The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-11-26
SCRANTON. MISSISSIPPI FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 3D. 1897.

the ground that they had some negro
blood in their veins. They were very
indignant and said. when you want
us to fight for you, we are same as
white folks; when we want TO vote,
you say we are nagurs." And so a
committee Of four doctors was ap-
pointed to examine them and say
what they were. The committee took
them out to ii sandy place in the road
and had them take off their shoes and
make tracks barefoOtcd. Five Of
them made very iair Angl0-Saxon
tracks and were accepted, but OF the
other two the rcpDrt WAS that the
hollow OF their feet made holes in the
ground, and they were rejected.
There are some Of these CrcdtOans on
Newman's ridge, in Tennessee. | re-
member that, some years ago, a party
OF us were riding in the negro car on
the State road, and when we reached
Kingston a colorcd convention OF
preachers got aboard and claimed the
car. Sanford Bell ordered us out, and
We retired, OF course, but one man did
not move. lie was dark, cadaverOus
individual, with black eyes and black
hair. "What are you?' said Stafford;
"arc you IA white man ora negro?"
lie smiled and SAID: "Mine fader Il
Portugee, mine muddcr nagur."
Sanford looked perplcxed and turning
to one If the colorcd preachers. said:
"What must | do with him?" And
he said: Let him alone, reckon"
learned afterwards that lie was Il
Cruatoan.
And now to keep up the Indian sem
salipn, l am receiving papers from
the Territory that acquaint me with
the peculiar situation OF the tribes
over there. What shall be done with
their lands is he great question. The
Dawes commission appointed by Con-
grcss wants to divide the lands per
capita and let the Indians sell them
or part Of them 70 the white men, II
they choose. Tie Choctaws will get
100 acres each. and Il family OF ten
will therefore have 7,0C0 acres and
will he tempted to sell most OF 1t.
The full bloods do not want the lands
divided, but the mixed bloods do and
they are in a large majority, and SO in
Il few years the Indians autonomy
will he gone forever and he will be cx-
linguishcd as Il ward OF the nation.
In a few years the five civilized tribes
will lose their identity and their lands
will be absorbed in the notified mass
of A American humanity. This is what
these papers say, and they are ably
edited. What a sad finale to IA one
proud, rich and happy race OF people.
These papers tell of an $4,000 steal
and Il 1920, 900 steal, and say that now
Il big railroad corporation has got
finger in the pic and the Indians land
must go. Enough votes will be
bought in Congress to force the allot-
ment till and then will come second
Oklahoma. In speaking Of these
things, DR.. Peterson got excited and
said: This nation is Il nation Of
robbers, and it is and always has
been Il maxim of Anglo-Saxon people
"'1'hat they may take who have the power,
| And they may keep who can"
Speaking OF Indians haunting me,
received Il letter from a northern gen
tleman asking ME as Il great favor to
get for him an ancient antc.bellum
powder hOrn-0ne with history II
possible. Well, they are all ante
bcllum. and so | found one that had
been laid aside for half ccntury-onc
that carried powder in Jackson's war
with the Scmlnoles in Florida. aud
has the UdOr OF dead Indians ana no
doubt has been In ut the death OF
bears and panthcrs and wildcats In.
Vulnerable. | remember when these
powder horns had rank and standing
in the house and children looked upon
them with fear and reverence. but
one day the percussion lock came
along and soon after the brcccli.loadel
came along. and the powder horn was
, hung on Il high nail and has beer
: hanging there ever sincc. Like tlit
: Indians bow and arrow, 1t has sur
, rendered to the march Of progress ant
civilization. BILL ARP.