The sun., 1891-05-17
RICHEST OF ALL NATIONS.
THE osAGE INDIANS HIG FUND I'M
THE TREASURY

WASHINGTON. May 15.-Speastng OF visit ia
the Indian Territory some years ago Senator
Ilatt satd recently: When was at the Trad.
Ing post Of tho Usage Indians was much
amused to see an Indian buying barre, Of
good -four for himself and barrel OF clenp
| -four for tho whito man who workc for him. /"
| The Osage India 8 can afford TO be luxurioua
| They arc tho wealthest Indians In the Cn,tod
States. 1t is estimated at tho Indian ONlce
that tho Osa9e Indnns-men. women. and
childrcn-nre worth $4,000 each In what ought
TO bo as good as ca>h. I. e.. salablo lnni and
the Governments promise to pay. 30 great Ia
the interest on tho sum held ty tho United
States TO their credit that tho Secretary Of tho
Interior will not pay out all Of 1t nt one time
and q adunl increment is adding to the mil.
lions already credited to the tribe on tho books
OF the Government.
The Osagcs came by their wealth through the
sals OF their lands in Kansas when they were
moved to reservation In what Ia now known
as Oklahoma Territory. Ono Indian aban.
doned his tribe and olunR to his Kansas land,
and 1t Ia said that to-day through the appro.
citation in the value OF that land he Is worth
million dollars. Ho is perhaps tho richest In.
dian in the world. Nothing is known OF him
at the Indian Office because. having abandoned
his tribe he has ceased to be subject OF So
affairs at the national capital. The land be.
longing to tho other Indians was BOUGHT By
tho Government and thrown open to settle.
ment. In buying this property the Govern.
ment did not mako any actual payment for II.
Itannounced to the Osages that they had been
credited with the amount OF the purchase
money and that they would receive interest on
that amount. There was NO deposit made to
secure this indebtedness Of the Gov.
eminent. There II nothing to repre-
sent 1t in the Treasury Department exc
cept the record Of the faot that Il has bSAA
assumed BY the Governmens This has been
the practice OF the Government-its exclusive
practice-for manyJears. long time ago the
Treasury Department used to purchase South.
ern State bonds with the purchase price OF
Indian lands and hold them 10 trust for the
Indians A great many OF those Southern
State bonds are now In tho Treasury vaultA
held in trust to secure Indebtedness to the In.
dian tribes But on the majority OF them no
interest has been paid By the States for long
time In fact. the bonds In effect have been re.
pudiated. Tho Government however. undor
Its contract with tho Indians. is hold liable for
the interest which these bonds should have
drawn. This interest 1t has assumed. 50 the
purchase OF tho State bonds was a losinG In
vestment for the Government. Its unhappy
wisdom of securing it's debts to the Indian. like
its other obligations. with a promise to Day.
In the deposits to the credit OF the Ossge
Indians there Is ono item OF $8.1A7.5l5. The
annual interest on this Ii $407.876. There are
about 1.500 Osages on the reservation In Okla
homa The exact number mentioned in the
last annual report OF the Indian Commissioner
is 1.496; but this. of course. varies from time
to time. The members OF this tribe. men.
women. and children. are Joint sharers In the
Interest money. As 1t 10 paid to tho tribe It 10
divided equally among them. 1t is drawn By
lhe head OF each family for himself. his wiie.
and his children. The Indian with o large
family draws goodly sum each month. Even
the amount to which the single Indians are on
titled is large-for an Indian. 1t has been the
policy OF the Secretary OF the Interior. aoting
Tor the President, who, under tho law. 10 tho
trustee for the Indians, to Day to the Usage
:ribs only part OF the money to which 1t 10
untitled. The amount paid annually was, for
! long time. s250.O00. Two years ago the pay
nent was increased. at the request OF tho In
lians, to 100000 . year. THAI 10 less than rs
per cent Of the amount due tho Indians. and
he other IS Dor cent goes toward swelling the
amount with which the tribe is credited on the
Treasury books. What will b done With this
'lowly increasing capital and the correspond.
nRiy increasing interest on It 10 . question
With which tho Government has not ret
roubled ITSELF
Occasionally some OF the interest money
which is due to the Osages is expended for
heir benefit By the Secretary Of the Interior.
within his discretion. The Indian Of,ios has
IN hand now plans for 1000 building to bs
!. cd as dormitory and school In connection
With the education OF the Osage children. The
ouncil OF the tribe requested the Secretary to
make this expenditure. The Government
ooks after the education Of the Osages and
pecial fund 10 set aside for educational pur.
'oses. The Government supplies them with
gricultural implements and grpat many
ther things which the Indians could very well
ford to buy for themselves. They do buy
reat many luxuries. Very few Of them save
ny Of the money which Is paid to them by the
government. The trader at the aseney Gsts
reater part OF 1t within an hour aftsr the
ayment has been distributed. The OSags
is regarded 40 the most valuable In
he United States. Other traders have moro In.
ians to deal with. but not 10 much monsx
After tho provisions OF the recent treaty With
he Chippewa Indians have been fulallsd tAsy
I'LL be tho second weslthiest tribe IN the
1orld. They number about 60oQ Thsis
sh lands 5otSsrinE t6s the smA LIE ia 9!a
aid e thsm th!ss soy ysssr ySssr $4,000; Ye1! yssi
Sns II the
laps Ls VIII receive payment Of half millisn
Gsss The 6ssso tss ss1 Indians ar. solitary in their
aperguous wealth. There 6 no other in6s
hSh has more than e car u,s aoss os
.nmsnt =, S 70 y & Rnre Erstulty; Two tIibes the
q ! e; most oly!|i.sS q an ths iRfi.n;; IeVsiy3
I'd sod 70 settlSrs y tie dovsIn%enb :ons
ID haze v.s mere i1s:Esss money sSmIns hen
present the Usage tribe 10 the only one
ny degree Of Willingness that the OlAges
LEV their princpsl e inessase yeary sT6sy
Y ,ef theiE snpnai Income. Each yeaE the!
ss! 1sir tribe 10 20 6sss The ssStsssry e ,p: psy
hey are not to be satisfied with the luu
mount now COMING 70 theY annually, tThfz
ON them paid oyer in Q lump sum. Teey