Oklahoma News Items I ^ ^L WAVE
WEALTHY RAWS
Each Indian Will Kecelve $ I OOO In Money
• ml 413 Acres of l.nitd
Pawhuska: "The work of sogregat-
'nK the Kaw Indian lands and dividing
the funds is necessarily slow," said
Major O. A. Mitscher, United States In-
dian agent in discussing the matter.
"All details relating to the filial rules of
the tribe, upon which the division is
based, must pass the closest scrutiny of
tho interior department, and must be
right. The bill passed by congress and
approved July 1, 1902, providing for the
dissolution of tribal relations, accepted
the roll of tho Kaw tribe, of December
1, 1901, which includes all children of
parents legally on tho roll on December
1, 1901. Any child born after December
1, 1902, has no share or part in the tribal
lands or moneys.
"Several questions relating to children
born prior to December 1, 1901, have
arisen, however, and will require adjust-
ment before such children can be enroll-
ed. lor instunce, Oliver Thompson, an
Indian boy, was legally married after
the birth of his child. Thompson, being
a fullblood, elicited the sympathy of his
fullblood brethren, and they asked that
his child be enrolled as a member of the
tribe and mado a participant in tribal
properties. Irregular questions of this
kind aro referred to the Indian office
and the secretary of the interior for final
determination. After the tribal roll is
finished, it must be approved by the sec-
retary, and no division of property can
be made till such approval is given.
"There will be about 242 names in the
final Kaw roll, which will give 413 acres
of land and $1000 in monoy to each en-
rolled member of the tribe. Of the 242
members on tho roll, about twenty five
aro dead, and the property of those will
be inherited by their next of kin, as pro-
vided under the Oklahoma statutes. Tho
laud will be divided in acres by a com-
mission consisting of the Osage Indian
agent, the clerk in charge of the Kaw
tribe, and three persons selected by the
Kaw council in conference with the
agent and the clerk. This routine will
consume much time. The final awards
can hardly be made and approved and
the deeds issued before next fall. Tho
lands are all tribal property till deeds
*re issued to individuals."
BRAKEMAN KILLED
Joe Robert* Was Struck by a Car and
Hl« Head Severed from llis Body
Guthrie: Joe Roberts, a brakeman,
^as run over aud killed by a train here.
The wheels passed over his head, caus
ing instant death. The special train
was being mado up for tho fire depart-
ment to go to Oklahoma City, and Rob-
erts was operating a switch. While
>vaiting for a car to pass on tho main
line Roberts stood on the sidetrack close
to the junction of the rails, expecting
to step in and throw the switch behind
tho cars after they had passed. Instead
of taking the line expected, however,
the cars took the track upon which Rob-
erts was standing, which indicates that
he had probably forgotten to throw tho
switch as he had intended, and struck
him from behind. He was knocked
down on the track and the wheels
passed over him before anyone was
aware of the situation. The top of his
head was takon entirely off.
JENKINS AS WITNESS
The Kx-Governor Summoned to Appear
Before Sanitarium Investigation
Guthrie: Ex-Governor Jenkins, it is
stated, has been summoned as a witness
in the investigation of the sanitarium at
iSorman by a joint committee from the
legislature. Jenkins was removed from
office by President Roosevelt because of
a deal which originated in this sanitar-
ium, so it is said, and his testimony will
therefore bo interesting. The committee
1 inquire into tho charge that the
•tock of the sanitarium company was
to°$60 too ^ "wateriug" from 125,too
ABLE TO BEAR ARMS
There Are 10,000,000 Who Can Become
Soldiers
Washington: Thero are 10,853,396
men of the rt quisite ago aud physically
fitted to bear arms in defense of the
United States. These available fighters
are outside of the regular army estab-
lishment and the militia organizations
of the several states and territories.
1 his information was laid before con
gross recently by Adjutant General Cor
bin. Tho number of men allied with
military organizations is 118,259. Gen-
eral Corbin's report makes no statement
other than the giving of tables showing
the militia strength and the unorganized
strength of the various states and terri-
tories.
lhe organized men available for ser-
vice, classified under the several heads
of the service are: Engineers, 1,045;
calvary, 4,951; artillery (heavy), 2,828;
light batteries, 4,707; machine-gun bat-
teries, 92; infantry, 101,537; signal corps
831; and hospital corps, 1,206. This
table shows tho number of men organ-
ized under the militia and the numbei
unorganized but available for service,
lhe central west gives the following
proportion:
Militia Unorganized
State. Strength Strength
Missouri  2,739 390,000
Arkansas  1,(142 250,000
Illinois   e/jae 750,000
Indiana  2,278 500,000
Kansas   1,474 100,000
Nebraska  1,711 112,000
l'exas  2,989 400,000
Oklahoma—  803 60,000
Out of the 118,259 militiamen orgnn-
ized, the statement shows that 21,548
are commissioned officers. New York
leads with the greatest number of or
go.nized troops and the greatest numbei
of available for service. Pennsylvania
and Illinois follow in order.
