The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-02
The Richest People on Earth.

|
papers before Judge Green. The four for
mer are members of the Usage council
and the latter is the government interpre
ter. Heth-scah-moie, which means wv its
Horn" and Wah-she-hah. which mean:
| Bacon Rind." are the finest specimens OF
| physical manhood / have ever seen. as al
| the Usage Indians are. They are full blood
| Indians and wear gorgeous red blankets
| They wear this costume in their council
hall during sessions as do the other fui
blood Indians who make laws for the most
wealthy nation and people under the sun
! The other men are half-breeds and mighty
| clever fellows, especially John F. Palmer,
who looks like a prosperous cattle man.
| met them all and had a long talk with
them about their tribe, its history, customs
and ambitions.
The Usage council is legislative body
consisting of fourteen members. who are
elected every two years. The elections
are held something after the mannr of the
election held in Kansas, except in this. that
the Indians use no printed ballots, but
walk right up to the polling place and tell
the judges and clerks the names OF those
whom they wish to vote for. The clerks
record their viii and a, night the whole
matter Is easily summed up.
The regular legislative session COM
mences in November, but other sessions
are held from time to time as occasion de-
mands 1t, at which time the governor calls
the council together. They choose a pres
ident, chief clerk, sergeant-at-arms and, in
fact, full force to do the work necessary
to be done. as the legislature CT Oklahoma
does, except that the Indians are more
Sih %t4 l4tf tn, nfc hot rhExr
employ such a number of people only as
is necessary to do the work. The inter-
prter, Mr.. Mosier, is an important man in
the council. When the clerk reads the
journal every morning he interprets il to
those who do not understand English: for
all the official proceedings of the council
are recorded in that language. Debates
may be carried on in whatever language
those engaged in /, may desire, but all de-
bates repass through the busy mouth of
John Mosier. The legislature is held in
the court house at Pawhuska and the laws
passed by it are printed into session laws
and finally are embodied in the regular
code as are the laws of every civilized
state. They are afterwards interpreted by
courts and executed by the governor and
his subordinate executive officers.
The legislature consists of only one body,
called the council Besides councillors there
are elected every year a governor, chief,
treasurr. secretary and other officers. The
chief is what is termed ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
in the states, but his Office is altogether an
one, and he has nothing to do,
but to keep UP the dignity of his position.
Unlike Acknowledgement in the states,
he does not preside over the council. The
council consists of the following gentle-
men: Fred Lookout, Black Dog, Ne-kan-
Frank Reward, Julian
Frank Reyelett, Wah-shah-pe-
Sha-pe-tse-de, Clarmore,
O-la-ha-moie, Tsa-to-hah, |
John F. Palmer and Wah- |
'he-hah. Frank Lookout is full blood |
and is the chairman Of the council. Ne |
Observation-Disclosures meaning man with |
big feeling" is one Of the leading men in !
he council and is also a full blood. Anoth- |
n able councillor is Wah-she-hah, or Bacon |
7ind. This man has two wives. He wears !
round cap, without crown, made OF /
'ttec skin and on the back of it is pretty !
ound mirror on which are pasted the pic
ures of his two wives. very pretty wo-
men for squaws. There is some signifi-
ance to this mirror and the two pictures
Tut Senator Bacon Rind could not explain 1
to me in English. Plural marriages are
ommon in the nation among the full |
hoods, but the custom is dying out.
The Usage tribe has now 345 voters repre-
enting 1853 persons. Their nation consists
over 100000 acres of land and they have
fund in the national treasury amounting |
, ss,Oo0.Oo0, the interest on which amounts
D 100000 year. They get this interest
our times annually, and it amounts to s54
uarterly for every man. woman and child
the tribe. If any child of school age
not in school he or she gets no annuity
nd hence education is practically compul-
Dry. The best of schools are provided by
ne government and $4,000 of the $500 900
nnuty is set aside for that purpose. There
no such thing as common schools in the
ation-there is no such thing as a day
,hool. They are all boarding schools. |
hey are mostly under the control of the l.
atholics as nearly all of the Osages are
that denomination. Nearly all the In
ans in the council are educated and al
lough most OF them are unable to speak
nglish they are able to read and under
and it, The Osages are now making an |
fort to withdraw from the national treas
~, out Of the funds deposited there - ,
leir credit, sum equal to about 500 for
'ery man, woman and child in the tribe | ,
ney have passed a resolution through the
'uncil memoralizing the government to
at effect. They say that IL they get this
I'm they will so improve their nation that
will be a veritable Garden of Eden.
The funds are the result of the sale OF {
nds in Kansas, most of which is along
e southern border of the state and also I,
e lands that now compose the counties of ,
and Labette. There was some
position TO the resolution and it is said
at there Is still great deal OF opposi-
IN TO the proposition among the full blood +
dams which compose the conservative ele q
ent of the nation. When John Mozier }
as asked II there was any boodling among
e Indian legislators as Is so frequently | I
g custom among white legislators he said b
AT charges to that effect are growing | E
ry common as civilization advances. Ten v
ars ago boodling was unknown. but II Is
coming so general now that people do =
t seem TO attach any cdium 20 those who i.
Ike brides. This Is probably the reason :,
~ the conservative full bioods are against
e proposition to draw on the trust fund
lere are a great many white men who
c married 20 squaws and they are all in 4
vor OF the proposition. or nearly so. The
lite men do not get anything from the o
ist fund directly, but as they have sausw l.
YES and lots OF children who do draw
I'm the trust fund il IS easy TO see where D
eir interest comes in when il IL reuen- :.
red that II the proposition goes through | Il
: wife and each OF the children will draw Z
0 and then turn il over . the husband !
d father. y,
at
my white man can marry an Usage ro- =
IN IL the latter is willing and the former :,
5 80 to contribute TO the national treas, ~
!. When the white man makes the deal
n h.s Indian maiden all he has TO do e
90 up 10 the secretary OF The councn. u
NIX down SO for a license. marry TIE OF
] ald be taken into the tribe as a KIND IN