The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-12-12
INDIAN TERRITORY.
An Interesting Letter from Ella Lii
lard-.-Picturesque Story Of DOings
and Affairs in the Land Of the
Red Men.

Editor Watchmdn and Journal: - The
council fre-the last, perhaps, in the his
tory of the Cherokee nation-is ow blaz-
ing at Tahlequah, but how shorn OF it's for
mer glory Formerly Usage and Sioux,
Creek and Seminole, Comanche and Caddo,
Ohoctaw and Chickesaw, gathered with the
Oherokees at that Athens OF the West to
smoke the peace pipe and hold high and
mighty debate upon all affairs pertaining 10
the we'll being of the Red Man. The cOun-
Gil 4 wise old men has again met but pos
sess only shadow OF its I rmer authority,
and even that is TO be exercised under
sanction OF the Great Father at Washing
ton.
The Dawes commission Ia busily at work
taking final census Of the Cherokees but
the Indians, opposing allotment, fight shy
of the commission, and at least year will
be required to complete the rolls. 1t APP
pears strange to paleface that any citizen
should oppose allotment and an equal dis
trbution of tribal funds, There will be no
! pauper Indians They will be the richest
people on the globe. The per capita share
and this includes women, children and
| inter. married whites-will range from $780,.
Geo in the Usage down to $4,000 In the 9TH
or tribes, besides large farms. In the mean
time intermarrlage goes merrily on, the
| government encouraging 1t by every means
| In its power, believing it to be the true 80
| luton OF the Indian problem.
The prosp ctive opening to settlement OF
| the XII owa, Comanche and Apache reserva-
ton, which lies west OF her o, is causing
large influx of home-seekers. The lands to
be opened are fertile and productive, the
soil and climate being similar to that OF this
territory. II will afford homes to $1,000
families, there being that many quarter
sections of 160 acres. The opening is sche-
duled to take place during the coming
March, but owing TO the prevalence Of
smallpox among the Indian allotters, will,
In all probability, be postponed until later
| in the When fhA lau6S taken
up, we no longer can sing, "Uncle Sam is
| rich enough, to give us all a farm" as the
public domain will bs exhausted OF all
lands excepting those requiring irrigation.
At present the soldiers aud Indian police
are busily employed ousting boomers and
mineral prospectors from the reservation.
The Wichita mountains, which are located
in the Comanche portion of the reservation,
are known TO be rich in minerals, including
gold and silver, mines of which were open
ed and worked by the Spsniards more than
two centuries ago. A few prospectors who
have succeeded in eluding the vigilance OF
the soldiers and Indian police and in pros
pecting among the mountains, have return
ed, bearing specimens Of both gold and sil-
yer ore which assays richly. 1t is well
known fact that the Spaniards secured i'm
mense quantities OF gold from the noun
tains and the prevailing opinion seems to
be that the next gold seekers rush will be
to these mou tains.
Comsnches, unable to reconcile himself to
white mans law, is going to emigrate to
Mexico. He is very wealthy and has adj
vertised great auction sale. Among other
property scheduled is seven of his wives,
whose he states in the advertisement
cost him 1 800 ponies and range in age from
eighteen to twenty five years. These he
offers at greatly reduced price. He pro
poses taking only one wife with him in his
wanderings, and has selected his first and
Il. 4 L. ID ID
in accordance with Lord Lytton's beautiful
lines:
"But will marry my own first love.
VIII a. her PrmTose face for old things are BEST
The brooch at my lady's breast"
Bragg is a fullblood town. All business
is in their hands, and white man is rar
ity on the streets. 1t is noted chiefly as
the residence of Squaw Chicareah, the only
full-blood woman lecturer and editor in the
United States. She is very intelligent and
advoca es the individual allotment of land:
in severalty to the Indians, and the open
ing of the remainder to white settlers. Sht
also strongly champions intermarriage be
tween Indians and whites. These are hel
hobbies and she advocates them unceas ng
ly, both with tongne and pen. She is {
brilliant writer and her paper published
here, THE Red Cupid and Comancht
} Boomer" attracts much attention all over
the middle West.
see in today 3 paper that much dissatis
faction exists in Washington in regard t.
the slow progress made by the Dawes com
mission. 1t is no new thing here. Some
} time ago an intelligent Indian said to m'
that the commission acted on the theory
that the day was made for rest and the
night for sleep; and there was more truth
than compliment in the statement. How
ever, "patience and shuttle the cards" AL
things come to him who waits and thu
present unsatisfactory condition Of affair
! here must change for the better.
ELLA LILLARD.
J BRAGG, 1. T.. Dec. 3, 1900.