The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-10-21
RICHEST OF ALL SAVAGES:
COMING D~ISTRTBUTI0N or WEiLTH
~ INDIAN TERRITORf.
work OF the Commission That II ReotVanig-
ing Its Goycrnmrnt-Lnn and None, To Ie
D,ided Among the Five IubcS-ihe
Outlook Not Regarded as Hopeful.

WI u
p,ided Among the rive Itlbcs
Outlook Not Regarded as Hopeful.
AGairs i'm the Indian Territory are now IN
rather "A chaotic condition In consequence ~
the reorganization Of it. government which
il in progress. Acommi-sibn made up Of three
members with 800 assistants Is now engaged
in making up the final roll Of the indians '
the different Tribes. appratsing their land ana
placing them on their nllotmenlS. hS Jal. J..
1901, this work will have been finished md VI"
Indians will be ready to take ont their mth'all-
aation papers a. citizens of the United Stat'H'
To bring this to a conclusion has involved many
years OF labor and the expenditure u ti,@',s-.
so long rs grass grows ard water nuns.
BY the terms Of this nations promise made In
1892, the Cherokces, Crooks, Seminolcs, Chicka-
saws and Choctaws were TO have for their own
this tract of land known IA indian Territory
SO the Five Tribes set up their government.
each holding TO It's own tribal forms. There
was not even an indian commissioner sent 1"
keep more or less Iatcrnal guardianship over
them. But the whites came In. intermarrIed
with the squaws, cheated the easy going and
indolcnt ull-bloods, and gradually gained
control Of the government. Then the United
states stepTed In TO limit ID"
power Of the whites and preserve the rights of
the Indians,
Despite disabilities imposed upon them the
whites kept pouring in and, as their nunbcr
increased, they so vehemently demanded
recognition that the Government decided on a
reimbursement IN the interest Of all concerned.
The advances Of the commission first appointed
TO visit the Five Tribes in 1893 were slow aud
hating. though we'll planned For three years
they could do nothing but ride over the Ter
ritory and meet the leading Indians. who prom
ised to do much but never did anything.
Then they sent out the report that the In
dams we're harboring outlaws who committed
crimes In other States, that the full bloods were
being deceived rs TO the real intentions OF the
United states toward their government and
the half-bloods. who at that time had controlof
the affairs Of the Indian government. were
using every means TO thwart the purposes
of the Commissioners. all Of which was true.
Congress replied to. this appeal by delyins
into the treaties with the Indians and there
finding a clause whereby 1t could deprive ths
Indian courts Of their Jurisdiction whenever
it saw NJ. Certainly now was the opportune
time. and an act was forthwith passed Tho
Indians suulrmed and the fullbloods threat
encd 10 rise. Some OF the old full blood Judges
refused to quit their benches. but finally they
learned II was of no use to kick, the act would
be carried out. Other drastic measures were
suggested by the commission and the Indians
began to make overtures. Little by little
they were persuaded to the steps which hay"
led to the a~bolishment Of the tribal rule. Though
compromising fully that the change would
accrue greatly to their individual alya mage
the Indians held teuaciously 10 the traditions
ri the tribes and surrendered them only WHOM
they saw the new movement inn,SVliahls
When the division is made those who have
fought SO hard and go loud against II Will -
probably IN" richest, SavaEcs IN the void
them Is larger than the State of South ta'U-
lima aud Of great beauty and variety. Mos
oi the soil is very fertile. The waite" supply
IL ample 4 belt Of splendid oak 'o"cst thirty
miles in width runs through M" TERRITORY;
thd many "tnHr NaluanI9 NT'"' a" In"Nn
ing for thousand, Of sheep aud cattle. Two
million dollars worth Of coal was taken out
that the products % the soil 'or tho va 'S1s
amounted 10 so.coo.NnO. Resides these thing
beneath the soil and valuabl, veins OF lead
ard Nnc are indicated by rich ou'c'onpiuC~
and beautiful scenery make this country one
Of The garden spots OF the nation.
All this goes to about s7.OC Indians, n HnS.s 29
acre being divided about . jually among ~"
different tribes There are Indians and freed
men negroes whose ancest RS were or who are
head rights in the different notions rs follows
Cherokee freedmen. i,oll, Cherokee, %.o1r
uoIo, lnrE Greeks, ln.poo Creek freedmen.
500. L,hoctaws, le,~n. zChoctaw freedmen,
a"%E thicfasa"s' 100 GhickGIaW treed,nen.
invested or lent to the United state, s2,fl5,ol
The Greeks have S20Nlnnl thus lpOt tho
si,3rs,uO0, the Choctaws s5i8,0n
and the Semiiolc- Si.5yl.OOo 1t i estimated
Tams Ri bv. Chairman Of the Commission
to the Five Tribes. thlt each Cherokee Glitter
will get l21 acres o land Of average value rs
hi allotment, the Greeks yil get between 10
and 200 acres, the Seminoir- about in. tho
ChickaSawe and ChoC'aws Rbouf 5gI acres zach
Besides tbs land they will get equal ,hareS ~
the invested funds which are to be paid 10 them
Just p~ soon a. they have AN selected their a
What Will become % these Indiana thus aud
denly enriched. In the opinion Of many mo
outlook H. not hoIpful Conditions al present
are i'm a chaotic state. and il do. moi .ror. likely
thai living conditions win improve when .Ma
indians own the I%orrifory Towns with a non
ulation Of five or ia thousand rn0Dle hive 10
sidewalk M all and no re-. d, worthy Of the
uamc After n heavy rain bu,inc,, L rracii-
Cally suspended The buildings nrc of the Aim
sie~t character In the farming districts the
Indians will not improye their farms hecaisa
they hive no positive assurance where they can
take up their allotment. Few oi the fuI-
hioois send their children TO sCLoo, " '
vt present. lilo " itrS Of whom tbern p
900 900 in Tho Terri'ory. have nfacticsiIv no
They cannot own land. and prior To-
recent decision tIDy loyn r,t p,cn Io'r aIi,v II
10 own In,se. - st,cE. Of ,,ornL ~ "u"n