The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-04-29
Paving the Freedmen.

Guthrie. o. T., April 1.-THE most inter-
! esting town in the territory ana one OF the
| wonders Of the year Is Hayden. where the
government has been paying OF the Chero-
Zee freedmen. A few weeks ago ii was
! only postoffice, with one store and q
blacksmith shop. In few days Is become
a busy town of 1000 people. mainly colorec.
The one intent Of the population was to
receive checks from the government CT
which they are the benefciaries.
When the Cherokee nation liberated its
slaves during the civil war a treaty was ar
ranged between them and the government
that the freedmen should be received into
] trat nation as citizens and hold land IN
common with the Cherokees. When the
/ Cherokee strip was sold the Indians forgot
| the provisions of the treaty and wanted
| all the money but the court of claims gave
| ssoo.00 to the freedmen and it is the distri-
4 button of this large sum that has brought
| the people together.
| Hayden is twelve miles from the railroad
and the gathering was all housed in tents.
for there was no time to make permanent
| dwellings II there had been an intention.
The Indians and freedmen were accom-
panied by a large number Of fahirs. who
| had the most enticing devices for the win
ming of the money to be paid out. They
put up a Midway Plaisance," where all
sorts of games were in progress. Then, 10
| smell the crowd there were hundreds OF
| business men who have been selling goods
to the freedmen for months on credit trust
ing in the coming Of this suspicious time
for their pay. The total number OF freed
men on the rolls was over 4,o0o and each
share was worth SlsS.H. The payment was
made by family, and on account Of the
4 - <to% 50
lately slaves, the making of the rolls prov
ed to be tremendous task. The Identified
| ton Of the members Of the families was no
less onerous, for they all look alike to the
| stranger The public school is one of the
unknown factors Of Indian life In this Sec
| ton and there are few who can read and
write.
| There were many new white hairs in the
heads of the agents of the department of
| the interior before they had been AT work
| for two days. For instance. an old. white
| haired aunt.e who had been a slave, took
| her place before the paymaster and present
| ed papers for the payment OF her own
share and that Of five grandchildren whose
1 father and mother were dead. Then came
the difficulty of identifying her. The slaves
| took the names of their owners, and there
are frequently hundreds of the same name.
This was the conversation that ensued:
What is your name aunt:e?' asked the
| clerk in his most polite manner
Lizzie Raymond, suh," was the reply.
Don't you mean Elizabeth Raymond"
/ for after some search the clerk had found
such a name on the rolls.
The old lady was confused.
| Don't know, sub; always been called
Lizzie. That's what old rn.ssus called me.
who was your old MISUSE" asked the
clerk who thought he saw a way out OF
| the difficulty.
| 'Ole Missus Raymond"
| "Sure enough: nc , how old are your"
| "'Specs Use bout 50 yeahs Old
well, you are put down here as IS, and
that will do. Who are all these Children
"They's the chiIlun of my gal Beckie,
| who died.
| mo; they are Beckie's-she died and
That will do; they are your grandchil-
| dren. Give me their names"
We'll, there's Nat and Spronie and Bill
| and Bert and San-and that's ALL
| They were identified and each got a check
| for $1Ss.74. This is an easy case, but when
! there comes up man who has been mar
| ried three times and who has children by
| each wife, and there are prospects filed by
| other relations, things begin to get warm.
The camp has been the most orderly In
the history of the Indian Territory pay
| ments. In former cases there has been al
| ways a larger attendance of the tough ele-
ment which has made the night hideous.
Here the nights become wild about the
midnight hour and then the ''coons' who
want to cut a dash are in their element.
Then ii is that the AlkaH likes are ready to
go out and shoot few holes In the Amos
pierre without warning. Girls with red rib
bons in their hair are here and they do
the town of tents in the most approved
| fashion, while the old folks are having !,
shouting prayer meeting. after the manner
of the colored folks Of the south.