The Indianapolis journal., 1901-12-03
INDIAN TERRITORY CONDITIONS.
They Are Described by w. III. r. Trud-
geOn, Who Lives in That Country.

w. H. P. Trudgeon. who has spent twelve
years in Indian Territory and who is now
engaged in the grain business at Purcell,
sixty miles south of Guthrie, is In the city,
staying at the Grand Hotel Mr. Trud-
geon is a member Of the Indian Territory
delegation selected by the Muskogee Sim
gle Statehood convention on Nov a. last,
TO go to Washington in January and urge
upon Congress the great necessity of pro-
vidins some form of government for the
people OF Indian Territory. The people down
there would like to have Oklahoma and
Indian Territory admitted to the Union as
a single State during the present session
of Congress. Senator Fairbanks, at the
last session of Congress- introduced a bill
providing for statehood for Oklahoma
alone.
Indian Territory has a population of
200 inhabitants" said Mr.. Trudgeon last
night, eighty thousand of whom are In
dams and are now United States citizens
by act of Congress at it's last session. One
hundred and sixty thousand school chill
dren live In the Indian Territory and are
part of it's population. Up to a short time
ago these children were without public
school privileges of any kind. One half
of this number. or about 5000, are now
provided for in Incorporated towns and the
remainder are without any school facili-
ties. There is no provision for holding in
quests dead bodies, no provision for the
care and cure of insane people and no
protection against pestilence and disease.
There is no provision for establishing or
maintaining roads or bridges. The Indian
government demands and collects by and
with the support of the United States gov
ernment, tax of i per cent. on all mer-
chandise offered for sale in the territory
by white people and gives nothing in re-
turn for it. This money collected is for
the exclusive use of the Indian govern
iS &c IA
without representation.
The people are compelled to build all
the roads and bridges over which the In
dian rides and which he does not assist
in any way 10 maintain. The people now
feel that Congress should provide some
stable form Of government under which
they can live and be protected. The indus
trious Indian-and they represent a large
part of the Indian population-desire i'm
mediate allotment of land. Until this is
accomplished no permanent Improvement
will be made upon the farms and the re-
sources of the country will not be developed.
The Creek and Seminole nations of Indians
are, practically speaking, in possession of
their land. The Cherokee nation has not
entered into an agreement or in any way
provided for a settlement of their estate.
The Choctaw and Chickasaw nations of
Indians entered into an agreement with
the Dawes commission about three years
ago. This agreement is known the Atoka
agreement and provides for an allotment
Of land. Much Of the work pertaining TO
the distribution of this land has been per-
formed by the Dawes commission. When
this estate of the Indians is distributed
they will be the richest agricultural people
in the world. These two tribes of Indians
under the present agreement will receive
about 500 acres of land per capita in ad-
dition to the money held in trust for them
by the United States government. AS a
rule the Indians are industrious and law
abiding people and in every way competent
to conduct their own affairs. This is evil
demo d by the fact that the United States
government mas paced upon them an the
benefits of citizens The Indian is an in
dustrious man politically and is engaged
in many of the largest enterprises in the
Indian Territory. The mining interests are
largely represented by Indians, as are the
banking interests and other enterprises"