* Thousand People in the South Sea
Island Swept Into the Ocean
TEMPEST CONTINUED FOR SEVERAL DAYS
OPPOSES OPENING OF LAND
Representative Burke Wants Govern
nient Reimbursed Before Opening
W asiiinqton: Thero will bo opposi
tion in the house to the bill introduced
by Representative Stephens of Texas,
providing for the sale of 505,000 acres
of grazing land in the Kiowa country,
the proceeds to be added to the trust
fund of tho Indians. A majority of the
committee on Indian affairs voted to re-
port the bill favorably, but there was
objection to it from Representative
Burke of South Dakota. Mr. Burke
recalled that the government had paid
one-half million dollars for the lands.
He insisted that the government be re-
imbursed to that amount and that the
balance of the proceeds from the sale be
divided among the Indians. Mr. Burke
will make a speech in opposition to the
bill when it comes up in the house.
OPEN MORE LAND
The Bill to Open the Big Pasture in
tho Kiowa Country Passes the House
Washington: Tho house committee
on Indian affairs authorized a favorable
report upon the bill to open to settle-
ment 505,000 acres of land in the Kio-
wa, Comanche and Apache Indian res-
ervations in Oklahoma.
Change in Oklahoman Prlntery
Oklahoma City: The Oklahoman
Publishing company lias been chartered
by the secretary of the territory and will
succeed the Oklahoman Printing Co,
in the publication of ti e Oklahoman
daily and weekly. The stockholder,
are R. E. Stafford, E. K. Gaylord, R.
M. McClintock and R. M. Efickinson
Mr. Stafford retaining a controlling in-
terest. Mr. Stafford will have the ed-
itorial management and Mr. Gaylord
the business management. The new
stockholders aro all experienced news-
paper men. Considerable new materiaj
including another linotype machine
will be added, and new aud more desir
able quarters will be obtained.
One Island with 1,800 People was AI
most Half Depopulated—A Steamei
Saves Four Hundred Lives—French
Government Sent War Ships to Kellel
f=an Francisco, Cal. ; More than
1,000 persons wore killed and more thi n
30 islands of the Society group in the
Southern Sea were devasted on Jan. IS
by a large tidal wave that swept across
the island-dotted sea. News of the dis
aster was brought on the steamer Mari
posa, direot from Tahiti.
The storm raged for several days, be-
iug most severe from January 14 to 16
On January 15 a tidal wave, accompan
ied by a teriffic hurricane, attacked tht
Society Islands i n I th Ta nio'u grouj
with feartul force, carrying death and
devastation for miles before its tower-
ing front.
As the news received at Tahiti up tc
the time of the sailing of the Mariposa
was meager, it is that full returns may
swell the death list. It is possible that
hundreds of bodies wore washed out tc
sea so that,they may never be accounted
for.
The Islanders who survive are desti-
tute of food, shelter and clothing.
Orops have been destroyed and death
threatens the survivors.
1 he first news of the disaster arrived
at Papeete, Tahiti on Jan. 26, by the
schooner Eimo. The captain of the
sc o iner placed t'le fatalities at 500 per-
sons.
lhe steamer Excelsior arrived at
Papeete tho following day with 400 des-
titute survivors. The captain of the
Excelsior estimated total loss of life at
800 persons.
These figures comprise only the death
on the three islands of Hao, Hikuera
and Makoltau, whose total population
is only 1,800. On Hikuera Island, wher>
1,000 inhabitants were engaged in peari
living, nearly one-half were drowned
On an adjacent island 100 more were
washed cut to sea.
^ Mnkokau and Hao are depopulated.
Conservative estimates at Tahiti place
the number of islands visited by the
tidal wave and hurricane at 80. All of
them are under the control of the
French governor at Tahiti.
The French governor upon receipt of
news of the disaster, took prompt meas-
ures to relieve the starving survivors.
The governor dispatched two warships,
the Durane and Zeelee. with fresli
water and provisions. The Italian man-
of-war, Calabria, accompanied the two
French vessels on their errand of mercy.
As the sup >ly of freshwater and pro-
visions was exhausted by the storm it is
feared that many lives will be lost be-
fore the relief ships arrive.
As far as is known eight white people
were among the drowned. Included in
these were Alexander Brander, N. P.
