Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1900-03-01
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF
TownSend'S Decision is Not
Without Precedent.

dllOBclucI hltuOub plSOCuChe'
When the ShaWnees were driven
out of Illinois, and their beautiful
lands there turned over into the
hands of the white settlers, they
were settled by the government
upon a delightful piece of territory
lying against the southwest bank
of the Missouri river near the site
upon said stream which has since
become known as Kansas City.
Many of these Indians-all indeed
except the Black Bob band-by
means of vehement persuasion,
were induced to take each his quo
ia share of the land in severalty;
so they did. Not long after this
"bleeding" Kansas kicked her
way into the Union. Emigration
began to flow into the new state,
and the Indians were no time in
finding themselves overrun by a
white population. Then began
the struggle for these Indian
homes. The Indian allottee was
generally approached by one OF
these push and-dr new comers,
when something like the following
colloquy would take place.
Look here. my friend, how
much do you make on this nice
land of yours, one year with an
other?"
go, dun no; feed clothe wife
child and myself; that ALL"
"You have to work pretty hard
to do even that, don't you?"
"Yes, work heap hard"
"Well now, look here; if you
will let me come onto this land of
yours and improve it, and culti-
vate it, and have what l can make
off of it l will pay you annually,
by way of rental, five times as
much as you are getting off of 1t
by constant hard labor. So you
see you can then go and lie down
in the shade, smoke your pipe and
live easy"
"That's good" says the Indian,
'I'll do it, come on"
The white man now rolls in up
on the Indians premises with
briming wagons, spans of sleek,
gigantic mules, glistening plow-
shares, and a wilderness of new
made farm machinery. Soon the
long lines of fencing are seen
worming themselves out in every
direction, until the whole mellow
tract is sectiOnized into lots suit
able for such varied culture as
sorts with the ambition of the new
occupant. A big red barn lifts its
its broad gables into the skies,
and covers a capacious space upon
the ground with its terraced apart
ments; and over this ever flap the
wings of a gigantic windmill,
beckoning up the pure cold water
from the bottom of the deep well
and sending it off through a con-
catenation of ducts and troughs,
down through long series of con-
tiguous enclosures to nourish the
great herds OF horses, cattle, hogs
and flocks of sheep that luxurate
upon the green herbage. In a
word, the place is made, from year
to year, to wear the cheerful ap-
pearance of prosperity and to hum
perpetually the eOlean music OF
rural felicity.
Now this is a good white man.
He always pays up his fve-fold
rental with the utmost punctuality;
and the Indian landlord is happy
in his deal. But there came a
moment in the current OF time
when this Indian alottee wanted
to come home; be wanted posses
sion of his premises. Upon a de-
mand to this effect being made,
80 yes," says the white man, 81
am ready to surrender possession
to you at any time; yet | cannot
do so until you first pay me foI
these valuable improvements
which have put upon your place;
their aggregate cost is not less
than $1,000. Pay me this sum and
| will retire at once"
Now this Indian never had as
much as $1,000 in his life, and
never even hoped to have. From
the Indians standpoint, it was a
beat out of his farm. for he could
never pay the money.
A lawyer now appears upon the
scene like a good Samaritan, and
advises this Irdian to bring sun
for the possession of his property
in the T. S. court, in and for the
state of Kansas; it is done, and
alter a year ol two has been spent
in adjusting the technalities of the