The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-10-06
THETERRITORIES.
Late Happenings of More Than
Ordinary Interest.
Educated CHEYENNE Indian. Good Talk.

Educated Cheyenne Indians Good Talk.
John Oterby is a finely educated
Cheyenne Indian, and late scout and
sergeant in the Twenty-sixth United
States army. He says:
"The papers are full of reports from
white men relating to the immense
crops of wheat, corn and cotton raised
by them. If a farmer has a field of
corn that is a little bit better than his
neighbors he rushes to a printing Of
fee and does not rest easy until he
sees his little story in print. The In
dian does not do that way. He keeps
on pushing and il some good white
man happens along by his farm and
notes the improvements, it is all right,
and If he don't the Indian can recon-
cile himself to the fact that his efforts
do not count when compared with the
white man. Upon the North Canadian
where / live, a great many OF the
Cheyennes and Arapahoes have fields
of corn that will compare favorab!y
with any field owned by white man,
On the South Canadian the Indians
have fine fields of corn and cotton.
Out at Seger's and on Boggy creek the
Indians have plenty of corn and cot
ton, and a great many of them har-
vested good crops of wheat. In the
Red Moon district the crops are not so
good owing to the hostility of some of
the older Indians to the interior de-
partment The old Indians are not as
progressive as they might be. They
have an idea that the government is
obliged to feed, clothe and house
them and in return they are to do
nothing but visit around and camp
wherever night may overtal:e them.
There are but few of the younger In
dians who do not own their houses,
horses and wagons. Major Woodson
has given up trying to make anything
out of the Indians over go years old;
they are to old to learn new tricks and
it is only waste of time trying TO
make farmers out of them. Major
Woodson has been kind and just 10 the
younger element who want to be pro-
gressive. He denies them nothing he
can grant, but he demands obedience
to the rules he lays down, and il his
orders are not obeyed, all the threats
and talk in creation cannot move him.
This fall number of the Indians will
help the white man to pick his cotton
and corn. Last year the Indians earn.
ed over 5000 picking cotton and this
! year the amount will be more than
doubled. The outlook for the Indians
is good. They will have plenty ot
work this fall in the fields, aud haul.
ing wood to the cotton gins, beside;
| hauling freight for the government
| Agents of eastern associations, who
never saw an Indian, waste their time
and money trying to make angels ont
of the Cheyennes and Arapahoes. II
the people in Boston and other large
cities want to do the right thing for
the Indians let them club together and
buy them COW apiece, or come oul
and show them the new tangled way
| of making living without work.
This thing of furnishing money TO peo
| pie with slick tongue and an eye to
the main chance 10 make an extra dol
Lar on the side, and sending them
among the Indians TO listen to IA lot ol
chronic lSicliers or unscrupulous white
men, who have axes to grind, is nc
way to help the Indian. At first the
Indian thought that Major Woodsor
was trying TO drive them To destruc
tion, but now they see he is doing
about what is right, and as long a,
they obey him and stick to their farms
there is nothing that he is not willing
to do for them. The Indian schools
under Major Woodson's jurisdiction
are going TO be filed to Overlooking
this winter with children ranging
from six TO Is years old. The old
folks think the camp is good enough
to learn in, but the young folks have
got an idea they want to be educated
in the white mans way, like theil
older brothers and sisters"