The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-09-10
LAND ALTERS" FLOURISH
AT EXPENSE OF INDIANS.
Obtain Rights Property Rdcuousy Prices Sube
at Big Advance-TishOmngo Is Haven for Fine
Wokes-How the Native Is Feeced by the Graspng Whites

| The other concern is the most prospsr- p
Gus in the five nations. 1t is called The
Tribal Development Company; The
OCCUPY the e1ie SPesr SPes WHICH ea
the national emblem: Everything about
the, place. from the flagstaff down. lends
to IT an air of being official.
On the first floor is the quarters OF the
Bank of Chickasaw Nation. advertised as
the designated depository" of the nation,
designated by Congress. Ofiicials as pro-
ley. Governor of the Chickasaws. presi-
dent: Guy P. Cobb. former United States
Internal Revenue Inspector. treasurer and
general manager; G. W. Burris. secretary
Directors. in addition to the foregoing,
are; Ben II. Colbert. United States Mar
shall; W; c. Gum Of Fort Scott, r NJ
saws; Jesse L. Jordan. Assistant Internal
Revenue Inspector; W. G: Perry of Kan
sas;. Kirby Purdom. cashier of the Bank
OF the Chickasaw Nation; Pliny L. Soper.
United States Attorney. and S. L. VIII
liams Barris. Colbert and Soper have
withdrawn.
handles the legal business. One of the
members of this firm, until recently. was
In the. employ of the Dawes Commission
ographer aw aso WAS empoyed By fhe eo
mission. Joe Dukes. son OF the former
chief of the Choctaws, is engaged in what
Is d,t;al termed iesgins for the concern t5 His
bloods and bring them in droves to Tish-
omingO where they are allotted and from
whom the allotments are at once leased.
The bank of the Chickasaw Nation is Of
ncial. Knowing this. and perceiving that
their Governor Is in the Tribal Company,
that United States officers are in it. that
the cashier of the bank is in it. every rea-
son exists why the ChickaSaws and Choc-
taWs; too, since the two tribes are closely
allied. should place faith in the concern.
II has every advantage In this respect.
Neither do the company officers, II Cobb's
view Is accepted. endeavor to deny a de-
sire to appear official. Cobb says bluntly
that the purpose was to organize a COM
pany In which the Federal authorities and
Indians could place their confidence" The
fact remains that the company has leased
best land at a rate. certainly, not higher
to suitcase at 81 and 50. with ultimate
purchase in view.
Other companies exist, run by indlvid-
uals who hold no public Office. the reputa-
tons of which are more or less shady.
others. and claim to be operating on a le-
gitimate basis. though none pay more
than 30 cents an acre, save In a very few
and falsifcations in
dealing with their Indian clients, which |
are little short of criminal.
BUSINESS OF LOGGING.
The business of logging" such as Is |
carried on by Joe Dukes. has developed |
keen competition. Dukes. for instance, |
brings in a land of Choctaws to allot |
them. Other hustling land agents endeav- |
or to induce them to desert Dukes. The |
scramble at times becomes extremely ex- |
citing, judging by the descriptions current |
around town, 1t is told that an agent |
discovered one Of his Indians, for whom |
he had paid rs r-,ilroad fare to transport |
him to Tishomin9o, ci'r bing into hack |
to c1parting. The agent set
upon the Indian, dragged him out of the
conveyance and insisted that he remain.
The red man declared that he wanted to
go home, but the agent insisted that he
must stay, and ar encounter followed No
bones were broken and the Indian is said
% have left without leasing his allotment
o the enterprising agent, who is minus
he twenty-five
P c. Taylor, a United States Inspector
rom the Department OF Justice, is in
Iishomingo conducting the Investigation
nto the charges against United States
MARSHAL Colbert. E. Ffnis Fox, the Ard
more editor, who filed the charges against
;olbert, also is here at the session of
he Chickasaw Legislature Fox repre-
ents one faction in the Legislature and
,olbert, though rot a member, has friends
n the other faction. Fox charges general
wholesale frauds against the Indian. Hotb
Y government and Chickasaw officers |
.eeling ruHs high and the fear is ex-
ressed that blcodshed will result
HASTINGS MacADAM.