The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-07-25
INDIANS ARE GROWING
Uncle Sans Wards Prospering
In Many Ways.
SUCCESSFUL RED MEN
Nearly 100000 Now in the United
States and More Than Half Dress
Like Ordinary Americans-senate
and House Both Have Ind an Rep.
'esentatives.

Like ordinary RmerlCans-Senate
and House Both Have Indian Rep
'esentatves.
has never been definitely deter
!, led Just what was the greatest
lber OF Indians in America when
we're unmolested. Some auth.
ties say that the number could
have exceeded a million, others
assert that It would not have been
more than 100000. and still others
contend that there were never more
than 100000. At the present time
there are about 2s4.000 members Of
the red race in the United States
and statisticans say they are on tne
Increase at the present time. Nearly
all the tribes are west of the Mis-
sssippi. in fact most of them are
beyond the Missouri. There are 15G
reservations in all. In the north
western part of New York there are
about 5000 descendants of the great
warrior tribes living on eight Icser-
vations.
Today there are $4,000 Indians who
wear citizens dress in whole or in
Part and $4,000 who can read and
speak English. There are 2S,0O0 In
dian families now living in comfora.
be modern dwellings.
The Cherokees are the most ad.
vauced in civilization and the most
eager for education, spending $780,
COO a year on their schools and col.
ieges. The Chickasaws have fyc
colleges with 400 students, main
tanned at a yearly cost Of $4,000.
They also have thirteen district
schools, costing $4,000. The Choct.
avs have $50 schools in some Of
which the higher branches are taught
The Seminoles one of the smallest
tribes have two schools, The Greeks
have ten colleges and sixty-five com.
mon schools, with a total attendance
Of $500.
Father Negahnquet is said to be
the only living fullblood Indian who
is Roman Catholic Priest. He stud
led in Rome, and upon his return to
this country said mass in the big
Catholic church at Oklahoma. This
flllblood Indian priest on American
soil. He is now working among the
0ple OF his race in Oklahoma and
IAN Territory.
'harles Curtis, the new United
..l-es senator from Kansas is the
representative of the American
Ian in that body Mr.. Curtis is
% T,,I I,rt
mother belonged to the Kaw tribe He
and his FIVE children have received
allotments of Shawnee county land
in settlement of what Uncle Sam
thinks he owes to the race. Mr.. Cur
tbs has already served fourteen years
In the House.
The foremost Indian in public life
today is Quonah Parker, chief of the
Comanches and political power In
the new State of Oklahoma. Chief
Parker Is a Democrat. and there are
many who say he will come to the
Senate from the newly admitted Com
monwealth. He was opposed to the
union of Indian Territory with Okla
homa and was the leading spirit in
the convention which met TO frame
a constitution for the proposed State
OF Sequoyah. Chief Parker's mother
was a white woman, Clindy Parker,
who was captured by the Indians when
a girl, and later became the wife of
Quonah, a Comanche warrior.
The main effort of Indian Educa'
today is TO make him competent to
earn a white mans wages. The ag
ent on the Pine Ridge Agency In
South Dakota advertises to supply
Indian laborers for work on railroads
and irrigation ditches Employers OF
labor who are using them for ditch
ing or grading say they are reliable
and steady Many Indians are making
their mark as business men. Col Sol
NcLisk, rich Chickasaw, and a
number Of his wealthy tribesmen, have
established banking and real estate
Arm in Oklahoma near the Chickasaw
boundary in order TO handle the aft
airs of their people.
The Indian has already attracted
considerable attention in athletics
The Carlisle football team ranks with
the best The various Indian base
ball teams that always give a good
account of themselves when matched
against high class amateur and semi.
professional teams In Canada there
Is an Indian boy named Thomas Long
boat who is hailed as the greatest
long distance runner living today He
IS only 10 years old, and has not had
much experience, but Sherring, who
t. the worlds champion since the
Olympic games, says the Indian lad
viii eventually beat the world. Red
Cloud, full blood Cherokee Indian
Is a promising pugilist.