The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-06

Ab bo fD enc v W1sn you Whole long year
You'll meet McMix. which is a date:
MCMlA. Puck.
Worlds Richest Indian
Talking about sales,'' said small
bookseller whose stock of valentines
mad been exhausted before the demand
mad been fully supplied, did you
know that one of the largest single
orders of valentines ever heard about
went to an Indian? I don't know that
many white men could have afforded
to spend as much and those. that could
would probably have invested the
money In a more permanent form. q
diamond ring or necklace. Two thous-
and dollars is not q small sum for
even rich man to spend on tokens of
anection, and when those tokens are
lace paper and tinsel cupids. 1t seems
a lot more. But that is what James
Bigheart, Indian chief, and richest red
man in the country at the time, spent
Tor valentines while he was in Wash
1ngton in connection with allotmentS
OF his peoples land. He was a pic
turesque and interesting man himself,
and his ready spending naturally at
tracted attention. He sent the valen-
tines to members of his tribe and to all
the prominent statesmen whom he had
met in connection with his mission.
or course. the trade Were all interest
ed in his order. both because of it's
size and because he was an Indian. I
recalled the incident when I read of
his death the other day. But when 1
read that the property he had left was
estimated at 100000, decided that
a $4,000 order did not mean SO much
to him.
James Bigheart. reputed to be the
richest red man in the land. died at his
home near Bigheart, in the Usage ma
ton. January 20. During his long life
of sixty seven years he did more than
make large purchase of valentines.
He was thrice elected chief of his peo-
pie, he fought in several battles of tn q
Civil war, he represented his people in
their conferences with the white men
at Washington, and he amassed a
large fortune, consisting mainly of oil
lands. The Usage Indians are the
richest in the country and he was the
richest of the Osages. Their .reserva-
ton in northeastern Oklahoma con-
sists of 1,470,058 acres. Divided among
tn EN- this would give to each farm OF
1000 acres. This reservation was pur-
chased from the Cherokees under the
received from the sale of Usage lands
in Kansas, where they had lived until
they moved to Oklahoma in 1871. The
government, holding money belonging
to them, has paid to each member of
the tribe an annuity of 5000 apiece, SO
that a family often has had, besides
it's interests in the land. an income of
$4,000. Their farms they rented to
white men, thus increasing their in
comes and their fastening decline.
George w. Dorsey of the Chicago uni
versity who has written of them. says
that their wealth making it possible
for them to pass their days In idle
ness, drinking, and gambling, has con-
tributed to their degeneracy.
To be three times a chief Of the
Osages was in itself proof that James
Bigheart was an exceptional man
among his own people, as 1t is an cleo
tive office, to which any one who is
twenty-one years of age is eligible.
Osages consisted of one principal
chief, called governor and fourteen
councilmen, elected by the tribe. to
make laws by which its members are
governed. The term of office was two
years, hence Bigheart was chief six
years, A court of Indian officers con-
sisted of chief justice, two associate
justices. q clerk, and hve sherins. one
for each of the five districts of the
reservation. The sheriffs tried all
court for the settlement of estates and
other matters. = Chicago Record
Herald.
One on the Teacher.
A small boy started something over
at his school on the West Side not long
ago.
aHow's it come Chagrin Falls has all
dried up?'' he inquired of the teacher
in geography class one day.
The teacher denied that the falls had
dried up. All the other pupils declared
that he was wrong
The boy insisted that he was right.
He stuck to his assertion so stoutly
that the teacher got considerably pro-
yoked at him. "That'll be enough, now,
James" she said. Eff you can bring
in any proof Of what you have to say,
we shall be glad to see it, but we will
drop the discussion for the present"
The next morning the boy walked In
and laid a newspaper clipping on the
teachers desk 1t was an account OF
an election at sChagrin Falls and was
headed. "Chagrin Falls Goes Dry
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
POINTED PARAGRAPHS.