Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-27
AT FAMOUS RANCH 1O1.
Description Of the Recent
Round Up.
MARKING AN EPOCH
DISAPPEARANCE OF THE COWBOY
AND LoNG-HoRNED STEER.
True Story Of the Slaughter" of Buff
falo-only Cruelty Seemed to Be
to the Visiting Editors.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Special Correspondence The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.

Special Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
GUTHRIE Okla, June Is, 1906
On our journey southwark we stopped
to see the great roundup" that had
been arranged in honor of the National
Editorial Association at the famous "1O1
Ranch, called from the brand that
marks the cattle of the Miller Brothers.
who own 1t. 1t is the largest and most
famous ranch in Indian Territory and in
cludes $1,000 acres of land leased from
the Ponca Indians by the late George
Miller, a ig-hearted Kentuckian and
typical cowman. He emigrated to Kan
sas twenty-five thirty years ago and
made his home at Winfield, where he
traded cattle. Before Oklahoma was
opened he saw a chance to lease the Pom
ca lands for fattening Texas cattle and
acres, established headquarters near the
town of Bliss and added to it from time
to time by purchase and lease until, at
his death, three years ago, he left his
sons the control of 81, 1000 acres, with Co.
900 in a single tract
Joe Miller, the White Chief.
The Ponca reservation, comprising
about 225000 acres, is practically under
OF the corporation which the five heirs of
the late George Miller formed is called
| The White Chief of the Poncas and he
plays the part. The Indians go to him
| for advice on every subject. He looks
| after their crops and stock and imple-
| ments, keeps their money for them and
| attends to their shipments and collec-
| tons He is the advisor of the Otoe In
| dams also the adjoining reservation.
| There about 900 Poncas and 400
| Otoes surviving. Their lands are now
| being allotted in severalty and the tribal
| relations will be broken up this year
| Most of the families are already settled
upon farms, and are doing quite well in
| civilization. although every Indian is a
prey to spectators, who would rob him
| of all of his property if he was allowed to
| part with it. But when the tribal rela-
tons are dissolved each member of the
! tribe must keep his share of land until
| his death. He is not allowed to part with
| 1t without the consent of the Secretary
| of the Interior but when he dies his heirs
| may sell the property and divide the pro-
ceedS-and that Is why you hear people
down here talking about the prospect of
securing "dead-Indian land" a consid-
cradle part of Ranch 1O1 is dead-Indian
land.
The Poncas have held a sun dance an
nually for generations. to test the Cour-
age and nerve of the warriors of the
tr1be-but that prohibited by the
government in 1903, and now the Indians
have to content themselves with a pc
culiar game of ball which we saw them
play at the roundup" and hand game"
which is similar to our button, button
who has the button" a fetish Is passed
from hand to hand among the members
OF the tribe as they sit in a circle around
a wigwam, and those who are out have
forfeits. Those who succeed receive re-
wards.