The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-01-05
GAbE PARKER
TAKES CHARGE
IN MUSK0GEE
ASSUMES DUTIES OF SUPERIk
TENDEkT OF FIVE CIVILIZED
TRIBES, AND OUTLINES DE-
PARTMENT POLICIES.

best | can in the interest of the iy,
civilized tribes and the people of Okla
homa" This was the statement giyeI
out Monday by Gabe h. Parker, su
when he assumed charge of the of
fees here.
A great flood OF business was await
ing the coming of the new superinten
dent All day the agency officials
called to pay their respects to Mr.
Parker; piles Of official letters, per.
sonal letters and congratulatory let.
ters awaited his attention.
According to the act OF August /,
1914, the superintendent for the five
civilized tribes will exercise the
authority and perform the duties of
the former commissioner to the Five
| Civilized Tribes and the superintend-
| ent Of the union agency of MuskOgee.
He is allowed $4,000 for the ex-
penses of the administration and the
| compensation of employees.
The act gives him authority to re-
| organize the department and to elimi-
nate all unnecessary clerks, subject
to the approval of the secretary of
the interior.
The fact that all OF the clerks now
in the employ OF the agency are un-
der civil service and the fact that any
new clerks have to be employed with
the approval of the secretary of the
interior" make it almost certain that
there will be few Jobs" for office
hunters.
Il attribute my appointment to the
splendid work which Commissioner
Sells has done to help the Indians"
said Mr.. Parker. II think it is his
method of expression of confidence in
the Indian people generally. | will
make every effort to encourage our In
dian people in the right direction"
There were great many appli
cantS for positions Monday. most of
them being made by mail The few
who called at the office were told to
make their request by mail and pre-
pare to take the civil service examina-
ton. If any pass the examinations.
they will be compelled to wait until
there are vacancies before getting a
position with the agency.
Mr.. Parker was born at Fort Tow |
son, Okla, September 10, 1873. His |
father was John Clay Parker, and his |
mother Eliza +. Willis one-quarter .
Choctaw Indian His parents we're
from Boyle county, Ky.
He was educated in the Choctaw tri- .
bal schools He graduated from Spen-,
Ger academy, in Choctaw county, and
came to Muskogee where he attended
Kendall college. He graduated from
Kendall in June, 1899, and the next
fall returned to Spencer academy,
where he became teacher After
three months he was promoted to be
principal.
The next year he went to the Arm
trong academy In Bryan county as
In 1904 he became super
of that school and remain
ed in that position until October |,
1913, when he received the appoint
ment of register to the United States
treasury.
He was IA member of the state con ;
stitutional convention and for one {
year was president of the Indian Terri ,
tory Teachers association. {
In the constitutional convention he
was chairman of the committee on the |
great seal and together with A. Grant Y
Evans, then president of Kendall col f
ege he designed the seal which was Z
accepted as the great seal Of the state. q
lie was also a member of the commit $
ee on education and taxation. and :
'ther committees "
uelc IL one pOSlJlOn AT tne agency
which Mr.. Parker has the power of t,
illing. that of confidential clerk He Il
aid yesterday that he had not decid-
ID on who this one should be. r. s. b
late held that position under Mr.. Kel- t,
ey's administration. 1t was report b
d at the Indian offices Sunday that s.
George Wright, who spent the holi- d
ays in Chicago left Sunday for Wash
lgton to confer with Commissioner
ellis and Secretary Lane
Mr.. Kelsey took possession of a desk al
l Mr.. Parker's office Sunday where a
e will remain for a few days until ei
g has acquainted his successor with p'
he duties of the office. Mr.. Kelsey de- is
lined to make any further statement fC
it'll reference to the duties of his of
ce as special supervisor" or the
llary attached with the position. Mr.