The Indian Chieftain. (Vinita, Indian Terr.), Vol. 16, No. 22, Ed. 1, Thursday, January 27, 1898 Page: 1 of 8
eight pages : ill. ; page 26 x 20 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
crr
)
INDIAN
CHIEFTAIN
'CHIEFTAIN PUBLISHING CO.
VINITA INDIAN TERRITORY THURSDAY JANUARY 27 1898.
VOL. XVI. NO 22
THE
feyjLTtBBBP
J
V
;
VINITA.
m urn
Review of its Early History and of
the Bustling City of Today. ..
Location Attributable to an Attempt at
Town Lot Speculation Tragic Incident
Illustrative of the Times Which
Have Given Place to Peace -
and Prosperity Views of
Public and Private
Buildings.
A generation ago or to be more
explicit ia the fall of 1SG9 there
might have been teen struggling
through the rank underbrush or
toiling through the tall prairie
grass a party of men locating a
route for a railroad along the line
now traversed bj t.ie Missouri
Kansas & Texas south of the Kan
sas line and headed southward to
ward Texas and the Gult It was
a fine autumn day in the early part
of October. The green and gold
and purple of the leaves of the tim
ber that scantily skirted the
streams made a pretty picture in
the soft hazy sunshine. The party
scrambled up the south bank of
Cabin creek and strolled leisurely
out onto the more elevated prairie
and Mruck ci'tip r rather cnue
Up with the wag-in ami the outfit
which had preceded them tho' by
a. circuitous route and had gone
into camp earlier in the afternoon
The gang ol men were under in
Hruitioiis to locate a station thirty
miles or thereabiiuts lrom the Ma e
Jint : and their record of chain
lengths told them that they had
ait iUt resetted ihe-J'lxCe. The fir
tuimnmbient lii?ef"-fi:iiTef""on tb
north and east following the un-
dulations of the stream and
stretching away to the southward
the long line of Indian summer
clouds that melted away before the
evening sunset.the magnificent ad-
jacent country all tended to fix
the conviction upon those intei-
ested that a finer location could
not be found for a station and by
and by a thriving town.
Such were some of the prelimin-
aries to the birth of Vir.ita but
the fates deemed it not wise to
"Ishhe town on the spot first
i'on by the advance agents
ffc-a' railroad. The t-utvrj'
Atlantic and P.tcific by mu-
-agreement crowed the"Katy"
ffhis point and everything ran
Vflg smoothly till the former
dhed was built to within a
Je and a half eat uf this present
o nsite. Then a very remark-
' jf'Me tning happened and the town-
site was removea ueiueen iwo
suns very much to the dis-gu-t
and even armed resistance of the
'Katy."
The elder E. 0. Boudinot Dr.
Poison Johnson Thompson and
Col. J. M. Bell arranged with the
Atlantic and Pacific people to turn
their line abandon the old survey
and cross the "Katy" where the
crossing now is. In the meantime
Boudinot and his friends fenced
something like two miles square
with posts and lumber and under-
took to "own"' the entire townsite
and more too. The Atlantic and
Pacific company came with camps
and baggage in the night-time
with the huge iron railroad cross-
ing loaded on a wagon and pro-
ceeded to place it across the track
of the other line. The "Katy"
people aroused and indignant
came with an armed force and tore
up the crossing and stood guard
day and night slowly dragging
trains back and forth to prevent
the other road from making head-
way. The courts were finally ap-
pealed to and an injunction grant-
e 1 and the road ptihsed westward
to the ciossing of Big Cabin.
Jioudinol's scheme to hold the
townsite did not succeed. His
fencing was torn down and de-
stroyed and the Cherokee author-
ities through the town commis-
8ioners surveyed and platted the
present townsite and named it
Downingville but Boudinot had -j
the satisfaction of giving it a name
which superceded Downingville
and from the stait was the popu
lar one and had the advantage of
the sanction of both railroads
Roudinot named the town Vinita
in honor of Vinnie Ream the
sculptre-s whom be had know"
and loved in Wa-h;ngton City
while an exile from his home and
people on account of hHpremature
notions as to allotment of Chero-
trao lnnn4 "
The towawf platted and the
first lots soWan' February 182.
