Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-06-06

tAoASo0 VI HGisdtbS thC NhaoCf 10 was "a
pecied. turned their attention under the
advice of the excellent Missionaries, to
agriculture, and the arts of civilized life.
Their present state is thus described
"They own numerous salt springs. 8
of which are worked by Cherokees. The
amount OF salt manufactured is probably
100 bbls. per day.
"They also own two lead mines. The
salt works and their lead mines are in the
eastern portion of their country, and all
the settlements yet formed are within this
eastern portion, which embraces about
two and a half millions of acres.
"Like the Choctaw, the Cherokee ma
ton embraces all conceivable conditions
between refinement, intelligence, and the
opposite extremes but little removed from
the original state. The earlier emigrants
are, perhaps, in a more comfortable con.
dition than the same proportion of any
other tribe within the Territory. But
with a large accession Of late emigrants,
there has necessarily been an augmenta-
ton of observation-disclosures.
"Some OF them own immense herds of
cattle. We counted upwards oe 200 at
one time, within sight, grazing on the
p%rairies, belonging to one man and it
was thought he owned about 100 more.
1t was thought by some intelligent white
men in their country, that within five years
past they had sold between 6 or 1000 head
of cattle.
"They probably own 1000 horses, 49,
900 hogs, 600 sheep, 100 wagons, aplougll,
and often several ploughs, TO each farm.
several hundred spinnlng-wheels, and POS
looms.
"They cultivate all kinds of culinary
vegetables common to the Western coun.
try, raise corn in abundance, and have
commenced the growing of wheat. Their
fields are enclosed with rail fences. They
have generally, good log dwellings, (for
a new country,) many of which have
stone chimneys to them, with plank floors,
all erected by themselves. Their houses
are furnished with plain tables, chairs,
and bedsteads and with table and kitch-
en- furniture, nearly or quite equal to the
dwellings ofwhite people in new countries.
"They have seven native merchants,
one regular physician, and unfortunately,
several steam doctors. Several OF them
have, at divers times, become partners,
in large contracts for furnishing the Uni
ted States Army and emi9rant Indians.
The traveller finds among them houses of
public entertainment, with neat and COM
Portable accommodations.
"The Cherokee Government, though
highly creditable to them, is not systema-
tic and judicious like that ofthe Choctaws.
This may be accounted for by the unset
tied condition Of the affairs Of the Chero.
KEGS for some years past. The laws ex-
tont in the Territory are such as have been
adopted by the early emigrants, since
their settlement in this country, and are
not a transfer Of the code to which the lar
ger portion of the tribe were subordinate
on the east Of the Mississippi.
"Their settlements are divided into
four districts, each of which elects, for the
term of two years, two members of the
national council-the title of which is,
the General Council Of the Cherokee
nation By law it meets annually or
the first Monday in October. They have
three chiefs, which, till lately, have been
| chosen by the General Council. Here
after they are to be elected by the people.
The approval of the chiefs is necessary to
the passage of q law but an act upon
which they have affixed their veto may
become a law by the vote Of two-thirds
Of the Council. The Council consists. Of
two branches. The lower is denomina.
ted the Committee, and the upper the
Council. The concurrence ofboth is ne
cessary to the passage Of a law"
Ofthe Greeks, he states :-"They cul.
tivate corn, and all vegetables common
TO the climate and country. They spin,
weave, sew, and follow other pursuits of
industry. Their fields and dwellings re-
semble those of white people in new set.
Elements. Many ofthem have large stocks
o cattle. The contractors for furnishing
supplies to emigrant Indians, have purcha-
sed vast quantities of corn; among others,
the annexed amounts of purchases have
been made from the following persons,
| prior to the crop of 1887:
OF L. Perryman, $1,000 worth ofcorn.
Mr.. Handrich, 1880
ID. Grayson, 1900
Il. Grayson, 1900
Mrs. Mcintosh, 1,400
In all, ST., $50 worth Of corn.
"Before the crop of 1887 had been har-
vested, contracts were made for upwards
Of S25 900 worth Of corn. Vast quaint.
ties still remain unsold. Even the latter
| emigrants, who arrived in their country
the winter and spring previous to the
cropping season of 1887, though they
had to prepare new fields, in the month of
September and October ofthe same year,
sold to the contractors $4,000 worth of
corn. They have two native merchants.
Notwithstanding the Creeks, as a