Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-08-12
An Interview.

An Interview.
On receiving the news that the
successor of Col. d. M. Wisdom,
Indian agent, would soon be ap.
pointed, a Times reporter sought
Col. Wisdom and CLEANED the fol-
lowing facts, which 0e offer to the
readers Of the Times:
The Indian agency at this place
embraces the five civilized tribes,
the Choctaws, Chickasaws, Chero-
KEGS, Creeks and Seminoles, in
fact, all OF the territory occupied
by them except a small reserva.
tion in the northwest corner, that
is, the Quapaw agency.
Col. d. NJ. Wisdom was appoint
ed agent at this place by President
Cleveland in 1898, and his COM
mission will expire on the 9th day
Of September. When he took
charge everything was smooth and
quiet, and has run along smoothly
except the trouble with tn miners,
the Cook gang and other troubles
OF that kind, all OF which are now
settled.
The Cherokee intruder question
has become a very important one
since Col. Wisdom has been agent,
and is still pending in the court
tor final decision. An order has
been issued to dispossess % fam
lilies, except such a number of
them as may have appealed from
the Dawes commission. The or
der is being carried out as near as
can Oe by giving notices; no fur
ther steps have been taken. 1t is
anticipated that no harsh means
will be necessary 10 accomplish
this result, and 1t is thought that
only about IL families will be dis.
possessed. They are not to be
put out of the territory; simply
dispossess only those who have
accepted pay for improvements
from the Cherokee nation; the or
der embraces no others.
During his administration Col.
Wisdom has received aud paid out
over a million dollars. He made
the payment to the old settlers,
western Cherokee Indians, to the
freedmen and Delawares, and va
rious small payments an4partial
payments have been carried out by
him. There is yet pending a sum
to be paid to the Creeks on some
Creek warrants, about 1888, 600.
An appropriation has been made
by congress, but it is not know n
when payment will be made, Ger.
tainly not within the next thirty
days. No appointment has yet
been made to pay this sum; only
an order to investigate and report
the validity Of the warrants.
The agent and two clerks are re-
quired to run the Office and consid.
cred ample to do the business.
Col. Wisdom has met with troub.
les, but none which he could not
overcome. He has gotten along
fairly well, though has had some
friction, of course.
Since the Intervention of the
court here, the agency has been
shorn or deprived Of much of its
power and jurisdiction as origi.
nally, and there is some sharp con-
trOversy as to where the jurisdic-
tion OF the agency ends and the
court begins. With attorneys
there is more or less friction over
the administration and duties of
the Office. Sometimes a case comes
up before the agent wherein he
thinks he has jurisdiction and the
lawyers seem to be clear on the
other side that the court has juris.
diction.
The man who assumes the du-
ties Of this Office should be a pretty
good lawyer, and of good execu-
tive ability. lie is more of an ex-
eeutiye officer than an agent.
At this time there is a great deal
Of work in the Office, aud has been
for several weeks past, aud the
new agent would be likely to enter
upon his duties with his hands
fhll.-Muskogee Times.