Show THE OSAGE INDIANS by courtesy of elder andrew kimball we are enabled to present the following extract from a letter from elder J W ashton now laboring in indian territory 4 brothers hill and myself are in the osage country we have offered our humble petitions to god that he would open the way that an inroad m might 1 lit be made among this branch 0 of the remnants of israel success has crowned our efforts thus far we are about forty miles from where we crossed the line and bade adieu to cherokee soil ou on the main road from that land we were received very kindly by the usages in their respective localities the ones referred to are wealthy well educated and an in looking people the osage agency was reached today their payment day has just passed the chiefs seventeen in number have returned to their homes the head chief eu chesta wah ti anka had just left as we entered the agency or somewhere about that time in the eveni evening I 1 we visited the U 8 agent M mr r amith I smith mith at his elegant home situated on a hill some yards north of the business part of the town we found him to be a very intelligent gentleman and he received us cordially and granted us the privilege to preach the gospel go among the people and labor with them so long as we kept within the law it is our intention on the morrow to travel some 35 miles to visit the head chief and also to visit all the chiefs it is in our power to meet we have seen some of the blanket indians as they are called here and the impression made upon our minds is that they are a smart looking tribe clean in appearance wearing good clothing but of the same pattern as that which is worn by the red men of utah they are rich people as they thew draw a fraction over 40 per head bead from the agent every three months the infant three months old is entitled to this sum there are about 1600 1500 souls all told perhaps there are families it is singular but nevertheless true that they numbered souls some fifteen years ago and have since decreased to that number the laws of this nation are in many respects different to those of the cherokee nation the white man ie a required to pay 12 a year for the privilege of living in the nation if he has not a right obtained by marrying an osage woman the marriage does not guar autee antee the payment of the annuity but the children of that union are entitled to it there is a feature connected with this money that is drawn four times a year that would inspire some people to have a numerous posterity as each receives the sum or per annum A couple with some ten or eleven children would have an income that should give them a fair living besides there is a good range for stock the soil is very productive the streams are filled with splenda splendid fish and wild game are plentiful these advantages surrounding the osage causes one to almost make the remark that they do not know how well they are off elder kimball also permits us to extract the following from a letter aletter written by elder J J hill companion to elder ashton we have just returned from our visit to the usages after leaving the agency we visited the chief eu cis ta wah tl an ka he received and treated us with great respect we had a good talk with him through an interpreter he seemed very much interested in what we had to say and said he be liked our talk we told him that it was our desire to come among his people and teach them the gospel in their houses and around their campfires camp fires in their gatherings and wherever we could get an opportunity he preferred to have the matter presented to the chiefs of the various bands seventeen in number in council before we proceeded farther he promised to get them together right away but being very busy watching their white servants put in their small patches of corn I 1 dont expect they will get together for a week or two we are satisfied it would have been to the advantage of the mission to have been present but circumstances would hardly permit us to remain there is a good impression made upon those visited and except for the interference of af the catholic priests the way will soon be opened for a good work in this nation the indians are am in their wild uncivilized condition wearing their blankets as is the custom in all tribes to do anything among them it will be necessary to learn the language as they cannot talk english and there are very few interpreters terp reters among them they are a wealthy tribe most of them have fine houses but they have no use for furniture they sit flat on the floor with their feet doubled under them the old chief had a good laugh at us because we could not dou double ble our legs up and sit down on them as they do when food Is ready they spread it inthe in the middle of the floor and all sit around that is all the male portion the women eat by themselves they are very badly scattered and were we to visit them in their houses it would necessitate a vast amount of travel but they dont live in their homes long at a time As won soon as they get a little corn planted and the grass gets big enough for their ponies meg to live on they gather together in bands and dance feast gamble etc the rest of the season they are catholics in name but are ignorant of what the catholics believe they have no one with them to teach them anything when they gather at the agency once in three months the priests talk to them in latin it is very seldom anything is said to them in a language langua je they can understand we do not consider that their being nominal catholics is necessarily a bar to doing a good work among them they are much bolder to meet and try to talk with the white man than the full bloods among the cherokees in fact they would sometimes call to us half a mile away and come running to ask what we wanted where we were going where we came from etc when they talk a word of english but had to do all by signs As before stated they are very badly scattered the most thinly settled portion of the cherokee country is 18 no comparison As ever your brother in the gospel J J HILL |