Martin Thompson was the first
to bid on and purchase a lot in the
town. At first after the comjng
of the 'Frisco the town was built
principally of tents and board
shanties occupied for the mist
part by whisky peddlers and
toughs. Brawls and fights were
n ir1 s Mr" ir ia air"--g M
mimmmmm5S&
Photo by Fowler Vinita.
G. W. Franklin's Residence.
frequent and now and then a man
would be killed.
Many thrilling stories and inci
dents of this period of the town's
history could be related. An inci-
dent tragical enough is told of the
killing of two men early in the
seventies. A dissolute and reck-
less white man occupied a house
on the east :-id on the lot now
known a the Aunt Nancy Dain-
eron place He lived with a wo
man not his wife ami gnmbled and
peddled whi-ky lor a livelihood.
One dav two young Cherokees
went down to the house to get
whisky; the man from some un-
known cause refused to let them
have the liquor po-sibly the sup-
wa exhausted. At any rate
the Cherokees got into a row with
the man which ended in one of
the Indians getting bio- skull
crushed by a blow with a heavy
iron poker in the hand of the
white man. The other Indian left
and the body of the injured one lay
insensible all day in a coal shed
adjoining the house. Late in the
afternoon a brother of the wounded
Indian came into town and learn
ing of his brother's misfortune
went and moved him into the
house now standing immediately
east of the Presbyterian church.
Together with some friends he
then took the white man into cus
tody and kept him in the building
where the wounded brother lay m
a dying condition. About 4 o'clock
next morning the j-oung Cherokee
died. And just at the dawn of the
summer morning as the birds in
the dripping maple trees had be-
gun to chatter and the faint lazy
tinkle of cow-bells could be heard
amid the drowsy drumming of the
prairie chicken a man who still
claims Vinila as his home saw
the brother of the dead man march
the white man out into the back
yard and pushing him from him
with the muzzle of his Winchester
shoot him dead in his tracks.
Thus another act of the drama of
the "wild and wooly west" was
finished.
For ten years there was a slow
gradual growth. A lew hundred
people had settled here at the cross-
ing of the two railroads few town
lots had been sold and property
was not in demand at least the
kind of property embodied in a
townlot. ten years later nowever
the Frisco was pused westward
and the straggling little city ofdisplay6 as elaborate and artisticjor that the said lands and lene
Vinila became for the time being
the base of supplies and added
some hundreds to its population.
A steady though not rapid growth
set in then that has continued
to the present. In some portions
of the town thickly built and
populated now hay was cut in the
summer a fe.w years back but the
Cherokee nation sold all its lots
long ago.'.
Vinita like most smart towns
is ambitious of becoming a large
eit and there are few residents of
the place who do not confidently
expect at no distant day a town of
ten thousand or more population
It is the bom- of more of the
wealthy cla-s of Mockmen the
'barons" thaii any other place
in the leritory. The culture and
refinement that good circuin-tanc-e-
u-ually bring are n it wanting in
Vinita. In recent years a num-
ber of residents of the town have
ljuilt elegant new home- a few of
which are shown on thi- page and
others have added elaborate and
1
costly furniture-as their circum-
stances enable Uiem to indulge in
the luxuries of life in the city
Vsnita on account of its central
location in the heart of the great
prairie section of the Cherokee na-
tion fed by the finest and most
productive agricultural lands in
the whole Indian Territory and
owing to the splendid health of its
people its schools and colleges
and numerous other advantages
aide from the best business point
within a radim of one hundred
and fifty miles is becoming more
and more a cHy of beautiful homes.
i -
Indeed there is now f-pringing up
a perceptible rivalry among our
citizens as to who shall possess the
most attractive residence. While
it is distinctly an Indian town its
population consists very largely
of the mixed blood element the
thrifty energetic ambitious class
of Indian citiz-ns who know and
appreciate the very best ol every-
thing. M my of the best farm rs
and ranchmen of the nation have
looted here in order to educate
their children at the schools and
to enjoy the privileg'Sof church.
