The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-01-23
BY BRUCE CATION

Pawhusks, Okla, Jan. 23.-This is
q story about the only town in the
United States where every man is in
dependently wealthy; where there is
no poverty, no charity, no want:
where every house is furnished with
just exactly the things that the own
CIR wants to have.
That town is >the Indian village on
the outskirts of Pawhuska, capital Of
Usage county and headQuarters Of
the Usage. nation. richest people on
earth.
THE Indian village ten years ago
was . place of tents and huts. It's
streets were little more than muddy
lanes; its inhabitants eked out q
rather scAnty living as best they
Then the fabulous Ossge oil wells
began to flow. Money poured into
the tribal Golfers, to be divided equal
~ among the members. And the In
dian village became village Of COM
Portable homes. paved streets, mod
,ern imhroy@ments--and automobiles.
Nobody Works
No one works in the Indian village
mp one. thht is, except the white
;esSsnss ;ess. y, xAe ere Atred by the wealthy
"The1Indians don't like to work."
adu,its J. George Wright, U. S. agent
for the Oeage reservation.
"What they do to fill in the
time, theht' ke was asked.
"Driye Spto1bobiles, mostly" he
says with I grin.
He's right. You will see more high
priced automobiles in the little Indian
village than in any ordinary town Of
five times its size. Pierce-Arrows,
Csdillacs, Packards, Marmons and
Rolls. s.Royces; these are the cars IA
vored by the noble red man. The
automobile is his great hobby. And.
considering that each Usage draws
nearly $4,000 q year, why not?
Rowhuska, the white mans town.
has felt the effect, too. There arc
as many automobile salcsroOms here
as there are in Oklahoma City. One
Of the salesm9n tells story to illus
trste the vagaries Of the leisure class
of Usage county.
Wented An Open Car
IAN indian came In recently and
bought = big sedan" the salesman
says. 1T cost him about $4,000 and
he paid cash. Four days later he
came in and wanted his money back.
Said he didn't like the car.
II told him T couldn't give all his
money back, IS he had used the ma
chine, Ndt / said Id credit him with
= good sum If he wanted any other
car I had. So he pointed to = touring
car, that came about 5000 cheaper,
and said: ! want that
ut was bargain all right, and l
made the swap. Then ] asked him
why he preferred the open car to the
sedan.
".Wcll. you see.' he said, 4 can't
spit In this closed car"
Twice yesrly the Indian village is
|erlivesed By gaudy ceremonial dances
when Indians Of neighboring tribes
are jnvited in and great rows Of bar
6ecue fires light up the night: Then
the njeRs and women mingle in the
"stomp dance 4 weird parade to the
tune Of touy.torns. The dance has mo
religious siknifice9es. though i
Wear G1pdy Blankets !
Most Of the Indiahs 60 clad in
Unable. These blanksts, however. are
JIVb NV WOVOu AWVl4u OAUWAVto ~ AVA.
mer days. Far from It. They were
woven on the looms Of Pawtucket
and Fall River, and they sell in the
stores here for prices ranging from
3l35 on rp. The red man pays with
out whimper.
Some Of the men affect the white
mans clothing, but very few Of the
women do. The Osage women ostra-
cixe any Indian woman who. does not
ordinarily dress in the tribal cos
tune.
All Of which means much money to
the merchants Of Pawhuska. Az =
district ID mcrs spbstantial iookine
than similsr districts in Guthrie and
Ponca City, for instance, though these
Two cities are ntarly three times
Pavhuska's size.
Pawhuska would be only 4 shell
without the IAdiims--and Pawhusks
knows II. lConse4ps entity. Pawhuska'
il very fond q ~ upper class. 4