Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1902-11-15
GROW RICH VERY FAST.
Many Of the Negroes Living in the
Greek Nation Have Become
Well-t0-Do.

It In not in the south that the rich
est negroes are found. although many
in that region have amassed goodly
store Of property since the war.
Doubtless the wealthiest community
of colored people in the world isfound
among the Creek Indians in Indian ter
ritory. There are about 1000 OF them,
and they are worth on an average So, 900
each. The wealth of the more industri-
Gus foots up even higher, certain indi-
viduals being the owners Of from $10,-
600 to $4,000 worth of land each, says
a local exchange.
These negroes are the descendants OF
slaves of the Creek tribe Of Indians and
are known as Creek negroes. They are
entitled to a share in the division OF
Creek Indian lands, also a part OF the
trust funds. Together the 1000 ne
groes own 20, 600, 900 acres Of land. And
yet their education is far from COM
plete. Their social environments are
crude in the extreme and progress goes
slowly amid their huts and fields.
Unlike the other Indians of the rich
five civilized tribes, the Creeks insisted
upon freeing their slaves to give them
an equal share in their lands and
money. At that time there were few
slaves, but the number grew through
descendants, until now fully 1000 have
laid successful claim to head right"
on the Creek rollsof citizenship. They
have their own representatives in the
Creek Indian legislature, their own
schools and their own churches.
Everything bids fair to make them
the model community of negroes in
the United States when Indian terri
tory is recovered from the tangle
wilderness of reconstruction, its laws
made uniform and itself state of the
union.
There is little culture among the
Creek negroes. They have social set
all their own, to which not even the
Indians are invited. Their character
istics are in a great measure different
from the negro of the south or the
north. It is a mixture Of both, with
additional peculiarities.
Like the Indians, these negroes have
their dances in the open, which have
come to be sort Of religion with them.
And. following in the footsteps Of the
southern negro, they have barbecues,
'possum hunts and the like. As
northern type Of the negro they are
more Industrious and independent Of
the whites, know how to work hard
and save their money, and, like the type
from the city, are we'll dressed-gaudi-
ly, but at the same time wearing ex-
pensive clothes.
Notwithstanding that,many Of these
Creek negroes are industrious. there
are some among them who rent out
their estates and lounge in idleness
about the railway stations. 1t is o
common sight to see 500-acre tract
of rich land in the Canadian bottoms
being titled by white man. Invari-
ably, upon inquiry as to his landlord,
he will refer TO the negro 'owner in
no complimentary terms. Meanwhile
one will find the owner shooting craps
or enjoying himself eating turkey and
'possum in neighboring village.
When the Creeks freed their negroes
IN 1864 the two fraternized for time,
and even intermarried, but that has
all passed now. In accordance with the
terms granting their freedom. the
Creek negroes are allowed a voice in
the tribal government, and so they
have their own members in the coun-
Gil, have their own schools and ali that;
but the Creek Indian feels above tho
Creek negro and refuses TO associate
with him