The times., 1901-06-17
INDIANS HIRE WHITE MEN.
\ Condition of Affairs Prevailing on
Several Reservations.


Several Reservations.
Agents Of the Indian Bureau OF the IN
terror Department. who have just re-
turned from the Southwest, report more
than a dozen cases in the Indian Terri
tory in which wealthy Indians are EN-
ploying white men TO work their farms.
being content themselves to reside upon
their estates in ease and comfort, piiinS
up the profits made for them by their
v hite servants. The Indian Bureau ex-
pertS report that there are reasons for be-
fieving that this condition Of things eS-
lists not only among the Msskogees, but
also among many of the other tribes of
the Southwest, notably the Pueblos and
the Navajos.
One wealthy Indian, Chief Porter. Of
the Muskogees. employs more than leo
white men as his rauchmen. servants, and
cattlemen. The white men are not. as
one might suppose, Of low intelligence.
| On the contrary, some Of the best cow
boys of the country are on the salary list
| of Chief Porter and consider IT no in
! dignity TO work for a red nan.
| Some of the white men are Mexican
| half breeds, of uncouth appearance and
| inferior education, but they are experts
in the art of the plains nevertheless. The
major domo of Chief Porter's big ranch
| is an Indian. but the American cowboys
have no trouble with him. An American
cowboy named Gadd is perhaps the real
major dumo of the establishment, since
he is the recognized leader Of the white
men. though he himself takes orders from
! the Indian major domo.
Chief Porter's ranch comprises nearly
1900 acres, part of which belonged TO him
as a member of the tribe, and the balance
Of which ne either operates for the benefit
of his fellow tribesmen, paying them what
might be termed a rental, or else he owns
/ the lands outright, having purchased
them from the profits made on his small
beginning He deals in cattle, as do most
| of the Indian ranch owners, and only the
more peaceful tribes indulge in occupa-
/ tions which have led them to be described
/ by the Indian Bureau as the pastoral
| tribes.
The pastoral tribes of Nevada. Utah,
! and Colorado have made small fortunes
| with their forming tracts. which they now
| cultivate with the skill of their white
brothers. Here. too, according to the
department experts. it is no unusual
sight to find white farm laborers working
| under the direction of Indian owners
| though il naturally follows that there are
, more men employed on a ranch than on a
| farm, and hence the white employees are
more common in Arizona ana Ne"
OF ali the tribes the Navaios are prob
! ably the least civilized and the least
| learned in the art Of cultiVattnS the
soil or raising cattle. Some of them
however. arc rich men, having SHOWN
sagacity in dealing with their feHcW-IlsIi-
Each Indian has forty acres OF lana undel
Government grant but some OF tneSt
seni-civflized tribesmen have acquired
by purchase from their more Ignorant
brothers the title TO other tracts OF IorIy
acres This perhaps is an excellent Illus
tration of the teaching that even If all
the wealth of the world be equally uls-
I tribCted among the world lnhaDltahE
some one would obtain part OF some one
/ else's share before five minutes hao
elapsed after the division. The plight OF
some of the poor trtbesmen VINO nave
been persuaded to part with theT lahds
| is described as pitiful, while at least one
chief of the tribe is accounted worth
$4,000 at the very lowest, with great HERDS
of cattle and we'll cultivated fields
/ The highest state of thrift IS 1ouhe
among the MuskOgees, and chief Fortei
! is quite the ideal shrewd lndlan OF ina
| tribe Many Of his associates are aIst
wealthy and employ white men TO Wofh
/ their ranches In the Muskosee nation
! il is quite a common occurrence to d1ScoV-
er a group of ten or score OF Indlahs
/ who have banded together 1Or filuluel
. benefit working their ranches IN com
mon and employing one group Of white
, men to care for all the lands Ihls not CiliS
saves expense, but relieves the lhdlahs
from a great deal Of worry.
OF course, when so many Whlte men az
! enplOved by Indians. there is always IN,
possibility that some shTeWd caucasian
intelligence will endeaVor to sWlndle fool
10 of either his lands or his profits SONS
Isolated cases Of this kind have occurreu
i, but here the Indian agent appears as th'
protector Of the InOian, in case prolec
. ton is needed. Usually 1t IS not.
Most of the Indians of the Muskoget
nation. and in fact all through Indlai
Territory know the ways OF the whlt'
E men and are more thah a ElaIcIl i1t-.l-.,.1. -
many white men in point OF shreWdness
? They know what is coming TO them ant
generally get it. 1t is almost lmpossiDi
for white man to secure possession o
an Indians land, while on a hnancia
= ! transactiol the Indian VIII be found quit
. at home. OF course, among the 1nolah
| Of Nevada Utah, and Wyoming. ther
! / are many simple minds easily imposed
| rnon But up there the Indians ar
neither so wealthy nor so shrewd as Il
= the Southwest
Along the Rio Grande the Puenlos ar
| very wealthy. but here n SITUATION pc
ctilfar to that part Of thc country j.
5 found. There are practically no American
, | traders here to do business WITH me IN
= dians. Germans. Cinnamon, and Russian
l ! have q monopoly among the Pueblos. IN
= white men employed by the PuebloS ar
p all of them half-hreed MeXlcans- 1her
| seems To be some aversion on the part o
American cowboys tC working for tn
; | Pueblos. perhaps on account OF their ul
Y clean and slOVenly mode Of life
q Senator Teller of Colorado, at whose re
e quest the Indian Bureau called LOT re
/ | Dort from its agents on the SUBJECT
y | white labor among the Indians, IS niue
r interested in The topic, and intends to pre-
sent the matter 70 CChgteS ia - LeNSIlitS -;
Y as an argument showing that our INDIA
tribes are not in need of the immense aI
a pr1priations for their annual support }
Il one OF more tribes ike the MGshgsSe
$ ftar - few wears civilization and educa
: tion can develop such habits of thrift an
{. / shrevydness that one of its chiefs can oW
y 4OO0 acres of land, then why can not otHe
J. tribes be similarly encouraged ~. r.
l. themselves on a seif-suppOrting basis
Y For years the charge has been MAD
s that il is the duty of the GQVernmen nl
s which deprived the Indians of their lanns
e to sec that they are supported. Inousand
q and thousands Of Indians have been pug
Z lie charges for Il generation. Now, thihk
= senator Teller. it is time TO loC< Tor
l. cbHre,e in the system. and with th7s
Y facts and figures he expects TO acc' n
d DIfsh much when Congress meets
t RAD MONEY IN WEST VIRGINIA