Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-19

He u big. broad-shouldered man. with big
hsad and an intelligent face, in which few signs
Of Indian blood are to be seer His hair is
dsrk brown and the lower half of his face is
covered with a short brown beard He was
dressed IL citizens clothes and his talk was in
o. good English and a. full Of ideas as that of
the average American Congressman. He has
been supreme judge Of the nation for years.
and he Il very intelligent man. He has a
dns farm not far on from Tahlequah and he
cultivItes the soil after scientific met hods az
thoss which prevail on the estate Of Uncle
Jerry Rnkk In the garden of Wisconsin. Dur
ing my talk with him the question Of the Cher
okss strip came up and he told me that there
was no doubt but that this valuable piece of
and would eventually be sold. and he evil
esntiy thought that the Indians ought to be
Allowed to sell il TO the highest bidder
Baid he: This strip contains over 5000 600
ecrss and these are as fine lands 40 exist in the
United S-atesL IL lies north of Oklahoma and
Sess OF the Osages and IL is well watered and
valuable have received number Of offers
City firm would have given us $50 900 900 for
A. Another party offered us so, 900 600 and a
third offer which we have had was els 900 OO0
We may have TO sell II to the United States. but
We do We ought 10 get fair price for it."
CHEROKEE FARMS.
This strip has nothing to do with this part Of
the territory. The nation owns some of the
finest lands Of the United States in the north
EASTERN part Of the Indian territory. and from
the stage rides which i have taken through
their country judge that not more than one
tenth Of il is cultivated Still il all seems to be
rich rode from Muskogee. the biggest town
of the Greek nation. to the Arkansas river
which We forded, and thence came on to Fort
Gibson and by another stage down here 10
Tahlequah- Along the whole way the soil was
fertile. There were great plains covered with
luxuriant grass aad the ride was more
like one through well-kept English
park than through half-setfled In
dian reservation Ii is tie same throughout
thee civilized nations. The Missouri. Kansas
and Texas railroad passes through four of them
and this 10 the best road for visiting the Indian
territory. All along it. from Texas to Kansas
you see rich farms. fat cattle and there are n
number OF very fair towns the biggest Of which
Is Nuskogee, with its !. 500 people You see also
great stretches of unoecupied land. aud these
Indian nations have curious regulations in re-
gard 70 their lands
LAND REGUr. lrIoSs-
Every Cherokee has the right to as much
land as he can use, and he IN hold all the land
he fences in. provided he :rlt.vates it, He has
also the right to a quarter Of mile % land for
grazing outside the fences all a. und his farm,
and some of these Indi Ins have big estates.
Tie farms here range al til. way from $50
acres to 1000 acres. and many of the farms
are managed by white men who get in here by
marrying Cherokee wives- There are about
5000 Cherokees. but the whites have so mixed
with them that the full-blooded Indians have
practically died out and the Cherokee nation
Is more white than Indian TODAY. I am stop
ping at very tair hotel here and an Indian
editor and an Indian physician. both graduates
Of eastern universities, sit down with me at
the txbls.