The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-03-03
How Shrewd and Inscriptions
Territory Redskins Make Prof
its Through Government.
MAKE SUCCESSFUL TRADERS.
Charles +. Barrett of Shawnee,
Ok, Tells How Indians Are
Amassing Fortunes in Mer-
camille Business.
The Republic Bureau.

18th St and Pennsy Ivanis Ave.
Washington. March THE average In
dian who turns his attention To mercantile
business develops into a shrewd and sue
cessful trader said Charles r. Bar
rett OF Shawnee. Ok. who is in Washington
as single-statehood delegate from that
Territory.
He is here on a double mission. for. in
| addition to being charged with the duties
OF a political delegate. he is also pledged
! 10 carry a memorial from the Seminole In
dans as their representative direct to the
President Of the United States. their big
chief
Mr.. Barrett has lived in the Territory
many years and has passed nearly all his
life in those parts of the West where the
Indians were most numerous. lie IS well
informed on Indian affairs and he under
| stands the Indian character perfectly. hav-
ing obtained his fund OF Information first
hand from Poor Lo" himself
He added:
The experienced Indian trade. can drive
the sharpest kind OF bargain. The red
skin merchant, with his stoical expressions
and immobile countenance. can maintain
an air of sincerity and honesty and dignity,
but all the time he may be deliberately
cheating his customer without so much as
| even twinge OF conscience for his misrep-
resentation. He considers II perfectly Iegit-
innate business TO give as little as possible
| for the largest amount OF money he can OBJ
| tain. even II gross Misrepresentation is nec-
| essary on his part to complete the deal.
Mfilionaires Among Them.
This Is especially true II the customer
happens TO be an Indian. and 1 want to saw
here no w "a
the Indian as deliberately as the smart red
men VINO are now engaged in the undoing
OF their lazier and less-favored brethren.
There are Indians in the Territory to-
day whose wealth is in the sixth figure. and
1 VIII venture that there are several at
least who would not part with their prop
erty interests for cool million
You can form no idea Of the shrewdness
or some OF those fellows. OF the business
sagacity they display. and you would be
surprised at the foresight shown by some
OF them In the matter OF obtaining and
holding real estate to await future develop
ments.
Il know OF particular case in which
two brothers in tribe are doing what
gamblers call working both ends against
the middle One Of them Is a merchant
who has been extremely successful and, by
means of the money he has made. he has
succeeded in working his more diplomatic
brother into high political office in the
tribe. He is the treasurer, in fact and he
consequently handles all the money Of the
tribe.
How Two Brothers Prosper.
Now. he is not dishonest in the eyes Of
the law. and his plan Is even looked upon
with favor by some who consider the
Indian unable TO look after his own inter-
ests; but to show how shrewd these broth
ers are, let me explain:
The Treasurer, Of course, receives all
the tribal moneys. which amount to some
thing more than 100000 per year. But. IN
stead of dividing the cash pro rata. he puts
it into the tribal treasury and issues scrip
for it. This scrip, in the form of checks. is
equally divided. each male Indian receiving
his exact portion. The scrip IS good. but 1t
is redeemable only at the stores of the
merchant brother Of the Treasurer, and
this system enables him to absolutely con-
troll the entire retail merchant business OF
the tribe. He gives groceries, meats, dry
goods. clothing and supplies OF all kinds in
exchange for the scrip and he then turns
the scrip into the Treasury for good hard
cash with Uncle Sans approval stamped
all over It.
1T may easily be seen what a revenue Is
pouring into the Golfers of this Indian
merchant as a result of the arrangement.
and the surprising thing about It is that
he Is making shrewd investments and is
annexing great quantities OF real estate at
a low figure and IT will be worth big money
before long.