Smyrna times., 1933-10-11
LOOK FOR END
OF HARD TIMES
Indians i'm Oklahoma, Once
"Rich", Now Work on
State Roads
BELIEVE IN PRAYERS

Quapaw, Okla.-Prayers to the
Great Spirit of the Happy Hunting
Grounds-do they get results when
delivered by tribal medicine chief
taIns? Older Indians will tell you
yes.
Prayers to the Great White Fa-
ther at Washington-do they bring
results when sent by the younger
members of the tribe? Most GER
tainly they do.
Quapaw Indians, living on their
reservation here, are much divided
over the prayer problem. These In
dians have been In mess of finan-
cial trouble, and still are. The old
er Indians prayed to the Great Spi-
rit while the young men took up
the matter with Franklin d. Roose-
velt.
They asked for an increase in the
price of lead and zinc and for a
reopening of the mines on their al
lotments. Now relief has arrived
and the Indians are rejoicing. Which
of the two chiefs actually Is to be
given credit for the aforesaid relief
Is a disconcerting situation over on
the Devils promenade, where they
are making ready for the annual
stomp dance.
Hit Them Hard.
Here's just how bad things have
been with the Indians:
A prominent young Quapaw play
boy has been reduced to riding in
very small motor cars and former
wealthy Indian woman has had to
forget custom of giving birthday
dinners about three or four times
year to several hundred relatives
and friends. The price of liquor
due to the inability of the redskins
to pay more, has come down $3.50
gallon. The price of a divorce to a
white woman from an Indian man
is now next to nothing, whereas a
few years ago almost any old In
dian was worth $4,000 in the ali
mony racket.
While the Indian spenders used
to be the petted ones of Picher and
Miami society, now they are being
thrown into jail for law violations.
Only a few days ago Quapaw
speeder was placed in the Miami
Jail because he ran into a dump cart
load of chat and upset it on the
highway and went about his fast
driving. A few years ago he could
have paid off and upset another
load of chat.
On the Devils promenade a crew
of men is working on a public high
way and about half Of them are In
dams. A few years ago when the
mines were all running and the Qua
paws were drawing royalty checks
every thirty days they could not be
induced TO labor. Now they are
compelled TO shovel gravel for -four
and meat
The Quapaws own about 1000
acres IN the heart of the Picher
lead and zinc fields. They have been
paid over 100000 in mine royal
ties and about 100000 is held in
reserve and doled out in small sums.
Some of the Indians do not receive
any dole at all as their mining land
has been turned over to them, with
out supervision by the White Fa-
ther at Washington. These are the
young redskins who appealed for re
lief.
Poor at the Start.
When the Quapaws first came TO
Oklahoma and settled on the reser-
walton they were painfully poor. In
1924 ore was found and since then
several million dollars have been
thrown away carelessly. No one
can say the Indians have not done
a good job of spending. The $685.
900 homes in the clearing, pink por-
celain bathtubs, walnut radio cases,
thick rugs, plate glass mirrors, and
solid silver table services. to say
nothing of dozens of $1,000 motor
cars. tell tales of former hilarious
But good times will come again
to the Quapaws, for their lands are
not denuded by any means of lead
and zinc. Prices of ore have risen
in the last few weeks,
so the Indians are not so deeply
bowed in grief they cannot see a
in the sky. Most of them
give the White Father at Washing