Testimony taken by the Committee on Indian Affairs

Testimony taken by the Committee on Indian Affairs - 1885

Testimony taken by the Committee on Indian Affairs 1885
A. J. DAY. Washington, D. C., January 10, 1885. A. J. DAY sworn and examined. By the Chairman; Question. Mr. Day, what is your business?—Answer. I am engaged in the cattle business. Q How long have you been engaged in the cattle business?—A. A long time. Ever since I was big enough to ride a pony. Q. Have you an interest in any of these leases?—A. I have a sublease in the Cherokee Strip. Q. How much land do you occupy?—A. My brother and I have 200,000 acres. Q. What is the firm called?—A. A. J. & C. P. Day. Q. Was it taken at the same time and upon the same terms as the others?—A. Yes, sir. Q. Is anybody else interested?—A. Yes, sir. There are two or three parties who are holding cattle with us, but the lease is in our name. Two or three young fellows work for us who have their own brand. Q. Have you any objection to stating their names?—A. No, sir; they are Rouden, Scaggs, and Williams. They are men who are working for us. Q. Do you employ any Indians?—A. No, sir. Q. Do any of the lessees?—A. Not that I know of. By Mr. Harrison : Q. How many cattle have you?—A. About twelve or thirteen thousand. I have not counted them for four or five years. Q. So long as you are occupying the land in this way the Indians cannot occupy it?—A. No, sir; they never have wanted to occupy. it. Q. Whatever their disposition, it excludes them, does it not?—A. No, sir; they have been camping in our range. Q. But don't your leases exclude them?—A. Yes, sir; but we don't prohibit them from going through. Q. But you don't allow them or anybody else to use the laud for grazing purposes?—A. No, sir. By Mr. Cameron: Q. Did you have cattle there before you received the lease?—A. Yes, sir; I went there in the summer of 1880: Q. How many cattle did you have there then?—A. I think we had two or three thousand head—probably four. Q. Under what arrangement did you keep cattle there then?—A. I paid a per capita tax to the Cherokees, and the cattle ran where they pleased. By Mr. Gorman: Q. You have been paying 2½ cents an acre, have you not?—A. Yes, sir. Q. You paid this into the association?—A. Yes, sir. Q. Have they paid any of it back?—A. I do not know, but it seems to me that there was a rebate, but I don't think we have gotten it. Q. How many payments have you made?—A. I have made three, I think. Q. You were in the original arrangement, were you not?—A. Yes, sir. Q. You were on the land before the lease was obtained?—A. Yes, sir. Q. How much did you pay?—A. I do not remember. Q. Well, about how much?—A. I do not know. It was in the neighborhood of $500. Q. Did all pay in about the same proportion?—A. No, sir; I think not. Q. What was the understanding?—A. We wanted some money, of course. We could not send those men there without it, of course. I think I subscribed—I think something like $500. Q. To whom did you pay it?—A. I paid it to Mr. Newman, I think. Q. How much was the gross amount collected at the time?—A. I have no idea. Q. You never inquired into it?—A. No, sir. Q. Do you know how much anybody else paid?—A. No, sir. Q. Was it not understood that it was to be in proportion to the amount of land each man had?—A. Yes, sir. Q. The money was collected to cover the expenses of the association?—A. Yes, sir. Q. It was credited to you in proportion to the amount of land you had, was it not?—A. Yes, sir. Q. That runs through the whole of it, I suppose?—A. Yes, sir. Q. You paid about $500?—A. Yes, sir. Q. Did any of it come back to you?—A. Yes, sir; it was all credited on the amount of money I paid in my first payment on the lease. By Mr. Cameron: Q. Have you any cattle in Texas?—A. I have none there now at all. Q. Did you have any there at or about the time you obtained this lease?—A. No, sir. Q. What were grazing lands in Texas renting for about that time—lands regarded as about equal in value?—A. We did not pay anything for them at that time, and I do not know that we could have leased them. Return To Testimony Index.
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Testimony taken by the Committee on Indian Affairs
1885

A. J. DAY.

Washington, D. C., January 10, 1885.

