THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES 485 



hogs, is raised in the territory, but no particular attention is 

 paid to improving the breeds. The hogs are of the razor-back 

 variety, and roam the woods, half wild, in search of food. The 

 Indians live upon very little ; fresh pork and a small quantity 

 of corn raised for the preparation of " sofky " seem to be about 

 all that many of them have. The woods may be full of deer, 

 turkeys, and smaller game, but their existence is apparently 

 ignored. 



The carboniferous coal measures of Indian Territory prob- 

 abl^v underlie the eastern half of the territory, together with the 

 western portion of the Creek country. The only development 

 of coal that has been made is along the lines of the Missouri, 

 Kansas and Texas and the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf rail- 

 roads. The coal so far developed is excellent for the production 

 of steam, gas, and coke. The report of the U. S. Mine Inspector 

 for Indian Territory shows that the output of coal for the year 

 ending December 31, 1897, was. 1,334,795 tons and the number 

 of men employed in the mines 3,411. A considerable part of 

 the revenue of the Choctaw Nation, in which these mines are 

 situated, is derived from the coal leases. 



The several governments of the Five Civilized Tribes derive 

 an income from leased lands, licenses, and permits to non- 

 citizens. All lands are held in common, and no Indian can be 

 taxed for the land he occupies. No attention is paid to the 

 improvement of roads, and there are no public bridges or 

 ferries. Numerous towns, some of them of considerable size 

 and importance, have sprung up along the seven railroad lines 

 within the territory, but they are without legal existence and 

 have no recognized town or city government. They are without 

 proper officers to enforce laws, have no water supply or fire de- 

 partments, sidewalks or other street improvements, no schools, 

 except private ones, and no systems of drainage or sewerage. 

 The title to town lots, if title it can be called, does not allow the 

 purchaser to build a house and rent it; he must either sell or 

 occupy, for if vacant it is liable to be " jumped. ' ; Only the 

 Indian citizens have the privilege of renting houses and lots. 



The question of the allotment of lands in severalty to the 

 Five Civilized Tribes and the enactment of a townsite law has 

 been agitated for several years. A commission composed of five 

 members, commonly known as the Dawes Commission, was au- 

 thorized by Congress, and has for a number of years been endeav- 

 oring to treat with the Indians with such allotment in view, but 



