The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-11-04

took look into the halls and called up
on Mr.. Mays, who has for two terms
served as the chief of the Cherokees. I
found him in his executive chamber on
the second floor of the capitol.
He is big, broad shouldered man,
with big head and an intelligent face,
in which few signs of Indian blood are
to be seen. His hair is dark brown and
the lower half of his face is covered with
short brown beard. He was dressed
in citizens clothes, and his talk was in as
good English and as full of ideas as that
of the average American Congressman.
He has been supreme judge of the nation
for years, and he is very intelligent
man. He has o fine farm not far off
from Tahlequah, and he cul.ivates the
coil after as scientific methods as those
which prevail on the estate of Uncle
Jerry Rusk in the garden of Wisconsin.
During my talk with him the question of
the Cherokee strip came up, and he told
me that there was no doubt but that this
valuable piece of land would eventually
be sold, and he evidently thought that
the Indians ought to be allowed to sell
it to the highest bidder.
Said he: "This strip contains over
5000, 900 acres and these are as fine
lands as exist in the United States. 1t
lies north of Oklahoma and west OF the
Osages and it is we'll watered and valua-
BILE. have received number of offers
for it since I have been chief, and Kan
sas City firm would have given US $780,
900, 1000 for it. Another party offered
us $40, 900, 900 and o third offer which
we have had was SIS, 900, 900. We may
have to sell it to the United States, but
if we do we ought to get fair price
for it."
This strip has nothing to dc with
this part of the Territory. The nation
owns some of the finest lands of the
Urited States in the northwestern part
of the Indian Territory, ard from the
stage rides which I have taken through
their country I judge that not more than
one-tenth of it is cultivated. Still it oil
seems to be rich. I rode from Musko-
gee, the biggest town of the Creek ma
ton, to the Arkansas River, which we
forded, and thence came on to Fort Glib
sou and by another stage down here to
Tahlequah. Along the whole way the
soil was fertile. There were great plains
covered with luxuriant grass and the
ride was more like one through we'll
kept English park than through half
settled Indian reservation. 1t is the
same throughout these civilized nations.
The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Rail-
road passes through four of them and
this is the best road for visiting the In
dian Territory. All along it, from Texas
to Kansas, you see rich farms, fat cattle
and there are a number of very fair
towns, the biggest of which is Slusko-
gee, with its $500 people. You see also
great stretches of unoccupied land, and
these Indian nations have curious regu-
latlons in regard to their lands.
Every Cherokee has the right to as
much lard as be can use. and he can
hold all the land he fences IN, provided
he cultivates it. He has also the right
| to quarter of mile Of land for grazing
| outside the fences all around his farm,
and some of these Indians have big es-
tates. The farms here range all the way
| from 160 acres to 16, 900 acres, and many
of the farms are managed by white men
who get in here By marrying Cherokee
wives. There are about %, 900 Chero.
KEGS, but the whites nave so mixed with
| them that the ull-blooded Indians have
practically died out, and the Cherokee
nation is more white than Indian to-day.
I am stopping at 4 very fair hotel here,