The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-10-04

Tor, though the government Dy long cx-
perience has learned how TO make laws
which seem stringent enough 10 protect
Indians, the border sharps have had an
equally long experience and can steer
around the most obstructive constitutional
provisions and knock the bullseye out of
the most explicit statute. The experience
of these Indians since the Americans frs:
treated with them in 1925 Is sort OF
tragic comedy, and it now looks as IL the
Yanktons were to practically illustrate
their name which means at the end. ="
The policy for 80 years or more was thus
tersely set forth by DR.. Burleigh, jovial
agent of our early territorial times: We
have met the Injuns, and what was theirs
Is ours"
Now, consider, We who think the Indians
have been robbed of their lands, that
these ianktons-aDd there never were
more than 5000 of them-since their first
treaty have received So. SEQ, 600 In gra-
tuities; that by this last treaty they re
ceive 500, 600 cash and for the next 20
years So 500 in cash somiannually, besides
$l2, 600 for schools and the Sl5, coo per
year for Is years to come which they are
entitled 10 under the treaty of 1850. Be
sides all this the government is now issu-
ing rations, setting up shops and buying
tools ont of pure benevolence to an amount
yearly determined by congress. But this
is only a beginning. OF the reserved land
every man, woman and child in the tribe
will have farm of nearly a quarter sec
ton untaxable for % years, and those who
do not want TO farm IL can lease to white
men and live at their ease as landlords.
Indeed this is considered q great advantage
for the white settler, rs he can have his
own land on fee and his Indian neighbours
on long lease.
1t is first rate land, too, none better in
Dakota The soil is black alluvial, from
one to four feet deep, and the subsoil u
sort OF calcareous marty clay, which re-
tains moisture wonderfully, thus making
1t possible TO grow crops In spite Of
drought. The reservation Is in Charles
Mix county, and the farmers living on its
borders tell wonderful stories about their
big crops.
The official report gives the yield per
acre averaged, as wheat, 2S bushels; oats,
56; corn, 62; barley, 81, and potatoes, 100,
which is big enough in all conscience To
call for exaggeratiGn. Everything gains
in the telling, however, in this country,
and you would insult the average farmer
of Charles Mix if you told him his land
could be made to yield no more than that
In truth, the chief social charm of this
country is that every settler is pleased
with his own patch, though very many Of
them would sell at a fair price"
II these Yanktons succeed in sticking 20
their locations, there will OF course arise
here a community of civilized Indians and
mixed people for young whites will mar
~ Indian girls with good farms, and then
this tier OF counties will present fine
chronological field-nine kinds OF people
from the Big Sioux to the Wyoming line
Over about Sioux Falls and below arc
Yankees thoroughly westernizcd, with
very liberal ideas on divorce and some 9TH
er things. Next 70 the west are Soandi-
Germans, etc, then a new va
riety Of Yankees, and so on 70 the Eutte-
ischis Mennonites in this county. They
are communists and a queer lot, but OF
course such a community ss that cannot
be permanent In this country. The attri-
ton of free society will wear IL away,
then some more foreigners and Yankees,
our Indians next. and the hunters and
hurders miners, etc. all the rest Of the way.
Ii will take smart politicians 20 keep on top
a Il
vote now they have citizenized and taken
lands in severalty. But they have that
kind here and are raising lots OF EN-.
They have also discovered the long
sought for fountain Of perpetual youth In
Fall River county, and that is fast bring
ing 90 or 20 more sorts of people-that Is,
4 one counts the varieties OF physical
Treckage. The above phrase may be
slight e1ageeration, but In very truth the
waters Of the hot springs do work won
iers-remoye wrinkles, cure govt, rheu-
natism and skin eruptions and inciden-
ally reSore manhood. The world Is Just
lnding out what "a wonderful place that
j. a city If perhaps 2, 500 people has
grown up there The fines. kind OF hotels,
and schools besides the Old Sol
Tiers home, are there, and II Is taken as n
matter Of course that in a few years that
: % be the Saratoga % tho mountains 4
Il is charged that the Cheyenne Indians /
latked there for their health for ages. but
ne charge is not proved, and statement. !
lbour Indians bathing should not be - i
,eived on Light testimony.
This brings me back by natural and T
asy stages % our newly c5tizeoizes! Yank- 4
ons. They ara ioiershiy clean, many - 4
hem have learned % work, the girls make .
Iairly good h0usessryauts al have had .
rood religious training. and many % the 4
-Oung are well educated VIII they keep .
IN IN the white mans road and what
lcket viii they vote this fall
J. Y. PAEKK