Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-27

other delicate flowers In fun bloom
There Is every reason 60 believe that the
eastern part OF Indian Territory. through
which the Pittsburg q Gulf road runs for
something more than 1875 miles, will be
opened up for settlement by the whites
within the next decade and will then prove
to be a valuable country to the new rail.
road. The road enters the territory from
Benton county Arkansas jest below Sloan
Springs and is never more than twenty Ave
miles away from the Boundary line between
the state and territory.
1t must be confessed that there is moi
an advanced degree OF civilization In
the territory, and the manners and
customs are presumably no NOR,
refined in the region more remote from
tory loves red liquor no less than his
brother in any other part of the country
the redder the frewater the better he likes
1t. In fact, there are those who maintain
that the whole Indian question could be
settled in a very short time wero sufficient
whisky shipped among the real Americans
The number Of half-breeds and other mix.
lures is surprisingly large and from ap-
pearances one may infer that they do not
raise the moral or social standard one iOta
They live In frame houses, better, of course
than mere tents, but in reality nothing more
than shacks.
Even Indian Territory is not without Its
political turmoil, and for several years past
there have been two parties at work in the
council sessions of the Choctaw nation, each
with its well-defned purpose. The mixed
citizens have incessantly clamored for an
allotment OF the lands now occupied by the
Choctaw nation and for the abolition OF
tribal government within a limited number
of years. The full-blooded Indians have
steadfastly opposed this idea. The matter
was the principal issue at the fall election
and those who favored the allotment of land
won the day, electing Green McCurtain, a
mixed citizen governor over Jacob Jack
SON. a full-blooded Indian
Already 1t has been announced that the
Choctaw delegates have agreed with the
Dawes commission for an allotment OF land
ana the abolition OF tribal government within
eight years. This means that townsitcS
will be set apart and sold to citizens or non
residents, and the rest OF the land equally
divided among the citizens. So 1t is fair tc
expect a rush OF settlers and boomers to
the lands now held by the Choctaws as soon
as they are legally permitted to dispose OF
their land, and to anticipate repetition OF
the events incident to the opening OF the
Oklahoma strip.
Jackson, the full-blooded Indian, who was
defeated at the last election, takes the action
which makes possible the opening up OF
this strip very much to heart To Bee re-
porter he talked at some length about the
gradual disappearance Of territory especially
reserved for the red men, In his opinion
the government commissions that visit In
dian Territory from time to time really learn
but little of the true condition of affairs and
their reports are most untrustworthy. Jack
son appeared quite dsconsolate over the
probable opening of the ChoCtaw strip. He
had made a hard fight against It,. but hac
lost He ran once before for the office OF
governor, and alleges that he secured the
most votes, but he was a real Indian and
was counted out He appeared to be an III
telligent man, and talked freely about the
leading questions of the day.