and of social
ortanii;
..l. the
c mditions
existence of
these
among those who are distinctly
Cherokee citizens has been the
means of attracting a large and
very desirable class of people from
the states who have located here
for businc-s and for the practice
of the various profession!'. The
town of Vinita is practically free
from the race prejudice so preva-
lent in some other town in the
Indian country. The establish-
ment of a United States court here
has wrought a mighty change in
the sentiment of the people
and has been the potent means of
breaking down whatever barriers
may have existed between the two
elements of citizenship. Side by
side upon the juries and on equal
recognition in all the relations of
American citizenship has been a
beneficial revelation to many of
the Indians and has dispelled
in a ueasure the imaginary
difierences that never did exist in
realty. Each year since the
first organization of the United
States court in the Indian Territo-
ry in 1S89 has witnessed increas-
ed jurisdiction and widening of its
scope and usefulness. Vinita
now has a fullfleged court running
in full blast and with possibly one
exception has the most extensive
business both civil and criminal
of any court in the territory.
Every line of business is repre-
sented by wide-awake enterpris-
ing business men who are certain-
ly above the average in financial
standing. Business failures have
been few and far between and not
often of great consequence. The
most of the business houses ol
Vinita as the pictures in these
columns disclose are modern style
brick structures commodious and
well arranged and with fine plate
glass fronts where may be seen
as in any city ten times larger.
Our merchants draw trade from
a large area of rich and very fer-
tile country. The constant stream
of wagons coming into town load-
ed with all manner of products of
the farm and the ranch and the
coal mines bespeak the character
of the town and its resources with
far greater force than any ordinary
pen can describe. The crowded
streets from morning till night j and speats volumes for the solven-
with every manner of people pass- ( cy of individuals .nd of cities.
Photo by Fouler Vinita.
J. O. Hall's
THE CURTIS BILL
omptc-
Formally introduced Jatrtwy 17th and
Referred to Indian Committee.
A Bill for the Protection of the Indian Terri-
tory Providing for the Laying out of
Towns the Leasing of Coal and
Other Mineral Timber farm-
ing and Grazing Lands
and for other Purposes.
Be it 'enacted bu tmWhW"mmkW'heiT by mim?r thitt
' . j e .
house of representatives of the Unit- the same after lawful or peacea-
cd Stales of America in congress as-1 ble entry are held unlawfully or
scmblcd That in all criminal pros
ecutions in the Indian Territory
against officials for embezzlement
briberj and embracery the word
"officer" when the same appears
in the criminal laws heretofore ex-
tended over and put in force in
said territory shall include all of-
ficers of the several tribes or na-
tions of Indians in saiu territory.
Sec. 2. That when in the pro-
BSSBp1 '
Photo by Fowler Vinita.
Dr. A. W. Foreman's Residence.
gress of any civil suit either in
law or equity pending in the Unit-
ed States court in an' district in
said territory it shall appear to
the court that the property of any
tribe is in any way affected by the
issues being heard said court is
hereby authorized and required to
make said tribe a party to said
suit by service upon the chief or
governor of the tribe. And the
suit shall thereafter be conducted
and determined as if said tribe had
been an original part to said ac-
tion. Sec. 3. That said courts are
hereby given jurisdiction in their
respective districts to try cases
against those who may unlawfully
enter upon lauds and tenements
and detain the same and also
those who having originally made
a lawful and peaceable entry upon
lands and tenements and unlaw-
fully and by force hold the same
beyond the legal period and also
those who claim to hold as mem-
bers of a tribe and whose member-
ship is denied by the tribe but
who continue to hold said lands
and tenements notwithstanding the
objection ol the tribe; and if it be
found upon trial that an unlawful
and forcible entry has been made
ing to and fro bent upon some
business errand tell plainly and
unmislpkably of an extraordinary
fine business town.
The merchants long ago adopt-
ed the universal cash system and
it prevails practically in every
business enterprise in the city.
