Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1899-01-07


turned from St Louis over the Sapulpe
branch of the Frisco.
Territorial Librarian Dodson, in adj
tlition to being an official, is also terri
torial agent for an insurance com
pany.
Mr.. Hitchcock, the new secretary of
the Interior, has never been in Olxlaho-
ma. He should be invited out to look
it over.
Away out in western Oklahoma a
Christmas tree consists of a Cotton
wood with the limbs wrapped in green
tissue paper.
There is scheme on foot to build a
natatorium in Guthrie next spring.
The Seatonian Drug company has the
matter in charge.
There is big trouble on over in the
Usage country, such trouble as mortal
man, not dwelling on an Indian reser-
Fation, can know.
The Indian Sentinel thinks that the
Cherokee courts should remain where
congress has buried them. They were
a very large expense, and but little
good.
Judge Keaton has returned from
Washington and says that the supreme
court will take up County Clerk CAT
fery's case Of Oklahoma county imme-
diately after holidays.
The Sayings says that the people OF
Wagner should not get in too big a
hurry over the waterworks question
as such things cost tremendous out
lay of money and take time, all of
which is true.
The FL Reno Compress and Storage
company has shipped 1900 bales of
cotton this season, 10, 300 of which was
exported Thirteen thousand bales
went to England, 800 to Japan, and
4 1000 were shipped to New England
states.
The Indian appropriation bill which
passed the house on the % of Decem-
Der was amended in the senate, the
amendment being offered by Senator
Pettigrew and contains an Important
feature of special interest to the peo-
pie of Oklahoma. The following is the
amendment: THAT all settlers under
the homestead laws of the United
States upon public lands acquired
prior to the passage of this act, by
treaty or agreement from the various
Indian tribes, or upon military reser-
vations which have been opened to
settlement, who have or who shall
hereafter reside upon the tract entered
in good faith for the period required
by existing law, shall be entitled to
IA patent for the land so entered upon
the payment to the local land officers
of the usual and customary fees. No
other or further charge of any kind
whatsoever shall be required from
such settler to entitle him to a patent
Tor the land covered by his entry, pro-
Hided that the right to commute any
such entry and pay for said lands in
the option of any such settler and in
the time and at the prices now fixed
by existing laws shall remain in full
force and effect"
There are in the Indian territory
about $50, 600 whites, 10000 Negros
and 1900 of these are freedmen.
There are 1901 Indians or tribunal
people. There are 300 Baptist churches
white and Indians, IS associations,
were white and Negro, and might
be regarded as distinctively Indians.
In these 5 associations there are SO
baptist churches with mem bership
lof 4,O51. We have in the Oklahoma
and Indian territories about so Indian
baptist churches with estimated
mem bership of about 5000. We have
located at Muskogee the Baptist In
dian university and the Atoka Acad-
iemy located at Atol<a, [. t., and in Ok
hahoma we have the Wichita Mission
school founded near Ac2dardo. The
total enrolment in these schools are
362 of whom FOG are males and 156 fe-
males. We have PAT Negro Baptist
churches in the Indian territory with
a mem bership of 5000 There are 49,
BOO Negro Baptist children in the In
!; dian territory who are of school age
and no arrangement for their educa-
hion has been made. They need schools
to prepare them for the higher life.
, hooking at these 40, 900 Negro Baptist
enllOf0n anu seeing IhcII nSco VIC ua'S
succeed in securing 10 acres of land "a
miles north OF Muslogee to build q Ne
gro Baptist college to be known as the
t'Edward Baptist College" Brother
Jack Eeward, a good deacon of our
Baptist give mp the land and the school
claims his name We have succeeded
| IN securing the services of the best and
most highly educated Negro professors
! 5n the country, namely: T. j. Gordon
a. NJ president, professor of Mental
Ind Moral philosophy. Rev. A. S.
Green, A. NJ. D. D., professor of Greek,
, Latin and Hebrew. Rev. J. s Stubs.
ID. D., professor of theology, instru-
mental and vocal music Mrs z. j..
Gordon in charge of the normal de-
,, partment We are prepared to open
the school Jan. 2, 1899, in the town OF
Muskogee. The building will be 100
. by 200 feet and built of stone. We are