Plunkett of Oakland, Cal.; T. D. Don
nelly, formerly a fireman on the steam-
diip Australia, and tho local agent of
0. Ooppenrath. a merchant of Papeete.
Added to this number was a woman
who committed suicide from fright.
NEW LAND COMMISSIONER '
Ex-Goveiiior W. C, Richards of Wyora*
Inj Hua Succeeded Binger Hermann
Washington: Ex-Governor William
C. Richards of Wyoming has assumed
the duties of the land commissioner'*
office, succeeding Binger Hermann, re-*
signed. The change in the administra-
tion in this department will bo a weU
come one to western homestead inters
ests. As assistant land commissioner,
ex-Governor Richards conducted the
affairs of that office in a way which ap-
pealed to the west. There was no red
tape, and the persons who had business
with the department learned that it was
conducted on the theory that the people
and not the functionaries should receive
first consideration. It was because of
this policy that the president decided to
make the promotion.
Senators and representatives who had
business with the land office without ex-
ception indorse the business methods of
the new head of the land office. With
Judge Yandeventer of Wyoming as as-
sistant attorney general of the departt
ment, and another Wyoming man as
land commissioner, there might have
en grounds for a protest that th it e
was too much of a factor in the man«
agement of the interior department, but
the promotion of Judge Vandeventer to
a judgeship in the Eighth judicial cir-
cuit removed any possible objection on
this score. J. T. Macey, who has been
Governor Richards' secretary, will con-
tinue in the capacity of confidential sec-
retary. Mr. Macey accompanied Gov-
ernor Richards to the new country and
was his personal representative at the
opening for several months while the
details for the opening were arranging
at Anadarko and Fort Sill.
A NEW COMMISSIONER
Ex-Governor Stanley, ol Kansas, Named
for l'lace on Dawes Commission
Washington: Ex-Govcrnor W. E.
Stanley, of Wichita, Kas., will succeed
the late ex-Senator Dawes on the com-
mission to the five civilized tribes. The
office pays a salary of $5,000 a year.
The commission is expected to wind up
the affairs of the five civilized tribes,
and pave the way for either statehood
or a territorial form of government for
the Indian Territory.
The commission was the original cre-
ation of Mr. Dawes while a senator and
chairman of the committee on Indiaq
affairs. The committee was created in
1893, with five members, and since hag
been officially known as the Dawes
commission. Fully one million dollars
has been spent by the Dawes commis-
sion since its creation ten years ago.
For several years ex-Senator Dawes has
done little of the work of the commis-
sion. Governor Stanley is expected to
take an active part in the winding up
the allotment of the Indian land. Tarns
Bixby of Minnesota, has been acting
chairman of the commission for several
yeais, aud it is thought he will continue
as its chairman. Other members of tha
commission are C. R. Breckenridge of
Arkansas, and T. B. Needles of Illinois.
At tho last session of congress the
number of commissioners was reduced
from five to four. Treaties with each
of the five tribes already have been rati-
fied looking to the allotment of land.
The life of this commission is, therefore,
uncertain. It may last four years, but
the interior department is convinced it
could be wound up in two years by ag-
gressive work. The headquarters of the
commission are in Muskogee.
The new town of Parnell has insti-
tuted a Modern Woodman lodge witt
nineteen members.
Asher Becoming Metropolitan
Asher : This town is going ahead with
lubstantial improvements along munici-
pal lines. Work begins immediately
npon a system of fourteen foot side-
walks on main streets aud substantial
(Trade crossings. Also at the city coun-
cil meeting action has been taken, au-
thorizing the immediate installation of
a street lighting system. Outside parties
are now in the city arranging to put in
n local telephone system beginning with
thirty subscribers. Asher already has
two long distance t«'er>hone systems.
The South Canadiun river has been
bridged at Barrsfield ferry giving Em-
poria a market in the Chootaw natiom.
Woman Desperado Killed
Glthrie: A Moman known as
"China Dot," shot and killed by Wil-
liam Garland at Clifton, Ariz., January
28, has been identified here as "Tom"
King, a woman bandit, once with the
Henry Starr gang of desperadoes whq
infested Oklahoma and Indian Terri,
tory. She wore men's clothing when
she lived in this country. Her maiden
name was Flora B. Quick. Her father,
Daniel B. Quick, was a wealthy farmer
near Holden, Mo. It is alleged thai
the woman took part in tho Santa Fa
train robbery at Red Fork suveral
years ago. Afterward she was arrested
at Minco, I. T., for horse stealing, but
bioke jail at El Reno and was never
heard of again in Oklahoma.