The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-07
INDIANS WERE VERY SRREWD
They Dickered With the Inspector on
Trade With Great sharpness

Guthrie. O. T.. Jan, s.-Hundreds o. the
Indians in the twe territories have been
greatly interested in the recent sale OF
the great Plpestone duarries. Colonel
James Mclaughlin. United States Indian
inspector. tells how this sale was con-
summated. The Pipestone quarries are
located in southwestern Minnesota.
The Pinestone quarries originally be
longed to the whole Sioux nations on
equal terms, he says. but in a treaty OF
1858 the Yankton band secured a clause
which appeared to recognize them as The
owners of the deposits. and in none Of
the other treaties with the Sioux are they
mentioned until in 1895, when the treaty
was negotiated by which the Sioux ceded
a vast quantity of land in the two Da-
kotas and agreed TO take allotments in
severalty.
IN that treaty the Yankton Sioux Sc
cured an article which shows how sharp
the Indians sometimes are. 1t provided
that unless the government brought &C
ton in the United States supreme court
within one year to contest their title to
the quarries the title should rest IN
them. The article slipped through with
out notice, in view of the more import
ant matters in volved in the treaty. and
not until after the treaty had been con-
frmed was the attention OF the govern
ment attracted to the fact that there
was absolutely no provision in existing
law by which an action to determine the
title could be brought in the supreme
xrrgA -,
court. And before any legislation could
be had the year had expired TO show
how close the Indians were watching the
matter on the Very date that the year
was UP they wrote to the mayor OF Pint
stone and asked him to suggest a suitable
person to be appointed custodian OF the
Guarries in their interest. Thus the
Yanktons secured title TO the quarriss to
the exclusion Of the other Sioux.
1.-THE quarries are located on parts OF
four sections of land. and aggregate
642.2 acres. The government has built an
Indian school on the tract. expending
many thousands Of dollars in buildings.
and for this reason, as well as in the de-
sire TO establish a park on the far-famed
spot it seemed desirable to buy the land,
and was sent out to treat with the
Indians. Their agency headquarters are
at Greenwood, on the Missouri about for
" miles above Yanktou There are ! .S42
Indians on the roll Of the tribe, Including
something over 40 voters for they are
now citizens Of the United States
AT first they wanted S. e00.000: then
they came down TO $4,000 and then %
100000 ard finally 20 100000. I offered
them 500 an acre or ss5, zoe IN round
numbers and when they got down 10
S1O0O00 I raised my figures 10 $1,000. we
hung there for some time and ! finally
went away on some other work. When
got back TO Washington l found that
the yhad petitioned that 1 should be sent
back. So made another trip. They stu
stood at 10000 and 7 renewed by Of
fer Of $4,000. Then they wanted to hold
tribal council over II, and what did
they do in council bat jump back TO
100000 again.
Il hnafy told them that they were citi-
zens ofthe United States. ard that was
through dickering with them as tribe.
II they wanted 70 appoint a committee
Of eight 10 represent them, ] would take
the matter up with the committee. They
agreed 10 this and Ne finally made terms
Of 1880 in cash ard $500 ia cattle.
This agreement was drawn up and I SC
cured the signatures Of rs voters. con
siderable majority OF TIE voters d the
tribe.
The Yankt0n Indians retain the ex-
elusive right 70 take out the stone from
a forty-acre tract 20 be designated -
ma rls and under such regulations az the
secretary Of the interior may prescribe.
The Indians do not take very mueh stone
and tire supply Il iaexhsastlbie.