The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-17
CURTIS WRITES
 OF INDIANS
4 COMPILATION or STATISTICS 0F THE FHvD NATIONS TO PRE-
 DuNT DATE.
k He CemDlinents the seminoies-n0 GAvea G0vesnment Less Trouble
 Than Other Indians-Ns Raee Suicide.

Given 60vesnment Less TrouDae
 Than Othef Indians-Ns
 Rses Suicide.
 William D. Curtis, writing from Mus
 kogee. I. T.. to Chicago Hecoro-
 Herald.
 The members of the, commission which has been alloting lands to the Indians tell me that they have had less trouble with the seminoles than with any other of the tribes The members of that nation agreed to everything the Government wanted They accept cd the original treaty as 1t was pre- pared in Washington. and have ooserv- ed every stipulation. This treaty was very simple and provided that when the tribal government shall cease 10 exist, March s, 1906, the principal chiet shall deliver to each member or the nation a deed to . portion of iand, which will be his share of the whole: and that his acceptance of such deed shall be a relinquishment of his title to and interest In all other lands be- longing to the tribe.
 The treaty then goes on to say that each allottee shall designate one tract of forty acres, which by the terms or the deed shall be made inalienable ana non- taxable as homestead for said
  uity." Thus. unless Congress shall make some other provision. and 1t is doubtless whether such treaty can be nullified by law, there will be 2.765 and 300 or 400 other more permanent home- steads in the Seminole country, which lies on the boundary between Indian Territory and Oklahoma, between the two forks of the Canadian River and only a few miles from Oklahoma City. These homesteads must descend in en- tail from generation to generation of the descendants of that tribe forever. This. believe. Is the only land that is under entail within the limits of the United States.
 The additional homestead to which I have alluded will belong to the heirs of the babies which have been born in the Seminole Nation since the 4th of March, 1904. It was originally ex- pected that the Dawes Commission would complete its work by March year ago, and 1t was directed to divide the land between such persons as were living on the 4th of March, 1904. But, owing to the delay that became neces- sary, a new baby law was passed at the last session. admitting to the ben- eft of the allotment all youngsters born on or befcre March 4th, 1905. The Seminoles have presented 450 kids year of age and younger as claimants and 19.0o0 acres of land will be divided among them. The 2,7o6 members of the tribe previously enrolled up to March. 4, 1904, have already received deeds for 320,o00 acres, leaving 5000 acres for railways, townsites and other publtc purposes.
 The enrolment of the Seminoles shows 1,255 persons of full blood, $40 of mixed blood and s60 so-called freed men, descendants of slaves which were brought to this territory from Florida by the original members of the tribe. No provision was made in the Seminole treaty for "sQuaw men"-that is, the white men who have married Indian women or who have been living with them without marriage. There are very few of that class among the Seminoles. They have kept out white sQuatter3 and adventurers, and have lived among | themselves
 These are the descendants of the Florida tribes. who under the famous Osceolo fought a terrible war with General Jackson. But since their set clement in this territory they have given the government nc trouble whatever: they have been law abiding and peaceful. and. although they are not so progressive as other tribes. the officials say they have the best organ ization, the best laws and the best government of the five nations. Their | are handed down by memory from gen. eration to generation. Their chief is John Brown, a merchant, who lives at | Wewoka. the richest member of the tribe and the most influential. He rules like an autocrat. The Seminoles have such perfect confidence in him that whatever he says goes. and that Is the reason their business with the Dawes commission was transacted so promptly,
 | The famous Delawares, who occupied so large a tract in the colonial history of our country. and who furnished go many heroes for Fenimore Cooper and l other early writers of Indian life. are \ reduced to a little band of 195 men. women and children. In their settle ment they have been included among the Cherokees who took them in and gave homes and farms in 1867 A few years ago they brought a suit against the Cherokee nation for the value of 157,60S acres of land, which they claimed to have purchased. but the supreme court decided against them | and at the last session congress passed a law giving them the sum of $150000 in cash. in full payment of all claims against this government or the Cher okee nation and everybody else, and in the allotment of lands they have received share and share alike with the members of the Cherokee nation. For several years the Delawares have been talking of moving to Mexico as soon as they got this money to pay their expenses. They sent a delega- tion down there several years ago to select location. and were offered irri- gated farms in the State of Sonora on very liberal terms but they concluded to remain in the United states.