The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-01-23
WHEELING rsTEI11aENcER
I0, THE RICH indian
Usage Oil Gas Magnae Say the Lord Has Been Good to Them
and Happily Enjoy the Bountes of Kind Providence
BY REV. CARL E. GRAMMER, S. I. D.
President The Indian Rights Association.
,Sident, The Indian Rights ASSOCIATION.

money and are deriving their support
largely from the charity Of their more
prudent neighbors.
The really wealthy Osages, who
bought their land from the Cherokees
with the proceeds from the sale Of
their former reservation in Kansas, &C.
uuired ground which, during the past
is years, has proved Of enormous
value. Included among the two thou
sand Osages were many half breeds
and pure whites possessing full tribal
rights. This shrewd element set
their faces sternly against sale OF the
surplus tribal land; they would acqui-
esce only in lease on royalty of the
oil and gas wells. which are among
the richest in Oklahoma. Due direct
/ " TO this wise conservation, approx
mately 100000 is paid out every three
months TO the 2,195 persons in the
Usage tribe. an income for every man,
woman and child of $1,000 per year in
cash. This is in addition to the reve-
nues derived from the individual hold.
ings of $50 acres. for which the aver
age rental is s400 annually. If fami-
" number only four people. the yearly
income of III elfttle group Is well over
$4,000.
Fortune, however. has been as tickle
here as she is traditionally known TO
be. While none Of the Osages Is poor,
there have been numerous Instances
where holdings, which looked least
promising Of any return, have proved
enormously profitable by reason OF
their unexpected oil production.
The chief concern the American
neople have here is with the effect Of
large and assured wealth upon the
Indians. Notwithstanding the evil in
fluences which still have access to
them, there is no more law-abiding
class of citizens than the full blood
Osages. There are IS persons who
may be classed as drunken incompe'
tents. The full bloods, as rule,
decline to work. saying that, since
God has been pleased with them and
given them plenty, they are under no
necessity of toll. Mark Twain pointed
ont the fact that white people, in sim
liar circumstances, wouldn't Work
either. Many of these wealthy Osages,
living In commodious dwellings, en-
pIoy whites rs domestic servants;
and not a few, notably among the
mixed bloods, are engaged in business
ENTERPRISES. 1t Is a peaceful, wealthy,
happy community, with less Of dissi-
patton and. immortality than might be
looked for in a white community SIM
'ilarly circumstanced and as often
tempted.
A factor OF Importance for the
future is the manner in which the
wealth of the Usage hearesses attracts
white suitorS The difficulties In the
way of acquiring tribal rights by mar
riage with an Indian woman have been
greatly and wisely increased: for,
ever since 1897, marriage has not con
ferred legal membership in any Indian
tribe in the United States. But mar
rage can be used, and has been used,
as means towards legal adoption
into a tribe. 1t is, however, of infre.
quent occurrence. A rich wife and
children legally qualified as heirs TO
her wealth are inducements so potent
that, whenever the Indians OF any
community are assured of considerable
fortune. intermarriage with whites
promises to afford one solution Of the
Indian problem.