Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-21

Last August suit was brought in the
Court of Claims to enfurce their demands.
and Is Il, W pending there.
Mineral Leases
The present alarm of the Delawares Is
over the possibility of their lands being
taken under an act of Congress which pro-
vides for the leasing of land in the terri
tory for the purpose of developing oil, leav-
ing it optional with the Secretary of the
Interior to grant or reject any or all APP
plications for the same Before the act
was passed certain Cherokees and inter
married whites. relatives of the authorities
OF the nation, secured from the latter what
they einled mineral leases covering the
homes and improvements of the Delaware
Indians. subleasing the same to citizens of
the United States, who have expended
twenty odd thousand dollars in sinking
eighteen oil wells. For this reason they
claimed preferred right to lease from the
secretary of the Interior 1888 600 acres of
Iand covering most of the property of the
Delawares. One of the clauses of the old
leases Is: provided. that the domain, or
tract o. any part thereof above described
is not within or does not infringe upon the
improvements or legal boundaries of any
other Citizen
Notwithstanding that the Delawares have
expended over a million dollars these
iands, the persons holding the alleged leases
claimed in their petition to the Secretary
OF the Interior there We're no adverse Calm
ants, and held that if they were forced to
lose their expenditure of about $4,000 it
would work great hardship upon them 1t
Is an interesting fact that no applications
were filed for leases in the nation on that
portion Where no Delawares were located.
Thomas Ryan, acting secretary of the in
terror, on July II last in letter of IN
structions to the United States Indian in
spector for the Indian territory rejected
the applications of the various companies
Tor leases OF the Delaware lands, but left
the impression, it is said, that they might
still obtain leases If they could prove that
there were no adverse claimants to the
land, as prescribed by the instructions of
the Secretary Of the Interior, May D. 1899.
The Delawares fear that the Secretary may
act before the Court of Claims decides the
penulng question, on account of the ire
mendous influences at the command of the
Cherokees and the corporations assoc ated
with them, which desire to secure the valu-
able oil and coal deposits and who are
moving every effort to accomplish this end.
At the annual conference last week of the
Indian Rights Association held at Mohunk
n. Y, as it has been for the past twenty
years. the claims of the Delawares were
unequivocally upheld.
SanEuine of Success.
The forces of both tribes are now being
marshaled for the coming struggle in Con-
gress. and the representative of the Della
wares, Mr. Adams, who has already defeat
ed the opponents of his people in three
preliminary fights, is In Washington and
It.
He is, as stated, full-blooded Delaware
Indian, and was born in Wyandotte county,
Kan, in 1864, being taken by his father to
the Cherokee nation in 1869. He has been
working for himself since 1881 and has beer
actively engaged in business of various
sorts ever since. He has given close at
tentfon to studying the history, both le-
gendary and exact of his tribe and has
written extensively on the subject. He has
recently penned an address in to the
DeaWares, which Is given herewith. 1t is
as follows:
To the Delaware Indians.
have travelled DER the country that once was our
Seen the rivers and the mountains, the broad and
fertile plain,
When the smoke from Indian wigwams arose from
Seen the lovely Susquehanns, where council fire
would burn,
And all the tribes and warriors would gather there
The wise teachings of our chieftalns and their
And to tell it their children to them it had
been told. 900 "a
We had exclusive title to our homes AMI hunting
ground. s iGD -.-.f .-gs.i.
But then there came some pilgrims from far and
As they SAID with Christian motives our eeun
For us, "a poor, hea then nation, : their hearts
were truly saU,
And to save us from ''the Internal powers would
make them very glad. -.- a.
But to provide the daily bread of those who laid
Well, Of course we'd be expected to give them |
plenty of land.
But for that We should not care, they would lead
on to light,
And In heaven well be rewarded" they said for |
For there, the Bible teaches, Our treasures We
should store
If rights are there established need for |
nothing more
"And Christians will gladly show the path the
pilgrims trud,
That leads eternal joy in paradise with God"
SO We gave close attention to their actions one by |
And this, as we have found it, is part that they
have done:
They took with pious gratitude the land that was
Some of our people plead with them, country |
While others did contest our rights with arms. but
With sorrow grief and suffering we were forced at
From the graves of forefathers to a land we
But this now guaranteed to us. las long as
water shall rum
Yet on they pushed us, on and on toward the set |
ting sun,
and this will be the last move they tell US, If |
You will hold the country this time as long as
grass shall grow
For the good Great Fathers promise fs very |
sacred pledge,
And all his children does he give the greatest |
privilege;
That is TO all children he adopts from every |
of man,
Except the rightful owners of this broad and |
bounteOus land!
They must in meek submission bow unto the hand |
of might,
To them the courts of law barred they !
make no legal fght
If the Indian seeks the government, there his griev
relate,
He must first obtain permission from those who |
rule the state!
If his rights are there denied him and an attorney
he would seek,
He is sternly then reminded he has no right to |
speak,
For under section SO and so, which guides your |
legal move,
You see no attorneys appear for you, except If
approve;
And If, In opinion your claim does not adhere |
To the interests of public. then your cause we |
cannot hear
This is Christian nation they oft with pride !
maintain
And their money their faith they do pro- |
claim
And none can hold office here In this Christian |
land
and fha $,f,,r