Bisbee daily review., 1908-05-31
THE K|CKAPOOS LATE COUNCIL
 NEAR DOUGLAS
George B. Wilcox, Clerk of Dis
 trict Court of Tombstone, Talks Interestingly of Pro- ceedings at Slaughter Ranch

| NSCuiiiYo Qt SiouSiilCt toitSit
 George B. Wilcox, clerk of the dis
 trtct court of Cochise county gives | an interesting account of the council 1 of the Oklahoma and Mexican Kick
 apoo Indians at Slauglters ranch re
 gently. The object of the council was
 to vote on the manner O. accepting
 gift of $2l5,000 provided by a recent
 act of congress in lieu Of lands which
 had been allotted to the Indians long
 before but which had not been taken.
 This sum was to absolva the oyern-
 ment from any further obligations to
 the tribe
 The Mexican Kickapoos had settled
 il that country some six or eight
 years before. There were about sev- enty-three of the allottees among them and about eightyfour of the
 Oklahoma Indians. The act provided
 that all of tho Indians should be
 brought together to vote and those . who had charge of the affair sue ceeded in collecting all of the orIgInai
 allottees but four. They had died and
 were without heirs.
 The bill also provided that the
 meeting should take place within tae ] jurisdiction or the nearest United States judge to the line and that brought the meeting within the scope Cf Judge DO2n, who had also 70 us 1 Eresent with his clerk. Others re Cuired to be present were Major , O'Laughlin, representing the Indian
 office; Agent Thackery of the Okla
 homa Kickapoos and Agent Bently of the Mexican Indians. Col Scott. su- perintendent of the United States ] military academy, was there as the personal representative of Presidenr Roosevelt.
 The Oklahoma Indians came. to Douglas in three cars and it was ] thought that the meeting would take place in the corporate limits of the city, but the Mexican Indians could
 not be enthused over the prospect Of receiving so much money and refused to go farther than to the international line. It was with difficulty that Agent BentIy succeeded in bringing them that far.
 MT. Wilcox says there was a mark ed difference between the OklahO- mans and the Mexicans. especially among those of the younger genera ! tion- Most of the children of the I former had been at school and had learned something of the manners | and customs of the whites. All or Ipe s OklahOnans, old and young. wore the ] American dress while the Mexicans 1 were clad in their ancient costume. S The effect of the American educl- E tion on the Indian was strikingIy s and almost painfully illustrated in s one instance. Among the Oklahoma l Indians was girl who had been at I Carlisle for eight years. After she had been sent to Carlisle her mother e had joined the KickapoOs who emt S 0rared to Mexico. So they met OH l ESlaughter's ranch for the first time after their separation. The meeting was most affecting one and was made more so by reason of the fact that the girl had wholly forgotten the Indian tongue and the mother had never learned English. Their con- versation was carried on through an interpreted. Tears ran down the s cheeks of the mother and the girl ! could control her own feeling \ only by sayagely biting her handker. S chief
 MT. Wilcox saw a group of the ! Oklahoma girls talking alc the while Ia young Indian beau was euJeavnr1ng to attract their attention by facetious B remarks. He was evidently a "Smalt i ! ~AS~AA- AASA2Ay OAC VI NA4t SiIl0 sGuelched him by turning to him. Say l ing: "Oh, go way; you butt in so cheap"
 There was great difficulty in lining the Indians up for vote. It was impos- sible for Major OLaughlin and the l agents to get a count. MT. Wilcox ' suggested to Col. Scott the advantage i of getting the Indian to line up, they l could not understand what he meant. ! At length Col Scott took a hand. 2 Col. Scott is said to know more about the Indian sign language than any T other man living. As soon as he be- gan making signs, Indians sitting a ] quarter of a mile away began to take 2 notice. They laughed and began to I feel at home. They engaged the col | onel in long conversations and in a I short time they were in line and tha j count completed.
 \ After the council was over the ' Oklahomans returned, taking three or \ four of the Mexican Indians with T them, while a very few of the Okla | homans decided to cast their fortunes \ with their Mexican brethren. The ! money will be divided between the ! two branches in the ratio of 73 to T IS4. Nearly all of the Oklahomans I own land, but it Is heavily mortgaged | Agent Thackery will receive the s money for them, pay off the mort ] gages and put the balance in banks ' for them.
 S There has already been purchased T Efur the Mexican Indians large tract ! of land. Agent Bentley will buy for
 them an adjoining hunting reserva 8 ton and invest the rest of the money ! in Mexican bonds, the interest on s which will equal the taxes on the . land, so that the Indians will have | nothing to worry about