The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-06
CLERGYMAN'S TRIP
DR.. MARTIN TELLS OF HIS
EXPERIENCE WEST.
Visited Reformed Church Missions in
0klahoma-A Promising Field
for Work.

of the Clinton Avenue Reformed Church,
returned a few days ago from a TIP 70
Oklahoma inspecting missions run by the
Reformed Church. The statement Is as
follows:
Il have Just returned from a trip to the
new State of Oklahoma, where our heI
formed Church has been planting sexeIai
new mission stations, when are uesaihea -
to grow into strong churches. Ineie e
no more promising neld for the Reformed
Church than Oklahoma.
las you know, the new State OF Okla
homa comprises the union OF Oklahoma
Territory and the adjoining area of coufi-
try formerly known as Indian lerIi.ony'
This entire region was once Indian leIIi-
tory but in 1880 Oklahoma was carved 9innee
spring scene when, on April ~ lSo9, ttssne
ident Harrison proclaimed Okianonha
thrown open o0 to se.tiemens sbe any into the
territory, occupied the lands ana lalu ou9
town sites. These people had eamPeu
along the borders of the new DOMAIN io5
several days ebfore they made the grand
rush. Many of them had been over the
land and staked out their seeuons, 50
that when the scramble began there were
scraps more or less serious. noe man tod
me now he had staked out a claim anu
had gone back to get his family. Wneh
he arrived he found a corpulent ihalviuuat
sitting on one of his stakes ana elaihins
1t as his. No. that is NINE said the
other man, and | can prove II py my
neighbours well, | don't care about
your UAOOl6t 4 dIl itlC " oAas
upon claimant No. / took out a huge re,
volver and said: Is it yours or miner
It's yours said the other man, ana got
up very quickly. The 'cold-lead argu5
ment' is very convincing out West, ana
is quite often resorted to. Nearly every
other man carries a concealed weapon,
although the laws of the State are quite
stringent against 1t.
Since the openig of Oklahoma immigra-
ton has been rapid, and a large part or
the country has advanced to a nlgn state
If 6nxaIOnn0a emf a largo npr cent nj the
tillaDle land has been reduced 10 cultlVa,,
ton and the country is dotted with wen
ly little blood shed In the rush for the new
lands on that eventful day / mentioned,
simply because there was so little cholce,
all of the country being a very paradise
| was impressed with the beauty and
variety of the country. There are great
stretches of fertile prairies without a
came in view of extensive forests, 1nclud-
ing a great variety of beautiful trees, such
as pine. walnut. hickory, elm, ash, ,syca-
more and several varieties of oak. There
are also heavily timbered mountains, rls-
ing as high as 1000 feet above the sur
rounding country, so that a trip through
Oklahoma is not m~onotonous. The whole
country is well watered by beautiful
streams which not only add a charm to
the landscape, but enhance the value OF
the land.
Oklahoma presents a double advantage
to the farmer. for 1t is just far nousn
north and just far enough south to pro,
duce the perfection Northern crops, and
Southern crops. Corn, wheat, oats. po-
tatoes and cotton are the stapies. Two
crops OF potatoes are raised on the same
land in one year, and four or five crops OF
alfalfa hay, while the cotton OF the Ter
rltory is famous, for its fine quality.
Another marvel of the State is the ire
mendous oil production. Thousands OF
wells are now In operation and new ones
are CT annually being discovered. The
soil Is also the storehouse of other treas
rFAf2h ~. fhA NYnaIfh ~ this
new State. There Is a fne quailty
miles. and a bountiful supply
marble sufficient to supply the needs of
the United States for generations 10
come. In lesser quantities are found also
granite, iron ore, manganese, cement and
You need to remember that Indian Ter
ritory has been under cultivation and inn
proyement for many years before this white
mans invasion. You will remember that
our government for several years past
has been pushing the Indians of the East-
justly with them they had assigned Indian
Territory to five tribes of Indians, known
as the Creeks, Cherokees, Choctaws.
Chlckasaws and Seminoles, known as the
five civilized tribes. Unlike the far North
ern Indians, these five tribes industriously
cultivated the soil and lived on its
lands of these five tribes have been allotted
to individuals by Congress, yesting In each
indian a fee simple title to his share Of
the lands of the tribe, subject to certain
restrictions. The Indian has been per-
mitted to sell all his land, but his home
stead tract, and many of these Indians are
well TO do and are really the wealthiest
Of the inhabitants of Indian Territory.
A very different proposition to deal with
are the Indians of the more Northern
country. These various tribes of pie
turesque names, have been a thorn in the
flesh of the government for many years.
You are familiar with all the hard-fought
subdue these Wild and bloodthlrsty tribes
OF Indians. They are now subdued and
the government has been trying to deal
Justly with them and assigned them sec
lions or land a sfarms. Blu TIT Is hard to
change the nature of these peoples.
who have been brought up TO live
in tepees rather than houses and to pur-
sue the pleasures of the chase rather than
settle down to agricultural industry. Our
government would furnish a two-room
house for each section Of lane allotted
to the Indians, but they would put their
horses In the house and go out and live
In the tepees themselves. They hav ac-
quired the wandering life, and it is next
TO impossible to change them. For gem
erations they nave followed the herds of
~buffaloes, depending on Its flesh for food.
It's hide for clothing and the covering of
their tepees, and its sinews for their
thread. As these herds of buffaloes moved
around the Indians would. follow. But
numerous other tribes were looking for
their sustenance to these same rowing
herds, and consequently when one hunting
party would come across another hunting
party a fight would result. Thus the chase
and the warpath developed the indians
into human tigers.
So while today the government Is trying
TO clyilize him and anchor him to a home
stead he much prefers the large CAM
with its circle of white tents, its freedom
and laziness and social companionship tc
the solitary residence on a lonely farm
Consequently you come across farms
Wh0ra tho Qorl1 has hanT1 nlanfp6 hnf I'M.
attended to, and the gardens unweedet
and the vegetables going to waste, be
cause the owners are roaming along thu
water courses and going on long and use
less Journeys. These rowing habits pre-
vent the raising of such stock as call
for constant care. The result Is ther'
are few mich cows among them, or pig
or chickens.
How are these people supported? Origin
ally our. government gave our rations, 81
much food to each family, but in 1901 IN
ration system was discontinued, and nov
the government gives to each Indian
semi-annual yme of interest money
amounting to about IS a person, the IN
terest on funds, held in trust for them b,
the government, and the rentals fror
their allotments and the sale or lands 0
deceased indian The Indian womel
do very beautiful bead work in som
of the tribes; others make blankets, an,
some of the men do agricultural. work. l
you should come across one OF the lndial
camps you would see something like THIS
A group of conical white tepees, with Tn
women busy working around them, eithe
chopping wood, or carrying water, o
doing some washing. or bent over