Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-11-04
CHEROKEE MEETING.
The Full loods Unanimously De-
clare Against any Change.
TENNESSEE EXPOSITION CLOSED.
Judge Springer Preparing His Opinioa In
the Cherokee Citisenship Cases-A
Tract Of Land In Texas Secured
for . COLONY Of Veterans.

hANoAp WAL HACs A0''
Times says that correspondent has
Just returned from the Grand river bot
toms, about e5 miles east Of Chelsea, !.
T., where q big full-blood meeting was
held Saturday night. The meeting
was not quite as large as was antici.
pated, yet about 800 full-blood Chero.
KEGS were present, none Of whom could
speak English. The correspondent,
however, was accompanied by an in.
terpreter. and learned their proceed
ings. The Indians gathered around a
campfire in large clearing in q deep
wood on the bank Of the river. The
meeting was called to order and con-
Quoted in regular style, except that
Indians always, in order to ad-
dress the audience, must 60 through
an interesting pantomime series,
and they are privileged to speak
as long as they care to, which
Is sometimes no few minutes. The
topic under discussion, as usual, was
how TO prevent allotment The only
theme presented was emigration to
Mexico, when the time arrived. Old
Indians with snow.white hair, talked
long and earnestly about it. They do
not want to leave their old home and
60 TO q far off country Of which they
know very little, but affairs have as.
sumed such state that crisis very
soon is self evident. The late plan Of
Chiefs Mayes and lsparhecker, of the
Cherokees and Creeks, to unite all the
Indians Of the five tribes into one
state was not known to the Indians
until the correspondent, through an
interpreter, informed them. They un-
animously declared against the plan or
anything tending to allotment, state
hood or change Of any kind.
TENNESSEE EXPOSITION ENDED.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, Nov. 1.-Satur-
day was the last dav Of the Tennessee
Centennial exposition, which opened
It's gates May 1, and was well attended,
about 10000 people, many Of them Wis
itors, being present. There were no
special features during the day, but at
night, after the magnificent display Of
fireworks and concert, there was held
the closing meeting in the audito-
rum, which was packed, main floor
and galleries. 1t was love feast in
commemoration Of the closing hours
of the exposition in which all the peo-
pie Of Tennessee evinced the greatest
and most loyal pride. The weeks at.
tendance has been immense. 1t ap-
proximated 100000, and the total dur
ing the exposition will exceed 1,65O,OOO.
CHEROKEE CITIZENSHIP.
MUsKoGEE, |. T., Nov. Judge Will
liam M. Springer, Of the United States
court, is preparing his opinion in the
Cherokee citizenship cases now pend
ing before him and within the next
two weeks will render his decision.
Under the act Of congress passed in
1895, the decision of the United States
courts in the Indian territory, in citi-
zcnship cases, is final, and much i'm
portance is attached to the ruling, as
it will directly affect property interests
valued at over $4,000, 1000 and over 1000
people, who are claimants to Cherokee
citizenship, among whom are the Cher
okee intruders. These citizenship
cases were all appealed from the de-
cision of the Dawes commission over a
year ago and much interest is mani
tested in Judge Springer's decision, as
right to share in the distribution of
the lands and moneys Of the Cherokee
nation is valued at over $4,000.
FOR A COLONY OF VETERANS.
GALVESTON, Tex, Nov. IA. s.
Weissert, of Milwaukee, and Gen.
Paul Van Der WORT, of Omaha, Neb.,
each an ex-grand commander of the
Grand Army of the Republic, and Gen.
r. N. Adams Of Minneapolis, have
Just secured $4,000 acres Of land in the
coast region OF Texas. This purchase
is made for the purpose of locating
thereupon veterans of the late war,
800 families of whom are said to be en-
route for settlement on the land. The
The location selected is an ideal one in
Mata Gorda county.