Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-08-05
Several Thousand Creek Indians
Not Located by Dawes
Commission.
REVEALS SYSTEM OF GRAF
MINES Kept on Rolls and Government
Paid Money to Town
Kings

far as finding the missing ones IS
concerned. but it has brought out 4
lucid exposition Of the condition Of
the Indian nations at the time of the
/ creation Of the Dawes commission and
the gigantic fraud that was operative
at the time in the Indian payments
There are AGO names on the rolls Of
the last Creek payment made in 1895.
These Greeks have disappeared and
No trace of them can be found They
are known officially as Lost Greeks.
| Within the last 60 days the commits
sion has kept up n diligent search to
locate them for the purpose OF making
I allotments. \ complete list OF the
missing ones has been published in
1.-THE newspapers OF the Greek nation
and notices of the final closing of the
1.-THE citizenship rolls, printed in Creek
and English. have been posted every
where without result.
\ There is only one logical conclusion.
1t is that The entire f.1C0 persons died
I before the last Indian payment and
that the pay rolls were padded 10 that
! extent. Some Of them probably run
back many payments. and the town
kings reaped a rich harvest by hold
ing out the money that was paid to
them for members Of their town VINO
were dead. Under the system of In
dian payments prior 10 1898 this was
an easy matter. The payment were
per capita and paid by check on the
sub-treasury in St. Louis. drawn by
the treasurer of the nation.
Relied on Town King.
The town king of each Indian town
was relied upon to furnish a complete
list of all the members Of his town.
| The total amount due the number Of
persons he reported was turned over
TO him and he signed the pay roll for
that amount. There the interest of
the nation ceased and if he failed to
distribut" the money he alone was re-
spOnsible to his townsmcn. The OK
| tent of the abuse of this power is re
ycaled in the f,lG0 names that cannot
! be found and for whom money was is
sued ut the last Indian payment. If
member Of his town died or q family
moved away. tho town kind evidently
continued to draw the money for
| thcm and keep il. until new town
king was elected TO take his place.
Then. new roll WAS made.
| Under the Indian system, treas
Trer of the nation was elected for four
years. He was the sole keeper of the
nations funds and the money was
placed TO his credit in the subtreas-
ury. TO be treasurer was greater than
20 be chief. Almost invariably the
| treasurer turned merchant as soon a.
he was elected. He knew what the
per capita payments would be and he
| had the money in his possession. He
would credit the Indians to the full
extent OF their payment and they
| would trade it out at his store. When
time came for the payment he would
| hold out the amount due him. forget
| ting neither profit on the goods nor in
| terest on the money. In this way
most of the treasurers of the Greek
nation became wealthy. but it is also
rue that none OF them ever prospered
after the term OF Office expired.
| Order Changed.
| The coming of the lightning rod
! agent was the opening wedge that
marked the beginning of the departure
| rom the golden rule of the old-time
| lIian to the sytem of corruption that
| anne in later wears. 1t was about this
| line thar the credit system was intro
| iuced and the Indian commenced TO
| pUy Gale haTrows and riding cultiva-
ors 10 cultivate his two-acre patch OF
sJfky and corruption OF the Indian
| ,oUncil became apparent. In the ear
Y Dos there was constant trouble
| because OF Cattlcmcn of Oklahoma
,razng herds across the border in the
erritOry and vice versa. The Creek
council to obviate this passed a meas
IRE permitting cattlcnen 10 fence
arse pastures along the border and
| nus make a barrier that would pre-
,ent cattle crossing.
Then other cattlemen began to want
| concessions and. to get what they want
ID introduced corruption into the coun-
ii. So notorious did this become that
is said no measure could he passed
without its costing nearly as much as
| be concession amounted 10. even al
hou=h it was a strict measure for the
benefit OF the nation
This rapidly developed into the svs-
EN- of grating and padding pay rolls
'redited to the town kings. Prior to
his time there was an era of general
| prosperity and honesty in the Greek
nation. II ended with the rule of
'hief Coachman. Il is said that while
| re was chief a mans purse was as
safe by the roadside Is in a safe. In
national matters the Creeks were
squaliy as conscientious and honest.
With the death OF Coachman a period
If corruption began, which continued
o grow until the payment of 1895. II
seems 10 have reached its worst at
hat time. and was taken in hand by
he federal government
You may be poor or wealthy,
Just as your fate may be,