The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-26
Each Jackson County Indian
Will Receive $34S.5S.
SPEND MONEY FREELY
Much of the Cash Quickly Goes
in Gambling Games.
Merchants Are on Hand to Col
lect Their Accounts.

Holton, Kan. July 26.-Six hundred
and sixty Indians of the Pottawatomie
tribe are being paid s34S.5S each on
the Pottawatomie reservation near
here.
The government recently decided to
pay the Pottawatomie Indians the
amount due them under the treaties of
1916 and bring the guardianship to an
end if possible. Congress last winter
appropriated $414. ASST TO make the
settlement. The Interior department
ordered that two payments be made.
One is for S230.O64.24, now in progress
at the agency The date of the second
payment of $1S4,0S4.57 has not yet
been fixed.
Where the head of the family is re-
sponsiDle, he is allowed to collect for
the children. Otherwise the govern
ment holds the money until the chill
dren are IS years old. The largest
amount drawn by one family yester-
day was $4.22O.3S. This sum was paid
to the wife and ten children of James
Blandon, a white man who has been
interpreter at the Pottawatomie
agency for nearly forty years. The
payment is made by check under the
direction of G.. L. Williams. the agent.
Half a hundred merchants from the
towns close to the reservation are at
the agency to collect their accounts
The Indians are good buyers and the
merchants trust them. but as this IS
a big payment and next to the last
that will be made to the POttawato-
mics, settlement is demanded Few
Indians keep their checks half an hour
after they get them. Three banks
have offices on the grounds There
was perhaps S15O,O0O in cash at the
agency yesterday. No one had fear of
robbery and there was not an officer
on the reservation.
Eighty members of the tribe are liv-
ing in northern Wisconsin. Agent
Williams will go there next week to
pay them The payment here drew a
big crowd to the agency and the In
dams We're in picnic attire. The only
disturbances were by drunken In
dian and crazy woman who had to
be elected from the pay office
The Indians gambled, their money
changing hands rapidly. Chuck-luck,
three-card monte. craps and poker are
the games most in favor. Having little
idea of the value OF money the Indians
are happy whether they win or lose.
The Indians are taking titles to their
lands on the reservation and selling
them to white men. 1t is believed
that within five years the whites will
own most of the reservation, which is
eleven miles square. -
The tribal government is no longer
recognized by the government and ex-
lists only in sentiment. Mash-no has
succeeded the late kack-kack as chief. !
but no attention is paid to him except |
for the use of his name in the tribal
history preserved by the educated Pot
tawatomies. who include about thirty
families. The educated Indians live
in comfortable homes. numbering the !
white people CT the towns among their |
friends. Fewer than twelve white men |
have married into the Potta watomie |
tribe in recent years.
Securing the Potato Crop.
LinwOOd. July 26.-The potato harvest |
will be concluded about the end of next |
week. Tuesday buyers were paying so
cents per buShel but yesterday bid up |