The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-10
THE WEALTH OF THE osAGEs.
--latest Facts About the Resources of
the Richest People I'm the World.

the Richest People I'm the World.
From the Kansas city Journal
The popular conception of the In
dian. even in this city. SO near to the
Nation is that he is an ignorant
chap, with a blanket and squaw, and
that all he has in the world Is a gov
eminent ration and pipe. This Is
true, too, of some of the noble red men.
but, in the language of the day. there
are Others" and they are not squalid.
poor or unthrifty, either.
The Osages, are not only the richest
Indians in the world, but there is no
other people on the globe that COM
pare with them in this respect. white,
black, red or yellow. They live in Ok
lahon1a, and they have more money
than they know what to do with. So
man from their country. Maj. A.
T.. Whiting, says, and he ought TO
know, for he has been trading with
them for years.
i was recently in Washington,
said Maj. Whiting the other day, and
| learned while there that the Osages
have made new contracts for the rental
Of their pasture lands. They have $780,
900 acres of land altogether, and of
these 100000 acres are leased for graz
ing, at an annual rental of 100000
The Osages now have on deposit in
Washington with the United States
something like s8,00000o, for which
they sold their lands in Kansas, and
this brings them annually 100000 In
come. Besides, they own more than
100000 acres yet, which are easily
worth S. an acre. Their land holdings
are worth nearly sS.000,000 all told.
There are 1872 Indians in the tribe, and
they have their holdings in common.
men, women and children. When a,
child is born 1t becomes joint owner
with all the rest. Thus, there Is q
continual incentive for the individual
family to increase.
''The profits from the money IN the
United States Treasury, the recent
leasing of lands and other sources OF
revenue give the tribe about 100000
annually as an income. This figures
out little more than $500 for every
man, woman and child. When a fam
lily consists OF half a dozen or eight or
ten, as IL often does, you can figure for
yourself that 1t Is a pretty good figure
for yourself that it is a pretty good
thing. The realty holdings OF the
tribe have a per capita value Of about
$4,000, and that means, for small
family of five-and that is a small one
-~dDOut |IVtUOV.
LAS might be expected, this wealth
has attracted to the reservation many
white men. who seek alliances with
the Indian maidens. The foxy old
governors, however, have foreseen
this, and they collect a poll tax of 81
per month from every white man there.
This keeps the white population down,
and makes it really desirable. The
adventurer is given a cold greeting. let
me tell YOU. 8#
These Osages have not failed to
profit mentally from their prosperity
They have fine homes and schools, and
the sons and daughters are sent East
to college, and their homes are richly
and tastefully furnished with carpets,
pianos and good furniture. or course,
few families still live In the old fash
ion, but they are becoming fewer and
fewer all the time. In the main, the
Osages are well worthy of their in
heritance, and when, in a few years
they become citizens in full, they win
not be the worst we have by any
means" M