The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-01-23

DOwAGIAC, Mich, Jan. IS
Pokagon's band of Pottawatomie
indians sold their birthright yes
terday in the disputed territory
fronting on the Lake Shore drive
in Chicago. Each received or
Will receive his mess of pOttage
IN the shape of 800 check.
Robert Bines, a Board of Trade
man of Chicago, made the first
payment at 4 o'clock to Hi Kay
Ka-Ke, one of the old men of the
tribe. Three minutes later the
check was presented to F. W.
Lyle, president of the City Ma
tional Bank of Dowagiac and Hi
Kay Ka-Ke walked out with a
handful of crisp bills that rep
resented his share in the proper
ty that is worth millions.
By 5 o'clock eighteen such
checks had been honored, and
then payment was discontinued
until today. All who were paid
were those members of the tribe
who live live away from Dowag
lac and 321 IndianS-men, women
and children-are here waiting
for the money that represents
wealth and fortune.
The alleged claim of Pokagon
and his remnant of POttawatomle
Indianas is based on a dispute
over two early surveys of the
north shore extending from the
mouth of the Chicago river indefi-
nitely toward Waukegan. 1t has
always been held in the United
States land Office, excepting while
Commissioner Lamoreaux was
there, that the shore line in the
deed from the Indians to the gov
eminent was practically as it now
exists. The Indian claim, how
ever, is that the shore line at
that time would now be consid-
cradle distance inland, and that
the natural accretlOns forming
shore residence property were
subsequent to the release of the
Pottawattomie claims.
The land lying between the
earlier and the later shore line,
comprising among other pieces,
Lake Shore drive property, is
what Is in alleged dispute.
1t has been claimed by William
H. Cox, of Chicago, that he long
ago acquired the Pottawattomies'
claims to the land. Cox Sc
cured from Land Commissioner
Lamoreaux, during the Cleveland
administration. an opinion favor
able to the Indian contention.
This decision was at once re-
versed by the secretary of the
interior. Lamoreaux left his
Office, being succeeded by Com
missioner Herman, who also de-
cided against the CLAIM.
The Indian claim has no direct
connection with the Streeter
claim.
The Indians have held possess
ion of this little town today. They
have filed the streets, looking
into the shop windows at pianos,
ribbons, caps, gloves, guns, and
knives, deciding, or trying to de-
eide, upon what they will pur
chase when they get their money.
Indians who had not exchanged
greetings since the government
paid them five years ago, held re-
unions on every street corner.
The squaws and papooses hung
together, while the braves and
old men held pow vows and ex-
changed tobacco. The pipe of
peace, which was represented by
a cheap cigar, was handed about,
while the smokers talked Of the
probilities of the wheat and corn
crops and of the awful possibility
of the money never being paid.
There was but little drinking
and not an Indian Was arrested.
The laws of Michigan do not al
low the saloons to sell liquor 70
the Indians. This was evaded,
of course. The white men would
buy whisky in bottles for them.
The Indians all seem to think
they are getting something for