MAY 15, 1913 



313 



,^^.i^^^' 



Tj. K. Thopii's ayiinry in aiiple-hlossom time. 



jifowii ill a laiye porliuu of tlie State; anl 

 cotton is an important honey-plant. It 

 works in very nicely with alfalfa ; and Avhile 

 the honey is not the best, it is very much 

 better in color and flavor than has been 

 commonly supposed. Professor Sanborn, 

 before mentioned, has discovered that cot- 

 ton yields not only honey but honey-dew. 

 But I will not say more about this, because 

 he has made some discoveries that he will 

 make public later on. Permit me to say 

 that Professor Sanborn, Entomologist of 

 the State, is one of the most progressive 

 men in his profession. He is a beekeeper 

 by birth ancl training, and an entomologist. 

 He is doing every thing he can to foster the 

 general bee business Avithin the State. He 

 has a small State apiary for demonstration 

 purposes, and apiculture is one of the 

 courses taught at the institution. 



THE INDIAN QUESTION. 



Once or twice at the hotels I ventured to 

 talk about the Indian question in Oklahoma. 

 Finally one man across the table, observing 

 that I was a tenderfoot, said to me, "Young 

 man " (I am nearly 51), " the less you say 

 about the Indian cpestion, the better for 

 you." Then dropping his voice down to a 

 whisper that I could just catcli, added, " It 

 is a redhot question, stranger — much hotter 

 than the negro question in the South. Be- 

 lieve me, no matter which side you take, 

 you will get into hot water." 



I put out several " feelers," and found 

 that he was right. I may say, liowever, at 



this distance, that the Indians own valuable 

 lands in the western part of Oklahoma — 

 lands that have immense deposits of asphalt 

 and coal. Some of the Indians are im- 

 mensely wealthy. They have no conception 

 of the value of a dollar. The white man is 

 Heecing them right and left with all kinds 

 of devices. Uncle Sam's agents are trying 

 to protect them, and it Avas hinted that some 

 of them might be open to bribes. Certain 

 it is, the Indians are losing their lands, and 

 the Avhite men are getting possession. From 

 the standpoint of industrial development 

 this is, no doubt, a good thing; but from 

 the standpoint of equity and right it is 

 wrong — that is, providing the Avhite man 

 cheats his copper-skinned brother out of his 

 just rights. 



Why is the Indian question a '' hot one? " 

 Because it is mixed up in politics, both 

 State and national. Honest men have dif- 

 ferent opinions, and some men not so hon- 

 est are biased by selfish schemes. 



There Avill doubtless be considerable in- 

 quiry concerning Oklahoma and Kansas, 

 and so I take pleasure in referring to tAvo 

 men Avho are not interested in the sale of 

 land Avho may be able to give some infor- 

 mation ; but perhaps they Avill not thank me 

 for giving them this kind of publicity. 

 HoAveA'er, I Avill take the risk: F. W. Van 

 de Mai'k, of Stilhvater, Oklahoma, and Carl 

 F. Buck, of Augusta, Kansas. 



Sliortly after the Feb. 15th issue of 

 ((LEANINGS was out, I received a cou])le of 



