The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-10-11
INDIANS AND DOGS
Bringing Mississippi Choctaws
Into Indian Territories.
SOME THING OF BUSINESS
Dawes Commissions Work
with Them.

H. Van " Smith, special disbursins
/ officer for the Dawes Commission, is off
/ for Mississippi to bring back to the In
dian Territory another instalment of the
/ INDECENT Mississippi Choctaws under the
act Of congress providing for their all
J lotment. says a dispatch from Mus,zogee,
I l. T., to the New York Herald. 1t has
been estimated by Mr.. Smith that he viii
return with about go of the INDECENT
Choctaws this time. The instalment first
brought in from Mississippi by Mr.. Smith
consisted of 253 Indians and PA dogs. The
dog part of the story is interesting. Just
before the abOrigines were loaded on the
cars for their ride TO the Indian Terri
tory one old Indian who spoke some Eng
lish approached the officer in charge and
said:
'Dog?"
Nh. Smith was busy and did not reply.
Take dog" insisted the red man.
Yes" said the officer, take him
along"
A few hours later the train was laden
with Indians and dogs-one dog for each
Indian save one. He had two. They were
INDECENT Indians. This probably account
ed for Their wealth of dogs.
The first instalment of Mississippi Choc
taws arrived in the Indian Territory just
a short time before the time limit of their
coming expired. They had to be in the
Indian Territory within six months after
the date Of their enrolment. They were
INDECENT and were to be brought by the
government, the expenses to be paid from
an appropriation of s20,000 made for that
purpose and for their care and maipte-
nance during the time they were getting
started in life in the new country.
These Indians were taken TO a spot near
Atoka, in the ~noctaw nation. where they
were comfortably kept in camp under
the immediate charge of three Indian
guards. No grafters were allowed TO see
them. The Dawes Commission made ar
bitrary allotnents to these Indians. The
selections have been made for the most
part and Monday FIVE wagons will begin
to take the Indians to their lands When
they are settled the government viii
furnish to each allottee tools 10 the value
of So
The sustenance of the allottees will be
looked after by the government and paid
out of the appropriation of $4,000 until
such time as the Indians shall become
self-supporting. 1t is understood that
the allotments are for the most part on
raw lands This was necessary. as the
broken lands with improvements We're all
in possession, and the allottee who de-
sired TO locate on these was compelled
to pay for the improvements. The In
digent lnGians had no money with which
to purchase Improvements.
When. congress passed the act making
an appropriation with which TO pay for
bringing the INDECENT Mississippi Choc-
taws to the Indian Territory there was
no provision as to how the money should
be distributed. This was the cue for the
erafters of the east. One New York COM
pany, which has been advertising extern
sively in the magazines 70 sell town lots
on instruments to mail order subscribers
and without inspection Immediately made
a bid for some of the Indian land. They
submitted proposition 10 the Dawes
Commission TO bring the Mississippi Choc-
taws TO the Territory and pay all the
expenses up to a maximum of $7G0 for
each allottee and to sustain the allottees
on the allotments for the time necessary.
TO give employment 20 the Indians, where
possible at the rate OF wages in the Vi
cinity. payable in cash.
For a compensation for this service the
company asked TO be allowed the entire
proceeds Of the allotments for the first
three years. one-half the proceeds for the
balance OF the time before the land be-
came alienable and one-half OF the allot-
ments at the time when they were cap
able of alienation. The proposition was
rejected and the work Of placing the In
dams and looking after them was given
to the Dawes Commission.
The Eastern company had gotten in
terested in the plan. however along with
other companies in Kansas City. These
are the people who We're recently turned
down by the land office at Tlshomngo.
Hany Of the promoters of prosperity.
through the assistance they have beea
given 10 the Indians. both resident Choc-
taws aud Mississippi Choctaws. arc now
wondering what will become Of their in
vestment in the expenses of the Indians
they have cared Tor for consideration.
They had contracts with The Indians,
The contracts were in violation of the
law. But they invested their money N
railroad fare and provisions expecting to
secure sor,e Of the Indians land at low
figure. It might have been that the In
dams could have afforded to make the
deal. IN view of the condition of some OF
them o. their alloments of raw land. it
is probable that they could have done
better than they are likely 10 dc.
These Mississippi Choctaws have to live
three wears on their allotment before
they wiz be given patents to the land.
The average allotment is valued at slor.
which is equal TO $50 acres Of average
land