The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-17
STATESMAN or THE CREEKS.
Isparhechcr, Chief of the Nation, and His
Long Career.

Long Career.
From the Chicago Chronicle.
OF all the prominent figures among
| the men of the five civilized tribes of
the Indian Territory Isparhecher, chief
| of the Creeks, is easily the most emf
nent. No other tribe has a leader of
the full blood who has as many ele-
| mentS of true greatness. Others in the
other nations are noted men. They are
scholars, jurists, statesmen, who would
| take rank with the best of the whites.
| But for the most part they have some
admixture of Caucasian blood. Ispar-
/ hecher has none He is "A Creek and
knows nothing of the language of the
| paleface. Yet he is recognized as the
ablest man in the territory in these
| troublous times, when the fate of the
! ceded land is in the balance.
The time has come when the Indian
| must face the prospect of either COM
| ing into the nation as a state, with his
race dominating affairs, or when he
must see his home admitted as such.
| with every hungry adventurer among
| the hordes of whites ready to pounee
/ down upon his land and wrest from
| him the last vestige of national home
rule. Negotiations have been pending
for years looking to the opening of the
| territory to settlement. Congress is
| expected to take some action in the
| matter during the present session, in
| spite of the practical failure of the
Dawes commission. The old man of
| the Greeks sees this and has been pre-
| pairing for it for many moons.
4 1sparhecher see the hand of fate.
! Like wise statesman, ne has been
striving to retain control of the terri
tory in the hands of the red man. His
plan, not yet more than d plan, has
| been addressed to the executives and
legislatures of the other nations. 1t is
! nothing more nor less than the ANAL
| gamation of all into one nation and
/ 1n1iSGinn If -
union as state controlled by Indians.
/ Consolidation for protection against
encroachments of the whites made le-
! gal by national law is the only hope he
can see for final safety.
! Isparhecher is without doubt the
most remarkable full blood Indian now
| living. There are probably other pub
| lie men among the five tribes who are
| more learned than he. and while most
| of them have portion of white blood
in them, yet none may be compared to
| him a S "A statesman. Not a drop of any
other blood flows through his veins
save that of the Creek Indian and his
! integrity has never been questioned.
| An attempt was made at the last regu-
| lar session of the Creek council to i'm
| peach him on some frivolous charge,
| but ii was promptly voted down.
| Isparhecher was born in the old
/ Creek nation in Ala bama more than 10
| years ago and when quite young went
l r.
of him from that time until the civil
war when he enlisted in the federal
! army, and became u member of the
| Indian Home guards. He served until
| the close Of the war, when he returned
/ home and at once became the ac-
knowledged leader of what was known
as the loyal Creek party, which was the
name given to those Creek Indians who
refused to join the confederacy.
After his return home Isparhecher was
.Rf tb.a4 iEt n
| courts o fthe Creek nation, and held this
| position until 1883. when Sam Checotah,
! one of his bitterest enemies, was elected
| chief of the Creek nation, and lspar-
| hecher was removed from office. He be-
lieved that he had been unjustly dealt
with, and, gathering his forces, he at
tempted the overthrow OF the Creek
| government.
At the head of about 800 men, with
the stars and stripes as his banner, he
! marched through the Creek nation, and
but for the timely intervention of the
United States troops would doubtless
have taken possession of the capitol of
the nation. He retreated with his forces
to return to the Creek nation until he
and his party We're forced To go to FORT
| Gibson l. T. by the United States
troops and were kept there until they
agreed 10 live quietly in their own ma
ton This nsurrection is known
through the Creek nation as the '1spar-
hecher war
Soon after this war Isparhecher was
elected as chief justice of the supreme
court of the Creek nation which posi-
ton he held until he was elected chief of
the nation in 1895 over the combined OPP
position of the Porter and Perryman
parties. He is strictly honest, and has
unearthed Il number of frauds on the
Creek nation since he was elected chief,
among which is the 100000 Creek war
rant fraud the discovery of which has
| led the secretary of the interior to re-
fuse to dishurse the $33s,00 which was
appropriated by the last congress with
which To pay off the Indebtedness OF the
/ Creek nation
Isparheoher is the only typical In
dian who now holds the reins of govern
| ment in the Indian territory lie Is y
feet tall and weighs about 100 pounds
: He knows nothing of the English IAN
guage. His home is situated 20 miles
west of Okmnlgee and is located be-
tween two mountains. three-auarters oil
a mile off the main road. tie has nc
children and lives With his vile, full
blood Creek Indian, in a little box house
14xf6 feet, With "A small shed room 1T
I the back and a porch in front Ills
humble dwelling is inelosed with a raj
{ fence and the yard is adorned with q
few cedar trees. There in his humble
2 way he entertains his friends IN true
Indian style and With true Indian hos
$ pitality. Not far from the house is the
! barn and orchard and small farm, al
J Of which is presided over by his faith
full wife.
When Isparhecher first went to Wash
: ington some year go he there met the
I woman who did his laundry work. Sh,
[ was a white woman. The old Indai
i fell in love with her. and through an III
e terpfeter wooed and won the Northern
: woman and brought her to his hom'
: near okmuIgee. She did not long re
q main with her dusky lord but returned
G To the gay life of the national capital
I His wealth consists principally of horse
! and cattle. which run on the commons
near his premises.
: He believes that the time has come
{ when the Indians should change thei
form of government, and submit. in
| degree TO the wishes Of the Unite,
! GtatnS aud VT andinc The fac