The Topeka state journal., 1898-02-07

finally selected a tract in Mexico along
the Rio Grande valley. An American
had secured a concession of the land
ana after much clever maEeuVerlng Mr..
Hulit finally secured an option. He then
laid his plans before the Choctaw In
dians and for a time made small head
way.
But Mr.. HuIit is a promoter of no
mean ability and he finally succeeded
in interesting the Indians. Then he pro-
posed to take a committee of the tribe
to the lands. He arranged an eXcur-
sion and took them over the proposed
Ell Dorado. He had a special car and
after reaching Mexico hired a wagon
train and spent two weeks driving over
the land, Mr.. Hulit meanwhile paying
all expenses. When the party returned
the committee submitted a flattering
report.
The following extract from the report
indicates with what favor Mr.. Hulit's
proposition was received and also a
hint of what is prompting the Indians
to withdraw from the guardianship of
the government and shift for them
selves:
1--WE, the committee duly authorized
to visit and examine the tract of land
offered for sale by Messrs. Hulit and
Todd, have to say that we Travelled over
the land in question and found that Mr..
A. B. Hulit, one of the agents, upon
whose invitation we visited said tract
of land, had not misrepresented the land
in question at all, and in fact, we found
the land better adapted to the needs of
reason that we found a. larger prOpOr-
tion of said land to be arabic than we
were led to expect, and further all that
is arabic is very rich and productive.
Our conclusions are that the Choc-
taw people could live easier and happier
here than in their present homes and
that in this country they would thrive
and multiply beyond all past expert
ence. We would dwell on fact
within our observe ton in this cOnnec-
ton, that the children among the
| MexicanS are numerous and healthy
| and seem to be no trouble to rear. One
man less than so years old informed us
| that he had IL children and three grand
! children. and another one, whom we
| heard of, had 13 children. We would
remind the Choctaw people that they
| are fast disappearing, and that their re-
! mOval to a more healthy climate as a
| measure of far sighted policy deserves
/ their most serious consideration"
Mr.. Hulit said before he left Tope-
! ka:
Very few people know what has i'm
/ PEELED the Indians to take this step and
| move to Mexico. The truth is the
| Choctaws who are intelligent and act
| i've are tired of being wards of the gov
| ernment Here they feel as if they are
| not considered anybody. They have no
| representation in the government and
| feel that they are treated like pauperS.
| This last act of congress in striking
! down the Indian courts has taken away
! what little independence they felt they
| had before. In Mexico they are in a
country in which the Indians are treat
ed like other people. They have a voice
| in the government, and are, in fact, in
| control, for President Diaz is partially
| an Indian.
another thing relates to their health
| The Choctaw nation has been at a
| standstin for years, and they see that
| in a few. years they will be blotted out
| entirely. The Indian Territory is low
| and wet. and they are subject to fevers
! and lung diseases. They prefer to &c
41,y-s-
| I am now satisfied of the ultimate sue
! cess of the transfer and that there viii
| be 5000 Indian families on the lands
| within very few months