Quick sales but small and sure
profits is the idea and is the
secret of many a man's success
Rcsiicncg.
IN ITS ENTIRETY
mil
...-
that the same are held unlawfully
against the tribe by those claiming
to be members thereof and the
membership and right is disallow-
ed by the court then said court
shall cause the parlies charged
with unlawfully holding said pos-
sessions to be removed from the
same and cause the lands and ten-
ements to be restored to the per-
son or persons or nation or tribe of
Indians entitled to the possession
of the same: Providcdahcays That
a person in possession of agricul-
tural lands holding the possession
thereof under an agreement lease
or improvement contract with
either of said nations or tribes or
an- citizen thereof executed prior
to January first eighteen hundred
and ninety eight may in defense
of said action show that he is and
has been in peaceable possession
of such lands and that he has
while in such possession made
lasting and valuable improve-
ments thereon and that he has
not enjoyed the possession thereof
a sufficient length of time to com-
pensate him for such improve-
ments. Thereupon the court or
jury trying said cause shall deter-
mine the fair and reasonable value
of such improvements and the
fair and reasonable rental value of
such lands for the time the same
shall have been occupied by such
person and if the improvements
exceed in value the amount of
rents with which such person
should be charged the court in its
judgment shall specify such time
as will in the opinion of the court
compensate such person for the
balance due and award him pos
session for such time unless the
XSSL t$?H it-' !2K?3aaaaMEMa95
amount be paid by claimant within
such reasonable time as the court
shall specify. If the finding be
that the amount of rents exceed
the value of the improvements
judgment shall be rendered against
the defendant for such sum for
which execution may issue.
Sec. 4. That before any action
by any tribe or person shall be
commenced under section three of
this act it shall be the duty of the
party bringing the same to notify
the adverse party to leave the
premises for the possession of
which the action is about to be
brought which notice shall be
served at least thirty days before
commencing the action by leaving
a written copj with the defendant
or it he can not be found by
leaving the same at his last known
place of residence or business with
any person occupying the premis
es over the age of twelve years or
if his residence or business address
can not be ascertained by leaving
the same with any person over
the age of twelve years upon the
premises sought to be recovered
and described in said notice ; and
if there be no person with whom
said notice can be left then by
posting same on the premises.
Sec. 5. That the summons shall
not issue in such action until the
chief or governor of the tribe or
person or persons bringing suit in
his own behalf shall have filed a
sworn complaint on behalf of the
tribe or himself with the court
which shall as near as practicable
describe the premises so entered
upon or detained and shall set
forth either an unlawful and forct-
k- HUKafMi
Photo by Fowler Vinita.
W. E. Halstll's
ble entry and detention oi an un-
lawful and forcible detention after
a peaceful entry or a detention
without the consent of the person
bringing said suit or the tribe by
one whose membership is denied
by it: Provided That if the chief
or governor refuse or fail to bring
suit in behalf of the tribe then
any member of the tribe may make
complaint and bring said suit.
Sec. 6. That the court in grant-
ing a continuance of any case par-
ticularly undtr section three may
in its discretion require the de-
fendant applying therefor to give
an undertaking to the adverse
party with good and sufficient
securities to be approved by the
judge of the court conditioned for
the payment of ?11 damages and
costs and defraying the rent which
may accrue if judgment be render
ed against him.
Sec. 7. That when a judgment
for restitution shall be entered
by the court the clerk shall at the
request of the plaintiff or his at-
tornay issue a writ of execution
thereon which shall command
the proper officer of the court to
cause the defendant or defendants
to be forthwith removed and
ejected from the premises and the
plaintiff given complete and un
disturbed possession ol the same.
The writ shall also command the
said o! ter to levy upon the prop
erty Ol the defendant or defendants
subject to execution and also col-
lect therefrom the costs of the
action and all accruintr costs in
the service ot the writ. Said writ
shall be executed within ten days.
