Of aboriginal effort
above indicated. As. despite the mis-
sionary enthusiasm Of the spesk-essy
proprietors on the borders OF their
reservation. in Oklahu ina, they can not
drink more bad whisky per annum than
their skins will hold, they cannot spend
all their interest. In consequence the
Government. though it squanders an
occasional $40, 600 or 80 in the erection
OF school house or other evidence OF
the worst tendencies of the white mans
civilization. Is running little more in
debt to them every year.
Very few people, however, are aware
OF the fact that the Usage is dying out
There is but 1900 OF him. according to
the returns Of the present census, worth
on rough calculation $15, 900 in Gov
eminent bonds head, whereas there
was nearly 1000 Of him in 1853. With
his interest pilisg up all the time, % BY
reason OF shrinkage in numbt rs the ex-
rense Of supplying him with bad whisky
is constantly minimized, and with the
relationship Of the United States a.
trustee aud debtor precluding the pos.
sibili'y OF any depreciation or loss of his
estate or the interposition OF any statu.
tory provision against perpetuities, the
last Usage will be the richest man, wo-
man or child in the United States Of
America, probably in the world.
What is going to be done with him?
The invasion Of the Black Hills, the
boomers rush for Oklahoma, the grasp
ing clutch Of the cattle king for the
Cherokee Strip will be nothing COM
pared with the struggle for the last
Usage.
There will not he bankrupt empire
in Europe whose Chancellor will not be
waiting outside his tepee for q chance to
send in his card and request for the
financing Of loan to buy a new maga-
zine dynamite gun for the armament of
the empires aereal navy, At the moment
when the whole OF the unearned incre-
ment devolves upon the Last Usage.
There will not be promoter in Wall
Street or IN inventor in Connecticut
who will not be longing to give the Last
Usage chance to absorb the tri1iug
balance not already his of the worlds
ready cash in brief twelve months by
capitalizing q new industrial" project
for the extraction of sunshine from
watermelons, or the bridging OF sidereal
space with corrugated moonbeams. II
the Last Usage be an heir male to the
unearned increment, the drawing rooms
of civilizati IN will he deserted. while
Mesdames Mammas' maneuverers will
march in battalion front upon his wig
wan. If the Last Usage be heir female.
the Government will have to supply
her with corps OF secretaries to investi-
gate the validity in twenty foreign lands
OF the hundreds Of bankrupt titles which
will be laid at her feet.
As to the vulgar throng of fortune
seekers, card sharpers, bunco men,
confidence men, thimble riggers, horse
gyps, and the like, the army of the
United States will have to he increased
to provide police protection to the Last
Usage from the ravenous hordes which
beset him. Then, very likely, the joint
commissioner of the Banks of France
and England, come to inquire the Last
Osage's pleasure as to the gold reserve
of the world, will be shot by mistake for
. skin" faro dealer, and international
complications will necessitate another
increase OF the army Of the United
States, for whose pay the then Admins
trstion will have to borrow money from
the Last Usage.
What will be done with him? NAV
again be asked.
When the British Nation, . hundred
years ago. thought it saw in will Great
ing trust of y hundred years Of fund
of a beggarly hundred thousand pounds
the means OF the absorption of the
wealth OF the entire kingdom, it rushed
to Parliament for er post ytactO leeisla-
ton. An act was passed which pre-
vented the Last Usage from having =
prototype in the Last Thellnsson. But
no such relief can be afforded the couu-
try from the Last Usage. The inter
mediate Osages can not spend their in
come. Trust or no trust. it must pile
up unless some means be devised to in
crease their capacity for the consump
tion of bad whisky.
Perhaps some future Alexander
Hamilton will appear to stand between
the country and the Last Osage with
some such scheme as that proposed.
Until then we can bnt continue the
iteration Of the proposition: What will
be done with the Last Usage? P Phila.
detphia Press.