The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-11-06
INDIAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION oP.
POSE HIS REMOVAL.
The Record Of the Apaohes on Their
Present Reservation Cited as Evi.
denee Of Their Progress.
Want Record to Stand.

the Fort Sill military reservation 10
the Wood reserve near NARROW,
station on the Rock Island road in the
Indian Territory. At the instance Of
the commandant at Fort Sill a mill.
tary board has been ordered to sit this
month to decide this question.
Scores of letters have been filed
with the war department protesting
against the proposed change. One Of
them, which very clearly sets out the
views of the Indian Rights Assocla-
tion on this subject, is as follows
From every humane point of view
this would be one of the greatest mis-
takes that could be made. What
prompted the idea and who first sug-
gested II to the commandant is not
known. The Wood reserve is de.
scribed as a forlorn region, with moth
ing in sight except a lot of stumps and
some sandy soil. Where these In
dians are now intelligently directed
industry has turned a sun-baked plain
into a comfortable and thrifty farm.
ing district. The Indians are content
ed and happy, working hard and do
ing well. They we're for several years,
as will be recalled, under the care of
Capt. Hugh L. Scott, who. though
trained in the army, made a system
attic study OF the simpler forms of
agriculture and of stock raising for the
purpose of being able to instruct his
wards Under his guidance they built
good wooden cottages, largely with
their own hands They bored wells
so as to be no longer dependent for
water on the sluggish streams of the
neighborhoo1. and became so skilled
in the use of their boring machines
that the Kiowas and Comanches on
the adjoining reservation hired them
to come over and make wells for
them, so did also some of the white
settlers near by. They experimental
successfully with KafTir corn, which
i they proved to be one of the most val
liable crops for such a soil and elf.
mate as theirs, for both forage and
human food. They subscribed to
cattle association and thus were able
TO raise, protect and market their
stock under as advantageous condi-
tions as any of the whites in their
part of the Southwest. They went
pretty extensively into kitchen garden.
ing, and common sight at Fort Sill
used to be the Apache peddler with
his wagon load Of fresh vegetables
and melons, selling to the officers fam.
lilies and the enlisted men in the bar
racks. They learned that by laying
out some labor iudiciously, in harvest.
ing and curing the native hay OF the
fplain. they could make a neat turn,
and the next thing was series of con.
tracts with the very government which
was holding them prisoners. TO supply
the fort-a cavalry post--with hay for
tisreohs-filaigxdaidreentw-othanf
its horses, From this crop alone the
Indians, beginning in a small way,
have derived each year larger and
larger profit, till last season they sold
between $4,000 and $4,000 worth.
When it is recalled that this is the
band led by the bloodthirsty Geroni-
mo at the time Of its capture, the un-
speakable terror of Arizona. its ad.
vance certainly seems phenomenal.
Yet II is all due to good sense and
good faith on part Of the army officers
who have had charge of the band.
Capt. Scott himself has a gift amount.
ing in a sense to genius for dealing
with such people, and they have been
fortunate in some Of their other Gus.
todians. The great point that has
been kept in view by these men OF
wise purpose and sound judgment has
been TO make the Indians to under. |
stand that they were dealing with an |
unehangeable authority. II Capt Scott
told Geronimo or any OF the other In.
dians, In no matter how tactful and |
kindly manner, that he wished such
and such thing done they knew that
that was law, and respected it; on the
other hand, II they asked him for
something and he promised It. they
knew that the promise would be full.
nlled Just as given. With that sort
oil treatment it is not wonderful that
these Apaches have become attached
TO the spot where they have settled so
long and that it would be like tearing
lheir heartstrings to move them now.
NO better proof could be asked than
the fact' with no guard surrounding
them and no physical barrier of any
sort to their escape. they have not
l..