The jurisdiction ol the said Fort
Smith for police purposes in the
state of Arkansas is hereby extend
ed over all that strip of land in
the Indian Territory lying and
being situate between the corpor-
ate limits of the said city of Fort
Smith and the Arkansas and Po-
teau rivers and extending up the
said Poteau river to the mouth of
Mill creek and all the laws and
ordinances of said city as far as
the same are applicable are here-
by put in force therein: Provided
That no charge or tax shall ever
be made or levied by said city
against said land or the tribe or
nation to whom it belongs.
Sec. S. That all acts for resti-
tution ejectment and possesion
of real property upder this act
must be commenced by the ser-
vice of a summons within two
years after the passage of this act for public improvements regard-
where the wrongful entry deten- less of tribal lines
tion and possession began prior Sec. 10. That when report of
to the date of its passage and all
actions which shall be commenced
hereafter based upon wrongful
entry detention and possession
committed since the passage of
this act must be commenced with
in two years after the cause of
action accrued. And nothing in
this act shall take away the right
to maintain an action for unlawful
and forcible entry and detainer
given by the act of congress passed
May second eighteen hundred and
ninety (twenty-sixth United Stales
statutes page ninety-five).
Sec 9. That when the roll of
citizenship of any one of said na-
tions or tribes is fully completed
as provided by law and the sur-
vey of the lands of said nation or
tribe is also completed the com-
mission heretofore appointed un
der acts of congress and known as
the "Dawes commission" shall
proceed to allot the exclusive
use and occupancy of the surface
of all the lands of scid nation or
tribe susceptible of allotment
among the citizens thereof as
shown by said roll giving to each
so far as possible his fair and
equal share thereof considering
the nature and fertility of the soil
location and value of same. All
valuable oil coal asphalt and
mineral deposits in the lands are
reserved to the several tribes
whether to be allotted or reserved
therefrom and all town sites shall
also be reserved to the several
tribes and be set apart as incapable
of division. There shall also be
W3i
Residence.
reserved from allotment a sufficient
amount of lands now occupied by
churches schools parsonages
charitable institutions and other
public buildings for their present
actual and necessary use and no
more not to exceed five acres for
each school and one acre for each
church and each parsonage and
for such new schools as may be
needed; also sufficient land for
buria! grounds where necessary.
When such allotment of the lands
of an tribe has been by them com-
pleted said commission shall make
full report thereof to the secretary
of the interior for his approval:
Provided That allotments herein
provided for shall not impair any
rights heretofore granted by con-
gress: Provided further That
whenever it shall appear that any
member of a tribe is in possession
of lands his allotment may be
made out of the lands in his pos-
session including his home if the
holder so desires; Provided fur-
ther That if the person to whom
an allotment shall have been made
shall be declared upon appeal as
herein provided for by any of the
courts of the United States in or
for the aforesaid territory to have
been illegally accorded rights of
citizenship and for thai or any
other reason declared to be not en-
titled to any allotment he shall be
ousted and ejected from said lands;
that all persons known as intrud-
er who have been paid for their
improvements under existing laws
and have not surrendered posses-
sion thereof who may be found un-
der the provisions of this act to be
entitled to citizenship shall with-
in ninety days thereafter refund
the amount SO paid them. With six
per centum interest to the tribe
entitled therelo; and upon their
failure so to do said amount shall
become a lien upon all improve-
ments owned by such person
in such territory and may be en-
forced by such tribe; and un-
less such person makes such
restitution no allotments shall
be made to him: Provided further
That the lands allotted shall be
nontransferable and shall be lia-
ble for no obligations contracted
by the allottee and shall be non-
taxable: Provided further That
all towns and cities incorporated
under the provisions of this act
are hereby 'authorized to secure
by condemnatio
or otherwise.
all the lands actually necessary j
allotments of lands of any tribe
shall be made to the secretary of
the inttrior as hereinbefore pro-
vided he shall make a record
thereof and when he shall
confirm such allotment the
allottees bhall remain in
(Continued from page'lTf
raoPESSI027I. CilliOS-
D
B. O. BAIliEY BELL
llootss 3 4 and 5.
Gray-IIatscll Building.
VINITA IN D.TER.
jVTRS. A. R. MILLS M. D.
