The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1904-01-15

If The Fuil-Bloods Should Fail to
Make Farmess.


Guthrie, Ok, Jan. rs.-In his
last annual report Lieutenant Col
onel James F Randett, United
States agent in charge of the
Kiowa, Comanche, Caddo, Wichita
and affiliated Indian tribes at Ana
darko, recomends that the Indians
be furnished plows, harness, hoes,
etc, for cnltivating their allot
ments, and that the agency be sup
piled with twelve additional far
mers" in place Of four farmers" "
and the two Additional farmers"
now employed. These recommen-
dations may be without interest to
many persons, but they strike at
at the heart Of a problem that con-
fronts not only the federal govern
ment, but the people Of Oklahoma.
There are nearly Il, 900 full-blood
Indians in Oklahoma who are ex-
peeted to become self-supporting
American citizens. twenty-five
years ago a majority Of them we're
hostile to white men, With the
exception Of the Cages, who still
1 hold their lands in common, these
indians, at least in theory, are
supposed to be maintaining them
selves on their allotments as far
mers. One need not be a senti-
mentalist TO pity their condition.
The full-blood reservation Indian
has no idea Of the value Of money.
For anything that pleases him he
is willing to pay sIoo as quickly as
SIo. and his money is taken from
him BY unscrupulous white men as
fast as he gets it. Should the Ok
lahoma Indian fail in adapting
himself to the changed conditions
that surround him, Oklahoma in
the next ten or fifteen pears may
have several thousand vagabond
poverty stricken citizens.
THEIR ONLY HOPE.
The only hope for these Indians
is that they become self-supporting
farmers or stock raisers. Indus
trial schools like Chillocco may
enable the younger Indians to fit
themselves for other occupations,
but those who are 20 years or older
will receive little benefit from these
schools, and must become farmers
or nothing. An Indian trader said
lately
Few persons appreciate the
difficulties that surround these
indians in ok,atoma. They are
expected to live by farming.
How many white men, we'll sup
piled with machinery and live
stock, succeed as farmers2 How
much more difficult would it be if
these white men had been clerks,
machinists or merchants before
they began tilling the soil, even
though they had lived all their
Lives in communities where farming
was the principal industry The
conditions Of the full-blood Indian
in Oklahoma is far more discourage
ling. He knows absolutely nothing
Of farming, and most Of them are
without machinery. Naturally
improvident, he IS expected to
surmount these handicaps and sue
coed where white men with all the
experience Of generations behind
them would be compelled TO tax all
their energies to to live and sup
port their familieseven in a moderate
way. It's popular 10 say that the
Indian is lazy and unwilling to
work. The same environment
possibly would have led to no
greater industry.'among white men.
In early day, the life Of the Ind
ian man was one Of perilous Ghard-
ship He supplied food for his
family, fought years after
! year against other tribes for the
protection Of his women and chill
dren. The Indian women have
ever led a life Of unremitting toll. =