The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-05-09
THE ROUsTABOUT.


Ell Reno, Oklahoma, is good
town and is growing rapidly, but
Roustabout is of the opinion that the
idea which possesses some of its cit
izens, that 1t is rival of Oklahoma
City, is "pipe dream" 1t has about
1000 people and is surrounded by
fine farming country. There are lots
of Indians here, the Darlington re-
servation, which has 5000 in tow,
being less than five miles away.
They still live in their primitive wig
vans, and though many of them are
educated, the weight of twenty CEN
turies of civilization is no burden to
them. They are about as lazy and
shiftless as when Columbus discov-
cred America. Roustabout fell In
with U. s. Grant Left Hand, buck
of 35, who claims to be the SON OF
Chief Left Hand, and heir to the IT,
tie and property. He already has
about 1000 acres OF land which he
rents out for 81 500 per year. This
is all the money he needs and as he
says, white man do the work, In
dian have good time" Grant is well
educated, being a graduate of the
Carlisle University of Pennsylvania.
He acts as interpreter for his tribe,
but he has no ambition beyond his
race and lives as they do. Wednes-
day was government pay day and
Roustabout enjoyed the day at the
reservation. Every Indian in the
tribe was on hand and they bought
everything in sight, especially If it
was bright and fashy. After their
accounts were squared at the gov
ernment stores, they put off for town
to "blow themselves" on the first
thing that met their fancy.
-.
1t is a noticeable fact that the
squaws do all the work and educa-
ton seems to add to their responsi-
bilities. Many, or in fact nearly
every family, has wagon and sew
eral horses. The horses run wild
and get what feed they can from ma
ture. In going to town the men sit
in spring seats, while the women,
with babies on their backs, squat on
the floor of the wagon bed. In town
they sit around on the ground in the
shade and iabber for hours.
~.
The whole aim OF an Indians life
seems to be to eat and sleep. Very
few of them will do any farming or
other manual labor. Since the gov
ernment has been taking such good
care of them they have ceased to
make moccasins and beadwork that
once was so common. Instead they
go to town and buy from the stores
moccasins that have been made by
their ancestors. If they can't get
moccaslns they take big, loose soft
shoes and are satisfied. For this
reason Indian relics are getting rare.
The government school at Darling
ton is fairly well attended and some
progress is noted among the children
in attendance. 1t is fact, however,
that but very few OF those acquiring
an education ever put it to good use.
They usually return to the field and
forest and ivein the smoke begrimed
wigwams. Many white men have
married Indian girls in order to get
the land which the government d deals
out to them. In this event they must
buy membership in the tribe, which
often costs as high as 81 900, and
henceforth they are known as
"squaw men," On this point Rous-
tabout agrees with the Chicago trav-
cling man who was discussing the
question with several others at the
hotel" Oklahoma Is a fair country
said he, '.and it has thousands of
acres of fine farm land, but If Uncle
Sam would offer me the whole shoot.
ing match to marry one OF those
squaws, would stick to my present
job and sell crackers and canned
corn all my life "
The RoUsTABoUT.