Office at Masonic Building.
Diseases of Women and Children a
Specialty. an27 97
-R. A. M. OLINKSOALES
PHYSICIAN and SURGEON
VINITA. I. T.
Ofllce ap stairs In Raymond bnlldln ?. Betl-
Jence between the two churches at the Or.
Frazee place.
Piles and other Rectal troubles a specialty.
D-41
PORTNBR & BAQBT
PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS
VINITA C. N.
Office over First National Bank
(looms 12 and 3.
Cil-iS. W. Dat. D.D.S L. E. DAT. D.VJ3
DAY BROS..
DENTISTS-f
Gold crown and bridge work
A Specialty.
Office over First Kafl Bank. VINITA I. T.
PR. O. R. GRIFFITH
DEN $7l TIST
Rooms 14 and Hi Hill Building
JAR. W. W. BRYAN
RESIDENT DENTIST
U LAKESIOEK. lSD. 'i'KB
AUGUST SCHHECKER
Practical Watchmaker
Jewller asd Optician.
-
Fine and complicated watch repairing a
apt-cially With T A. Chandler beside
eostoffice. Vinita. I. T
"i P. MEREDITH. D V. S..
Veterinary Physician
Surgeon and Dentist.
Headquarters aC Coruatzer's stables
north side.Maiu street Vinita 1. T.
r W. O. DUNCAN
LAWYER.
Office upstairs third door nest from
corner of Hotel Cobb.
Will practice iu all Cherokee and
United States courts. ans;2G 97
TAME3 B. BUROKHALTER
Attorney and Cotjnselo r
Olllcc In new llalsell Building Vi-
nita Indian Territory-
Will practice in all courts of the
territory and C. S. courts generally.
1 UMAN F. PARKER. JR..
ATTORNEY AND COUN-
SELLOR AT LAW.
Vinita I. T.
OD. NEVILLE
. Attorney at law Notary Public
"Collect Bad Debts."
Oalce with J It. Turner Gray bnlldlnff
Vinita I. T.
P M. SMITH 10-1
ATTORNEY AT LAW
NOTARY PUBLIC LOAN BROKER
Special attention Riven lven to trial or snits.
Always ready to answer yo. r questions and
replr to your inquiries.
Office In Opera Bald'g VINITA. I. T.
QENNIS H. WILSON
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
Above Miller's
Furniture stoae. VINITA.I. T.
Meblltf
YY H. KORNEGAY
Attorney at Law
and Notary Public.
Office in new llalsell Bid's VINITA I.T
Will practice In all the United States Court.
Auk'J of the Indian Territory.
JOHN B. TURNER
LAWYER.
OrrosiTL roNTorncK Vimta. Iso Tkr.
Will practice in all the U.S. courts in the
Indian Trrritorv. the circuit rnnrt nr i .!.
at St. Lonls anil Hie ftnnrpm Mnrt nf ih.
0nIJata' Fourteen yeirs experience.
Horace Bradley. C. C.Well. 11. E.Bonatr.
BRADLEY WELLS
& BONNER.
LAWYERS.
WAGONER. - - INT. -iK.
Practice In all V S. and Tribal courts.
R. E Djcgelt. Esq . notary public incharfre
if offl.-e in absence of ilriu. General practice
rvWENTOKT FKAYSEK Jfc DUMBER
ATTORNE YS-AT-LA V
Offices In new llalsell bid's Yiiita.I.T.
Davenport A Hall lttornej-at-Lair
KcomsCAbankbld'R. Cuinoiom.I.T.
Practice In United States and Cherokee Court.
JONATHAN GORE
Att'y at Law Notary Public.
Particular attention paid to
collections.
References: First Xatmnnl Hunt
Vinita. Vimta National Bank.
PSStin5 Sm''. w
M
il
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Marrs, D. M. The Indian Chieftain. (Vinita, Indian Terr.), Vol. 16, No. 22, Ed. 1, Thursday, January 27, 1898, newspaper, January 27, 1898; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc71526/m1/1/: accessed March 29, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.