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Show MOONEY] INVITATION FROM WESTERN BAND 1881 175 the agency was discontinued and the educational interests of the band turned over to the state school superintendent. 1 In the meantime Ka'lahu' had been succeeded as chief by Lloyd R. Welch ( Da'sfgiya'gl), an educated mixed- blood of Cheowa, who served about five years, dying shortly after his reelection to a second term ( 48). He made a good record by his work in reconciling the various factions which had sprung up after the withdrawal of the guiding influence of Thomas, and in defeating the intrigues of fraudulent white claimants and mischief makers. Shortly before his death the Government, through Special Agent John A. Sibbald, recognized his authority as principal chief, together with the constitution which had been adopted by the band under his auspices in 1875. N. J. Smith ( Tsa'- l& dihf), who had previously served as clerk of the council, was elected to his unexpired term and continued to serve until the fall of 1890. * We find no further official notice of the East Cherokee until 1881, when Commissioner Price reported that they were still without agents or superintendent, and that so far as the Indian Office was concerned their affairs were in an anomalous and unsatisfactory condition, while factional feuds were adding to the difficulties and retarding the progress of the band. In the spring of that year a visiting delegation from the Cherokee Nation west had extended to them an urgent invitation to remove to Indian Territory and the Indian Office had encouraged the project, with the result that 161 persons of the band removed during the year to Indian Territory, the expense being borne by the Government. Others were represented as being desirous to remove, and the Commissioner recommended an appropriation for the purpose, but as Congress failed to act the matter was dropped. 3 The neglected condition of the East Cherokee having been brought to the attention of those old- time friends of the Indian, the Quakers, through an appeal made in their behalf by members of that society residing in North Carolina, the Western Yearly Meeting, of Indiana, volunteered to undertake the work of civilization and education. On May 31, 1881, representatives of the Friends entered into a contract with the Indians, subject to approval by the Government^ to establish and continue among them for ten years an industrial school and other common schools, to be supported in part from the annual interest of the trust fund held by the Government to the credit of the East Cherokee and in part by funds furnished by the Friends themselves. Through the efforts of Barnabas C. Hobbs, of the Western Yearty Meeting, a yearly contract to the same effect was entered into with the Commis- 1 Report of Agent W. C. McCarthy, Report of Indian Commissioner, pp. 343- 344,1875; and Report of Indian Commissione, pp. 118- 119.1876. 3Author' § personal information; see also Carrington, Eastern Band of Cherokee*; Zeigler and Grosecup, Heart of the Alleghanies, pp. 35- 36,1883. * Commissioner H. Price, Report of Indian Commissioner, pp. lxiv- lxv, 1881, and Report of Indian Commissioner, pp. Ixix- lxx, 1882; see also ante, p. 151. |