The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-21
THE RICHEST OF NATIONS.
No Other People Can Match Dollars
With the Cherok ee Indians.

With the Cherokee Indians.
From the Washington Post.
T. NJ. Burlington. president Of the Chero-
Col. E. c. Boudinot, the famous Cherokee
statesman, arrived in the city yesterday
aud have rooms at the National.
Mr.. Burlington attracted no little atten-
ton In the lobby of that hostelry yesterday
by his magnificent physique, standing about
feet inches in hight and weighing close
to 200 pounds. Mr.. Boudinot, while not as
tall as his friend, is a magnificent repre-
sentative of the Cherokee race, standing
fully feet and weighing about $50. The
two gentlemen are not full-blooded, but
very light, the parents OF each being half
white.
They are in the capital as the representa-.
tlVes of the Cherokee tribe to ratify the
ale of the Cherokee strip to the govern
ment The land sold comprises 622, 900, 900
acres, and the price agreed upon by the
contracting parties is 81 4215 per acre.
This will make the Cherokees, who number
about 10000, tho richest nation or race of
people in the world. The Usage tribe comes
next in wealth, as the money they have de-
posted with the government for the sale OF
lands gives them an interest of $62 50 per
capita each quarter.
Few people in the states realize that we
have little world practically among our
selves, )" said Mr.. Boudinot yesterday, but
we have one of the most complete govern
ments in existence. Our land is the most
fertile, and we raise all the grains of the
west, and in the southern portion we raise
cotton and tobacco. We receive about
$4,000 interest from the federal govern
ment, and with that we support ours. We
have our own congress, the House Of Repre-
sentatives having forty members and our
Senate, of which MIR. Burlington is presi-
dent, eighteen. Our laws are all printed in
Both English and Cherokee. We have had
a written code Of laws for seventy years,
and also an imperfect system written in
1908. We have our Judiciary, composed of
minor courts as well as district and supreme.
All proceedings. however, are carried on in
the English language.
THE Cherokee is the most civilized of all
the Indians. We have always been farmers,
and have had the government in our debt
instead OF them supporting us. The Chero-
KEGS originally wers found in East Tonnes
see. North Carolina aud Northern Georgia
by De Soto, who mentions them. Our ira
ditions, however. tell US that. We had
$1,000 acres Of land given us then, which we
sold back in 1888. In 1917 large part of
our people left and went to Arkansas.
Eventually all went there and finally suc-
ceeded in uniting once more on our present
reservation III 1000. III 1901 we adopted
the Shawnees, aud in 1868 the Delawares
''We to~day own land in Alabama, about
1900 acres, and other lands in Arkansas
We sold the Oklahoma strip some few
years ago, and recently sold the outlet of
6,000,0 for 81 4215 the acre to the gov
eminent, which contract we are now here
TO ratify. We will leave the money with
Uncle Sam and draw the interest, and will
use it upon our roads. We have spent
many thousands upon them alre ,dy, but
want to make them perfect. The word
Cherokee is pronounced 'Chal.o.2ee.In