Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-06-12

was over 1850, and each share was
worth S188. IA. The payment was
made by family, and IN account OF the
tangled relationship OF a race that was
so lately slaves, the making OF the
rolls proved to be a tremendous task.
The identification of the members OF
the families was no less onerous, for
they all look alike to the stranger.
The public school is one of h UNI
known factors of Indian life in this
section, and there are few who can
read and write.
The camp has been the most order
ly in the history of the Indian Terri
tory payments. In former cases there
has been always a larger attendance
of the tough element which has made
the night hideous. Here the nights
became wild about the midnight hour
and then the "coons" who want to cut
a dash are in their element. Then 1t
out and shoot a few holes in the at
m%osphere without warning. Girls
with red ribbons in their hair are
here, and they do the town of tents
in the most approved fashion, while
the old folks are having a shouting
prayer meeting, after the manner OF
the colored folks of the south. The
brethren from Oklahoma are numer-
ous, and they are usually of the sort
that has the money craze well devel-
oped. There is an attempt made to
keep gambling off the grounds, but
with small success. The freedmen
are eager to get more money and they
will bite at any kind of a game. 1t is,
perhaps, a good thing, that in so many
instances they have pledged their
none in advance, and that 1t is
taken by the debtors at the moment
they receive it. AT the best it will not
last long, for they are unused to hav-
ing so much, and they know that I'm
Gle Sam will pay them more regularly
in the future. as he does the Chero-
KEGS.
over in the Usage portion of the ter
ritory every member of the tribe is
wealthy. The men are handsome and
the squaws are not bad looking. They
are few in number and are decreasing
every year. Now there are only 345
voters in the tribe and they are the
recipients of a bounty that might well
make a prince happy. The tribe has
]. 1000, 900 acres of land and about
so, 600, 900 in the United States treas
ury, on which the interest is 100000
a year. This is paid every three
months, and it amounts then to SEA
for each man, woman and child in the
tribe. or the $500, 600 one-tenth is set
aside for education and the children
are all sem to school. They 60 to
Catholic boarding schools and are not
allowed to get the apportionment If
they are not in school. The Indians.
too, have a large amount Of rent from
their lands. which they lease to the
cattlemen for cash.
Frequently the leading men 60 east
on a visit and travel In Pullman cars
as do other luxurious w~esterners. They
take their families to Europe and
have for their servants white men and
women who are tempted1by the prince
~ wages to forget that they are the
superior race. While full bloods wear
in the council chamber, and some
times on the street, the full robes Of
the Indian warrior. for the most part
the yare dressed in the ordinary fash
ion Of the whites. One OF the wealth
lest men, who, by the way. has twelve
children. lives in a house that IS the
equal to 4 city residence. having
cost $40, 900. 1t has all the improves
merits of plumbing and heating. and
Is az comfortable as could be desired.