The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-05-27
NATIONAL INSTITUTE.
Letter from William H. Thomas, esq, on the
Improvement of the Cherokee Indians an
the mechanic arts.

Letter from William II. Thomas, esq, ON the
Improvement of the Cherokee Indians an
the mechanic arts.
wAsHMcros CRY, ID. G., May 5, ls45
Sin: In compliance with the request of Chero-
kee Indian, by the name of Saola, or Squirrel,
beg leave through you, 10 present to the National
Institute rifle pistol, made by him Tor that pur-
pose, and which he desires to be placed among the
bows and arrows which have been received from the
tribes of North American Indians.
As this Indian is probably the first who has made
a donation TO the institute, and the first who has
succeeded in the manufacture Of firearms, a brief
account Of the means by which he acquired a
knowledge Of this art, and the progress Of improve
ment Of the Indians composing the settlement in
which he resides, may not be entirely unnterestng
TO a society formed for the benevolent purpose OF
disseminating useful knowledge among mankind.
Salola was the son Of chief by the name of
Will-no-ta. At an early age, he manifested desire
to become acquainted with the knowledge of the
mechanic arts in use among the whites, for the pur
pose Of being useful TO his own people. Two great
obstacles lay in tho way TO accomplishing this OBJ
ject He did not understand the English language.
The knowledge of the arts could not therefore, be
obtained by serving an apprenticeship. He had no
tools, nor had he the means Of purchasing them.
But, Notwithstanding these difficulties, which to
most persons would have appeared insurmountable,
he determined to accomplish, by such means as his
genius devised, his favorite object. Having COM
municated his intention 70 his father and friends,
they readily united in aiding him to build smith
shop at the fas, on beautiful stream which issued
from the Smoky mountain. He constructed wa
ter.blast which he made to answer the purpose of
bellows in heating his furnace. A large flint stone
was substituted for an anvil. With these tools and
hammer, he commenced the blacksmith trade;
and, by subsequently adding to his stock of tools
such o. ne learned 70 make, and an anvil and vice
~ k~.- Ii
axes, plows, hoes, &c.--embracing most of the
farming utensils in use among the whites.
Encouraged by his former success, he commenced
the manufacture of the common rife. At first he
failed to succeed in consequence of not being able to
discover the proper mode of welding the barrel
But finally he overcame that obstacle by making the
barrel solid, and then boring it out, with machine
which he invented for the purpose.
He subsequently succeeded in making the stocks,
locks, and every thing else appertaining to the rife
In the fall Of l643, the same Indian succeeded in
building grist-mill for grinding Indian corn.
The town Of Quala, to which Salola belongs, is
situated at the base of the Great Iron or Smoky
Mouniain in the western part of the State of North
Carolina That town comprehends the principal set
element of the Cherokees now remaining east of the
Mississippi river. They occupy about &C, 600 acres
of land, which was originally granted by the State
of North Carolina to the Cherokee tribe in the year
1888 The effect of that grant, agreeably TO the de-
cison Of the supreme court of the State was to vest
the iee-simple title in the Cherokee Indians. The
original grant comprehended all the counties of
Cherokee and Macon, and large portion Of the
county OF Haywood. Thus it will be seen that the
occupant right of the Indians, confirmed their right
by granting to them the fee-simple title.
Under the construction which was placed upon
the Cherokee treaty of December, 1885, the Chero-
KEGS referred became subject to the laws OF the
State. But since that time, laws have been pass
ed by the State in relation to them, except such
were designed for their protection, and to promote
their interest.
AT the session of 1869, law was passed
to take effect in May, 1888, to protect them against
frauds. .su
During the session of ls44-45, a law was
passed TO encourage them in the culture and manu-
facture of silk, &c. 4g
The preamble to that law. which is here quoted,
shows the opinion of the State in relation to these
Indians: @ 1Ea
"Whcreas small portion of the Cherokee tribe
of Indians are remaining in this State, who are
represented by their white neghbors as conduct-
ing themselves in a peaceablc and orderly manner,
and who, under the influence of temperance and
religious societies. fast improving in the knowl
edge OF the mechanic arts, agriculture, and civili-
cation /; and whereas the Cherokces referred TO,
who belong to the towns of Quaa and YunsaD,
or Cheah, have already commenced the culture
and manufacture Of silk, for the encouragement
The law authorizes the formation Of a company,
when formed in accordance with its provisions, TO
possess corporate rights and privileges.
At the same session, resolution was passed
questing the senators and representatives in Con-
gress from that State to their influence in favor
Of having justice done to those Indians by the gov
eminent Of the United States, in compliance with
subsisting treaties made with their tribe.
The law and resolution referred to both received
the sanction Of the legislature without single vote
being recorded against their passage; which proves
that the people of the State, are actuatcd by high
and honorable feelings towards this small remnant
of her aboriginal inhabitants, rarely met with in the
history of nations.
AT the time the census of this town Of Indians
was taken, under the authority Of the War Depart
ment, in the fall Of l640 the aggregate number was
669, who, with few exceptions, were full-hlood In
disns. From that period until the fall of 1874,
when the following statistical information was OBJ
tanned in compliance with the request of the Hon.
William Wilkins, late Secretary of War, the ag-
gregate number Of deaths was So. This number
includes the old and infrm, permitted to remain east
because they were unable to remove west. The
number Of births l66-showing an increase in -four
years Of ll3; making at the last date 1872 besides
a remnant the Catawba tribe that has united with
them, which would probably increase the number
to about 800, of whom the report made to the War
Department in 1874 contains the following state
ment, which may be relied upon as correct:
(a) Total number Of blind 9
lb) Number Of idiots and insane. ). %
Number of deaf and dumb. g
Artisans
jD Number OF black, Gun, and silversmths. l3
(d) Number OF those who stock guns for the
whites and Indians. ....... .49
(e) Number OF coopers.. ............ ..... as
Number Of those who stock plows, make
looms, spinning wheels, &c. :. II
(f) Number who are engaged in agriculture. J. 259
,toro If soop xxyho