EXPERIENCES OF A TRAPPER AND HUNTER 
FROM YOUTH TO OLD AGE 
By T. ALEXANDER 
CHAPTER XVI. 
After Bull Wilson, the chief, had been buried the Indians held a 
council for three days; on the third day I was called into their council 
during which they had elected Jim Bob chief—he had previously been 
second chief. The Indians came to an agreement as to how and what 
they would pay me for my services, which was 10 per cent of what 
we might get out of Texas. After our agreement was arrived at we 
had to go to Anadorko to have our agreement confirmed by the In¬ 
dian agent. This done, we pulled for home. 
Several months elapsed during which time I got Judge Green 
of Oklahoma City to prepare the Indians’ claim against Texas, in the 
form of a memorial, asking Texas to reimburse the Indians for their 
40 miles square of land. The Indians were in great hopes. We found 
out when the Texas legislature was to meet and it was agreed that 
both tribes of Indians would be represented by their respective chiefs 
and the interpreters. 
We met the Texas legislature and presented our memorial and 
the two Indian chiefs made a speech, each with more sound sense 
to it than most of our orators of now could have displayed. The 
lower house recommended that the Indians be reimbursed and the 
upper house dug out an old act of 1842 that provided that where land 
was given to the Indians and they ceased to live on it for thirty 
years, the land would revert back to the state. This act killed the 
Indians’ claim and the Texas people- seemed to hate it as badly as the 
Indians did. We returned to the territory, broken hearted and dis¬ 
appointed, but the U. S. government provided for the Indians. The 
Shawnees were given their allotted land in the Potawatamie country 
and the Delawares were allotted land in the Wichitaw country. 
The Delawares and Shawnees were so disappointed they per¬ 
suaded me to go with them to Mexico City to see old Dias, who was 
at that time governor of Old Mexico. The Indians were under the 
impression they might be allowed to sell their allotments in Oklahoma 
and purchase land in Old Mexico. Dias was willing to sell the In¬ 
dians land but our government would not permit them to sell their 
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