Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-06
WEALTHY MAINE INDIANS
Trouble Between the Factions of the
Abenaki Tribe
Efforts to Bar Out the White Members
Property at Stake-May
Soon Die Out.
From the New Yo X Sun.

From the New 70 X Sun.
If the members of the so-called old tribe
of Abenaki Indians take their case before
the next session of the Maine legislature and
gain their point the richest man living in
Maine fifty years hence is likely to be an
Indian.
The trouble between the old tribe and the
new tribe is of long standing 1t arose
from the strong infusion of white blood
that was added to this tribe every year
As a rule the men are contented to wed
women of their own color. The squaws are
more ambitious, and prefer Yankee or a
Frenchman. Such is their fondness for
CaucaSions that they will cheerfully accept
repeated whippings from white husbands,
While II an Indian raises his hand against
MS COpper-hued spouse he is likely to spend
from three to six months in Bangor Jail.
The tribe was split ten or twelve years ago
over Il proposition to admit to member
snip only persons whose blood was at least
half Indian. 1t was then that the division
into the old and the new tribe occurred.
For time things prospered with the new
tribe. Through the sale of Indian town.
ships Nos. l and the state of Maine de-
posted 100000 worth of & per cent bonds
to the credit of the Abenakis in the state
treasury. In addition the state appropri-
ated about $1,000 a year for bounties on
crops raised by the Indians. The sale of
wood and grass and the rental of shore
frontage on the 800 fertile islands which
the Indians own between Old Town and
Mattawamkeag yielded them from $4,000
to S12.0D a year, so that between freedom
from taxation and half-fare rates over all
Maine railroads the 300 or 400 high and low
grade Indians of central Maine We're doing
fairly we'll and living in luxury without be-
ing compelled to labor. AS soon the
shiftless lumbermen learned how matters
stood, Squaws We're in great demand in the
matrimonial market Whenever a poor
white man was fortunate enough to wed
co, bn ,,irn,, tell
where the state provided a home for him
and kept him in food and clothing for the
remainder of his days In six years the
population of Indian Island went up from
$50 to more than 800.
a Maine Indian is very slow at arithmetic
as it is learned from the books, but when
figures are applied to bread and butter and
blankets he is as quick as anybody. Though
the members of the new tribe were growing
in numbers rapidly and having an easier
time than any other community in New
England, the per capita share of tea, to-
bdccO, wooden sweaters and mOccasinS
dealt out by the Indian agent grew smaller.
Thus, instead of six plugs of tobacco a
week, the allowance was reduced to four.
Later a similar deficit in clothing and
groceries was apparent. Still there was no
general uprising of the tribe until several
of the squaws who had acquired white hus-
bands had died. After a half dozen white
Wldowers had drawn state bounty for a
year or more. the tribe held a great
pOW"OW 10 decide their tate. The meeting
lasted three days, in which time a number
OF ferVent orators were taken home and
attended by surgeons. The final vote re-
suited in victory for the white husbands,
who had been adopted into the tribe No
sooner had the decision been reached than
nearly one-haif of the new tribe seeded
from their associates and joined the old
tribe, until it could easily control the island
Since then the two factions have been at
ODDS. a few of the trausplauted whites
have been eViCted by force though most
OF them continue to draw state bounty. AS
q hnal resort the old tribe proposes to APP
peal to the Maine Legislature and have the
interlopers expelled by law. Should the old
tribe secure the legislation it desires the
Abenak tribe will probably. cease to exist
IN less than 100 years as the numbers are
now Kept up by infusion of white blood
W hen the whites and all below half breeds
are barred out the early death of the tribe
seems Inevitable. Meantime the 300 islands
In PennbScot river which belong to the In
dlanS are constantly gaining in value. The
tribe today consists of go members who
own land valued at a million dollars BY
wedding out such have less than 30 Der
cent OF Indian blood. the number Will be re-
duced TO less than $50. The average loss in
Indian colonies that are kept to themselves
Is between 3 and per cent a year and
thus at the end of forty of fifty years by
which time the islands will be worth 81
HN.@n or $1,000. go, the last Indian is likely
to be the richest man in Maine JDon his
death the whole property will probably
eScheat TO the state