The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-27
PAYING OFF THE cHERoKEEs.
Strange Scenes at the Capital of the
Indian Territory.
From the Kansas civ Times.

here in rather shady way, for some en-
terprising gentlemen have come here
with big wad of counterfeit money. in
tent on palming it off on the unwary
Cherokee. So far they have succeeded in
getting very little of it in circulation, for
they are being closely watched.
This payment of So, 800, 000is the largest
cash payment ever made to any one peo-
pie at one time so far as history shows
OF this amount over $1,600OO0 now re-
poses in the treasurer's Office in the Cher
okee state house at this point. One hun
dred members of Cherokee Light Guards,
all Of them veterans in the service, and
the surest shots in the nation, patrol the
grounds, the upper and lower corridors of
the state house, and the principal streets
of the town. If the Dalton gang or any
other gang were to attempt to carry off
this treasure they would be riddled with
bullets before they got halt way through
their job. None but persons of the Cher
okee blood are allowed in the state house
while the payment is going on. Every
precaution has been taken by the author
tiles to prevent raid, which, if success
full, would CLAIM as its booty the greatest
swag ever captured by any band of
bandits since the days of Robin Hood
At 8 o'clock this morning the payment
began. All day Friday, Saturday, and
Sunday the Cherokees began coming in,
most of them camping on heoutskirts of
the town. Tahlequah is a town of less
than 1900 people, and it has no big hotels
aud consequently its accommodations for
strangers are decidedly limited. During
last night Pickering torches stu ok in the
ground threw weird lights upon the
armed guards who patroled the grounds
surrounding the state house.
With the first peep of dawn came the
Cherokees, bent upon seeing their precious
per capita. By 8 O'Clock there were 2, OOO
or 5000 people in the vicinity Of the build
ing where the treasure was stored. 1t
was a curious throng. There were pretty
young Cherokee girls hardly in their
teens, who smiled bashfully upon big
footed, slouch-hatted young fellows with
huge cartridge belts and big guns in their
hip pockets. There were old danes
whose grizZled features showed them 10
have long ago passed the three score and
ten years limit. There were men equally
as old, and all ages were represented,
down to the infant. Every infant, by the
way, draws its per capita, 5.6S, exactly
as much as the man or woman 80 years
its senior. 1t is said that there have been
500 Cherokee babies born within the last
four months. The Cherokee is no fool.
AT 9 o'clock a dark featured guard,
carelessly carrying a rife across his
shoulder, strolled down to the rope which
shut out the throng, and picked out ten
OF the Cherokees whom he escorted into
the state house Most of the ten were
women. The districts that are now be-
ing paid off are the Tahlequah and the
Going Snake district, aud there are two
sets of desks for each district. Ac-
cordingly the Cherokees ares divided into
two sections as they, pass into the room
mt 80 rrlv -
paying is very simple. The applicant goes
in and is asked his or her district Going
Snake is the reply, What name2 John
Bluebelly. The Going Snake rolls are re-
ferred to, and if John Bluebelly's name is
found thereon he gets his money. together
with the money of his wife and also that
of all the children unto the couple ap-
pearing. He goes in at the west door Of
the state house and goes out at the east
door
Here he is supposed to pass through a
roped passageway, on either side of which
are stationed collectors for the various
firms who have debtors among the Chero-
KEGS. These firms erected wooden pas
sageway, with narrow stalls for their col
lectors, through which it was intended to
send the Cherokees after they had Sc
cured their money, but the indignant In
dians objected to being treated like a lot
of cattle and tore down the wooden work.
The collectors have their bills all made
out, and it is fact that as each Indian
passed the gauntlet he or she is recognized
by the collectors, who possess a wonder
full memory.
One man, John Thompson, of Table
quah, a general merchant, has the sum OF
$3.50, 900 loaned out among the Cherokees,
having been selling goods TO them on
credit for the last two years on the
strength of this payment He frankly
admits that he has charged such enor-
nous sums for these goods sold the In
dians that he can afford to lose % per
cent. of all that is owed him and then
make handsome profit, but the prospect
is that he will lose no such per cent.
Most of the Cherokees paid up as they
passed the collectors.
There were some amusing incidents.
A Cherokee who proposed to pay his
debts when he pleased would dodge under
the ropes and thus escape the collectors.
Another who owed a merchant S210l0
threw the collector $40 note as he passed
along and said: mot another - cent
until get ready" A tired looking woman
came out clutching 500 in bills; there
was a smile on her dark face at the start.
She was headed of by collector, who
relieved her Of good many of the bills
collector pounced upon her, and, when
she got TO the end of the line. every cent
of her money was gone, so was the smile
The woman went away, sobbing bitterly.
She was a full-blood, and all the mer-
chants here will tell you that the full
bloods will pay their debts promptly and
fully Not so with all the half breeds.
Very often the white blood carries the faint
of dishonesty with it. The simoupure In
dian doesn't know what it means to be
crooked.
Old John Ross was the first to draw his
money this morning Ross is a Presbyte-
rian preacher and is a son of Chief John
Ross. who was for forty-one years at the
head of the Cherokee nation. Preacher
Ross put his greenback in his pocket and
walked of smiling. He had no debts TO
pay and consequently no collectors to
face. After him came Others and when
noon arrived seventy persons had been
paid of At 2 o'clock the payment COM
meuced again and by nightfall about 49,
600 had been disbursed.
II is expected that the 81 100000 will be
paid out before the expiration of the
twelve days allotted TO this point After
that the treasurer will move on to the
other paying points in the territory, and
his work will be completed about Sept. l.
Tahlequah is fun Of fakirs, of course,
white fakirs bent on securing poor Los
money All classes, from the gambler TO
the Cheap John dry goods man with a
shady stock, have hocked here from all