The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-09-08
BY the Sale of Coal Lands Chloe
taws Will Be Deprived of
Their School Revenues.
FOR BIG SCANDAL.
Red Man Scarcely Expects That
His Share VIII Be Large Aft
er All Red Tape Process
Is Over.
BY 4 srAFF CORRESPONDENT.

~ -lN-hANSlEAE + L. aus EEbAN
CATION of a p~rincely estate from aIlot-
ment among the Choctaws-51.0}0 acres Of
coal lands-is the principal subject now
agitatlng South McAlestcr in connection
with the Government administration Of
Indian affairs in this vicinity, an admin
istration which seems prolific Of charge
and counter-charge at every corner Of the
largest Indian reservation in the United
States.
Second to this. alleged fraud in the Sc
lection and sale of town sites disturbs the
community. The latter matter IS before
the Interior Department at Washington
and Doctor John A. Sterrett. chairman Of
the Town Site Commission IN the Choctaw
Nation. finds himself summarily dismissed
by Secretary Hitchcock.
Sterrett has demanded to know the
wherefore of his unceremonious discharge.
and has received no satisfaction. The ma
jority Of the citizens of South McAiester
are inclined to sustain Doctor Sterrett and
maintain that he has executed his duties
ably.
The affair seems clouded with compiler
tiona, political and otherwise. Among 9th
er things. Sterrett fought the payment Of
the tribal tax to the Choctaw tribe, which
vas assessed against businesses conducted
by noneitizens. Sterrett is president of
the p. A Vance Wholesale Grocer Com
pany.
The decision of the United States Court
declared the payment Of this tax invalid
Interior Department. Sterrett attributss
his release to his activity in the tax mat
NO POLITICIAN.
In short" said he, y am not enough
OF a politician to suit headquarters. /
suspect. TOO; that SOMEBODY who is more
Of a politician is after my job. Politics
cuts some figure down here.
= nave frequently been informed by DIFF
ferent parties that the gravest charge
against me rested on the fact that 1 was
connected with and president OF the P.
4. Vance Grocery Company. which re-
fused to pay the tribal tax. believing Il
TO be unjust ana un~warrantable. If it
IS wrong for an oficeholder TO be inter
ested in public enterprises. 1 can but plead
guilty to the crime and say that If | had
II to do over again l would do the same
All kin6s Of reports are afoat as to the
manner In which "gratters' profit in new
fusion in such schemes are voiced against
Doctor Sterrett In a district recently
opened along a nav railroad 1t is assert
ed that a United States Attorney. who
also represented the railroad. pickeI out
the locations for towns. E~amshaCkIe
structures. consisting of hpx huts OF scant-
best lots, which promised best a future
business corners. Then the town was ap-
praised.
Under the treaty with the Choctaws. all
improved town site lots sell at G2s per
cent OF the appraisement. Il is alleged
that In this way lots were secured ut =
nominal sum-, which soon became very
valuable, and that thousands Of dollars
were thus made.
The Indian is the loser IN these trans
actions. The proceeds from the sale of
these lots go into the National Treasury,
to be held for distribution per capita
among the Indian citizens. one payment
I has hEEm nude IN the (nipEl "a VS. IT
amounted to $50 an Indian. The amount
will be smaller among the ChCctaws. since
they are fewer in number.
COAL LANDS.
The matter of the coal lands presented
a hard nut to crack for the Government
officials. To allow the Indian TO allot
these lands would give the favored Jew
who got them a vast advantage over their
fellows. But the Indian. If he had the
mines, could not develop them. Moreover.
many mines are now in operation. which
means a large value represented in APP
planes and machinery.
Under the present system 8 per cent 4
ton is paid to the Choctaw Nation IS a
royalty on the coal, which supports the
schools of the tribe. In view OF the fact
that about 8 Oco.g0 tons 4 year are mined,
the income IS considerable.
the coal district was decided upon. With
in three years ii is to be sold TO the
highest bidder, the proceeds 10 be divided
among the Chcctaws, as are the own
The educated Indians are against this
plan. They think that Indians should be
allowed to gain the ownership. Nand to
operate or lease the mines. They believe
that they will not get the value which the
lands represent The number q mines
Many others will be developed. From
year to year the output will Increase. and
the Indians think they should benefit by
the prospective as well as the present
value of the coal.
What is under as well as what is on
the land should be ours. say the In
dams. The agricultural value of the
Choctaw country does not compare with
its mineral deposits: One Of the largest
coal beds in the United States is here,
and much asphalt, of the highest grade"
COAL SCANDAL
If scandal in connection with farms has
startled the counry, then, say the citizens,
the seeds for q scandal Of ten-fold the
proportions lay in the situation with rel
erence to the coal and asphalt deposits
The values are much greater, ana olteF
correspondingly greater inducetnent. The
National Government. now is IN the posi-
ton of administrator for this large es-
tate. and must divide the sums realized
by its sale among some 20,00 heirs.
The task evidently Is 4 cumbersome. one,
and awarding the bids viii be In the hends
OF many men, holding jobs on a political
basis. The money must then pass through
many hands. and an enormous amount of
red tape must be unwound before the
Indian realizes any cash whatever out OF
the proposition.
IE " ihiS udS IlEtE NFIIS III
which to effect the sale. Experience has
shown that the Interior Department, in
Territory matters. takes ali the time al
lowed and more. too. and the probabilities
are the full three years will eiapse before
the sale is effected. Then. how long be-
fore the Indian will get his pro rata is
another story altogether.
After the sale he Will be without his in
come for schools. BY that time. of course,
the tribal government is expected 10 go
out Of existence. and a State or Territorial
government organized This viii allow
taxation for schools. but taxation pro-
vided by whites for schools adapted Tor
whites. In fact. the future income TO sup
port the Indian schools seems a hay con-
sideration.
Now the Indian has an income from the
minerals. That he win get the PRINCIPAL
represented by this interest is a problem.
II he does. his ability TO handle lump sums
never has been marked. In short. II APP
pears, and he fully expects, too, that he
will come out at the little end of the horn.
HASTINGS MacADAMS.