A. J. DAY sworn and examined.
By the Chairman;

Question. Mr. Day, what is your business?—Answer. I am engaged in the cattle business.
Q How long have you been engaged in the cattle business?—A. A long time. Ever since I was big enough to ride a pony.
Q. Have you an interest in any of these leases?—A. I have a sublease in the Cherokee Strip.
Q. How much land do you occupy?—A. My brother and I have 200,000 acres.
Q. What is the firm called?—A. A. J. & C. P. Day.
Q. Was it taken at the same time and upon the same terms as the others?—A. Yes, sir.
Q. Is anybody else interested?—A. Yes, sir. There are two or three parties who are holding cattle with us, but the lease is in our name. Two or three young fellows work for us who have their own brand.
Q. Have you any objection to stating their names?—A. No, sir; they are Rouden, Scaggs, and Williams. They are men who are working for us.
Q. Do you employ any Indians?—A. No, sir.
Q. Do any of the lessees?—A. Not that I know of.

By Mr. Harrison :

Q. How many cattle have you?—A. About twelve or thirteen thousand. I have not counted them for four or five years.
Q. So long as you are occupying the land in this way the Indians cannot occupy it?—A. No, sir; they never have wanted to occupy. it.
Q. Whatever their disposition, it excludes them, does it not?—A. No, sir; they have been camping in our range.
Q. But don't your leases exclude them?—A. Yes, sir; but we don't prohibit them from going through.
Q. But you don't allow them or anybody else to use the laud for grazing purposes?—A. No, sir.

By Mr. Cameron:

Q. Did you have cattle there before you received the lease?—A. Yes, sir; I went there in the summer of 1880:
Q. How many cattle did you have there then?—A. I think we had two or three thousand head—probably four.
Q. Under what arrangement did you keep cattle there then?—A. I paid a per capita tax to the Cherokees, and the cattle ran where they pleased.

By Mr. Gorman:

Q. You have been paying 2½ cents an acre, have you not?—A. Yes, sir.
Q. You paid this into the association?—A. Yes, sir.
Q. Have they paid any of it back?—A. I do not know, but it seems to me that there was a rebate, but I don't think we have gotten it.
Q. How many payments have you made?—A. I have made three, I think.
Q. You were in the original arrangement, were you not?—A. Yes, sir.
Q. You were on the land before the lease was obtained?—A. Yes, sir.
Q. How much did you pay?—A. I do not remember.
Q. Well, about how much?—A. I do not know. It was in the neighborhood of $500.
Q. Did all pay in about the same proportion?—A. No, sir; I think not.
Q. What was the understanding?—A. We wanted some money, of course. We could not send those men there without it, of course. I think I subscribed—I think something like $500.
Q. To whom did you pay it?—A. I paid it to Mr. Newman, I think.
Q. How much was the gross amount collected at the time?—A. I have no idea.
Q. You never inquired into it?—A. No, sir.
Q. Do you know how much anybody else paid?—A. No, sir.
Q. Was it not understood that it was to be in proportion to the amount of land each man had?—A. Yes, sir.
Q. The money was collected to cover the expenses of the association?—A. Yes, sir.
Q. It was credited to you in proportion to the amount of land you had, was it not?—A. Yes, sir.
Q. That runs through the whole of it, I suppose?—A. Yes, sir.
Q. You paid about $500?—A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did any of it come back to you?—A. Yes, sir; it was all credited on the amount of money I paid in my first payment on the lease.

By Mr. Cameron:

Q. Have you any cattle in Texas?—A. I have none there now at all.
Q. Did you have any there at or about the time you obtained this lease?—A. No, sir.
Q. What were grazing lands in Texas renting for about that time—lands regarded as about equal in value?—A. We did not pay anything for them at that time, and I do not know that we could have leased them.

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This site may be freely linked, but not duplicated without consent.
All rights reserved. Commercial use of material within this site is prohibited.
The copyright (s) on this page must appear on all copied and/or printed material.
© 2024 by C.S.L.S.A. Site Coordinator