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10 OMAHA INDIANS. 35. John Pilcher.— Half French. Has claim No. 67. Broke 15 acres three years ago. Has 30 acres under cultivation, not including hay lands. Raises corn, wheat, potatoes, vegetables, garden fruit. Planted apple trees, timber, grapevines. Built log-house; frame addition; paid out $76; worked himself. Has a well cost $30; sheds; furniture. Bought $75 worth implements, received from government. Has American horses, cows, pigs, chickens. Supports ten persons. About fifty years old. He says: I want a title to my land. I want a home so that when I die my children will have a home. I have worked hard here, and here I want my bones to lie. I have worked hard, and will work hard, but I want to be sure that the land is secure to me; so I want a title to my farm. 36. Fred Cayon (married to Omaha woman). — White. Works on wife's claim. Broke 10 acres ten years ago. Has 15 acres under cultivation, not including hay lands. Raises wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, makes sorghum. Planted apple and cherry trees. Built log house; sheds. Bought implements, and received from government. Has American horses, cows, pigs, chickens. Supports five persons. Forty-one years old. He says: I want to get a title to this land that it may be secured to my children. 37. Sin-de-hah-hah, Wm. Hamilton. — Full blood. Has claim No. 222. Broke land six years ago. Has 50 acres under cultivation, not including hay lands. Raises corn, wheat, potatoes, vegetables. Planted apple trees. Frame-house, built by government; he furnished lumber. Bought implements, received from government. Has American horses, cows, pigs, chickens. Supports nine persons. About fifty years old. Was one who farmed twenty-two years ago on the bottom — Laflesche's village. Has built four houses. Is a chief. He says: Long ago we never used to think of anything but our old ways of living. I first began to work when the Omahas lived hear Bellevieu; that was before the land down there was sold. I used to saw and cut wood for the mission. I made use of the money I earned right away. I bought a horse. I saw that the money was in the wood. * * * When we moved out upon our claims I thought I would be the first to break land, and I was. * * * I have seen that it is good to work and do not think I would stop working. When I am working on my land I am always thinking of my children. I wish I could work without feeling a bit worried. When I hear anything about people wanting to get this land away it just frightens me! I wish it could be so that the land would be always mine. I do not care so much for myself as for my children, for I hope when I die to leave something to them. That is the way the white men do. I think they leave what they have to their children. I want a title to my farm. I think of it every day, and I have come to-day to tell you so. 38. John Springer: — Full blood. Has claim No. 326. Broke 10 acres five years ago; has 22 acres under cultivation, not including hay lands. Raises corn, wheat, potatoes, vegetables; planted apple trees, built log house four years ago, sheds, &c. Bought implements, and received from government. Has American horses, ponies, cows, pigs. Supports six persons; forty one years old. Has served in the United States Army two years and six months; honorably discharged. He says: I want a title to the land on which I have worked that I may have a home. 39. Hun-ga-te (Big Omaha). — Full blood. Has a claim. Broke 6 acres five years ago; has 14 acres under cultivation, not including hay lands. Raises corn, wheat, potatoes, vegetables; lives in a tent. Corn-crib, sheds, &c. Received implements from government. Has ponies, cows, chickens. Support seven persons; about thirty-four years old. He says: I want a title to my land. I have walked many miles to tell you these things, and to put my name to this petition. [[end page]] [[start page]] OMAHA INDIANS. 11 40. William Tyndall: — Full blood. Works on a claim. Broke 5 acres six years ago; has 20 acres under cultivation not including hay lands. Raises corn, wheat, potatoes, vegetables, garden fruit; planted apple trees and timber; built log house, bought material. Sheds, &c. Bought implements and tools, and received from government. Has ponies, cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks. Support six persons; about thirty-two years old. Is in the United States Indian-police service, second sergeant. Served in the United States Army two years and six months; honorably discharged. He says: I would like the white people in Washington to help us to get our land, so that what land we work we may be sure it is our own. We want titles. We want our children educated. We want order. I think push, as my brother Matthew Tyndall does. 41. Tah-waugh-gar-a-zhinga, Cyrus Blackbird. — Full blood. Has claim No. 251. Broke 11 1/4 acres six years ago; has 25 acres under cultivation, not including hay lands. Raises corn, wheat, potatoes, vegetables; planted apple trees, built frame house, cost him $300, sheds, &c. Bought implements, and received from government. Has American horses, cow, pigs, chickens. Supports nine persons; about fifty-five years old. He says: I want a title to my land. When I first went on my claim I was one of the first to want a good paper and to recommend trying to get one; it is a good thing to get a title on our lands; then when we die the land will be our children's. I like to work, but when I hear anything about "removal", then it makes me feel as though I could not work. One reason I have worked so hard is, on account of my children. I have put up a house, and done all that I could, and I want my children to stay here. I want a title that will fix it. 42. Uriah Merrick. — Full blood. Lives with his father-in-law, Mah-wah-dan-ne. He starts next spring upon a claim; intends to build a house, and make a home. Before his marriage, worked for mother, and since then for his wife's father. Supports two persons; about nineteen years old. (Although he had not fulfilled the engagements of the petition, it did not seem best to refuse his name.) 43. Ma-ga-tah, Joseph Cox. — Full blood. Has a claim. Broke 10 acres. Has 10 acres under cultivation, not including hay lands. Raises wheat; will build a house next spring. Lives with father. Received implements from government. Has ponies, cows. Supports three persons. Twenty-one years old. He says: I want a title to my claim, that I may have a home. 44. Wah-ge-a-sha, Luke Cox. — Full blood. Has a claim. Broke land last year; will build a house next spring. Lives with his father. Received implements from government. Has ponies, cows. Supports three persons; nineteen years old. He says: I would like to have a title to my land that it might be my own, and I could always live there. (Another young man whose name it did not seem best to refuse.) 45. Ega-hun-ga-sha, David Wells. — Full blood. Has a claim. Father broke land five years ago; has 10 acres under cultivation, not including hay lands. Raises wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, melons. Father built dug-out two years ago. Received implements from the government. Has pony. Supports three persons; eighteen years old. Father's certificate taken when land was transferred to the Winnebagoes. Father died this year, after a lingering illness; mother nearly blind. A little sister depending on him. He says: I want to get a title to my father's claim, so that I can make a home and take care of my mother and little sister.
