Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-04-22
Delegation of Tama Indians
Interview Governor and
Solicit His Aid
CLAIM AGAINST GOVERNMENT
Want Governor to Use Influence to Col
Iect $4,000 Alleged to Be Due
Claim Grows Out of Reservation
Transfers-Indans Excite Interest at
State Capital.
,ecial to Times Republican.


Des Moines, April 22-Five stalwart
bucks from the Tama Indian tribe
called on Governor Cummins in an ef-
fort to get him to secure for them the
100000 which they claim is somewhere
on deposit for them in Washington, u.
c., and with which they desire to pur-
chase $4,000 more land and make $10,-
600 worth of improvements thereon.
Annually the Tama Indians nave
been coming to Des Moines to see the
governor of Iowa. They have kept
this up for many years, starting IN
long before Governor Cummins en-
tered the office Annually, too, they
have gone to Washington. In a vague
sort of way it has been understood
by the public t..at they had some hall
ucination about their lands in Tama
county. They have always spoken thru
an interpreter and the result has been
some misunderstanding.
On the trip to Des Moines this week
some of these misunderstanding nave
been Strengthened out and the Indians
went back to their lands in Tama
county fairly contented that every
thing is all right. In the meantime
Attorney General H. w. Byers on dl-
rections of Governor Cummins, Is FIX
ing up some papers for them and Gov
ernor Cummins has started an inves-
tigation down at Washington in an et-
fort to find the $4,000 which they
claim is there.
When the Tama Indians came to
Iowa the consent of the Iowa legtsla-
ture and of congress was necessary.
They belonged to the Sacs and Foxes
that were on reservation somewhere
down in Kansas, having been taken
there from Iowa. which was their or
iginal hunting grounds. The crowd
of them that came back to Iowa de-
sired to settle down and adopt the
ways of civilization and after some
negotiations were allowed to come back
to Iowa and settle on land which was
purchased for them out Of money be-
longing to them but held by the gov
ernment. At first both the state OF
Iowa and the government were guar
dians of the Indians. Some of their
land was in the name Of the governor
of Iowa as trustee and some IN the
name of the secretary of the interior at
Washington as trustee. This double
relationship bothered the Indians and
finally bills were put thru the Iowa
legislature and thru congress as we'll.
providing and authorizing the governor
of Iowa to deed what was held in trust
by him to the secretary of the interior
so that it would all be held under one
trusteeship
This was during the administration
of Governor Shaw but for some reason
Governor Shaw did not see fit to make
the transfer and Governor Cummins
did not know of the matter till within the
last twelve months. He had Attorney
General Byers look the matter up and
the matter was nearly completed when
the delegation of Tama Indians came
to Des Moines Monday to see the gov
ernor.
The five Indians who called upon
the governor were giants physically
They displayed considerable degree
of intelligence but they did not know
of these laws authorizing the transfer
of the governors trust to the secretary
of the interior. When the interpreter
explained the matter to them at first
they gathered the idea that this meant
that they were to be expelled from
their Tama county lands. This was
finally satisfactorily explained thru the
interpreter and now the only thing re-
manning is the 100000 which they claim
is on deposit somewhere in Washing
ton. They claimed to the governor
that they have repeatedly endeavored
to get the government agent who is
stationed with them to make an in
vestigation as to the 100000 but that
he has never shown any interest IN
the matter The Tamas are fairly we'll
civilized, and desire more land to culti-
vate or hunt rabbits on or something,
and the $4,000 would buy them quar-
ter section or more, and the $4,000
additional would make extensive i'm
provements. At any rate Governor
Cummins promised them he would
make an investigation to ascertain
whether or not they have the money
and whether or not it is available for
their use.
Des Moines has had its second an
nual egg rolling contest on the capitol
grounds in imitation of the ceremony
the president of the United States
annually pulls off in Washington on
the Monday following Easter. If the
president has the same difficulties that
Des Moines does he has task on his
hands of no mean proportions and
nine-tenths of the little girls and boys
in Washington are mad at him because
they didn't get prize.
The Iowa ceremony was inaugurated
by an evening newspaper of Des
Moines which thought to add little
interest and spice to life in the capital
of the state When the ceremony was
pulled off Monday of this week there