Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-06-08

grow fat2 Instead Of boasting and exultation,
let thanks ascend from the alter Of our hearts to
| the Great Disposer of events. "The earth is the
Lords and the fulness thereof" How dependent
we are upon the will Of our Creator!
In Jackson County, n. c., on the Soco and the
Oconee-luf-tee, waters of the Tuckasisgee River,
about twelve hundred of the Cherokees yet have
q "local habitation and name." Col. VIM. H.
Thomas, for the last twenty years, has been their
agent, and their particular friend. In the "Schem-
erharn treaty. by which the Cherokee nation
agreed to emisrate beyond Arkansas, that frag-
mcnt of the tribe, known MS Thomass Indians
was not represented; and rs n matter of course,
not one of the provisions of said treaty could have
any binding effect on them. 1t was mainly upon
this ground, I nm told, that the Government Of
the United States allowed them to remain in the
country. As might be expected, they acknowledged
themselves subject to the laws of North Carolina,
and also to the Constitution of the United States
| But Uncle Sam" persisted in having their lands
surveyed and sold and consequently the Indians
claimed all the benefits arising from the famous
treaty. After years of negotiation, COL Thomas
ut last succeeded in getting about $4,000 from
the General Government for the use md benefit
of his red brethren. This sum was in consdera-
ton of their lands. Moreover, sixty thousand dol
lars SGOOOO) were appropriated for their removal,
and subsistence one year. They are now IN the
annual receipt of the interest on this amount But
after all it is not yet definitely settled whether or
| tba,, i'm N
old North State" They may be compelled erentu-
ally to 90 West, rs the other tribes have done.
| Nearly all of "Thomass Indians" have bought
lands and improved them. These people, once so
savage, seem now to be pretty good farmers. l
saw corn enough, and to spare in some Of their
cribs, and their growing crops looked fine. These
"Ishmaeites," as they arc sometimes called, are
thought by those who have the best opportunities
Of judging, to be, an average about half civil
| lied. Many of them are consistent members of
the Christian Church. Some Of them can spell
and read our language with considerable Auency.
Others read we'll and understundingly in their ma
tive dialect The Rev. j. W. Bird, to whom am
greatly indebted for information concerning the
Indians and also for other farors not to be forgot
ten, is the Missionary, who breaches more or less
every week for bis Cherokee frieads," and in the
winter season he instructs their children in the
elements of English literature Thus much for
the general history of these Indians. desire
now to give few sketches in which reality and
not fancy, shall guide the pen.
The Missionary and Z. K. were on the way to
the place appointed for preaching. Stopping a
few minutes at the gate of stalwart hunter named
Stoo-ke. -,tau-yeh (Standing- -n.he-door,) the fol-
lowing colloquy ensued.
1Gssionary.-"W What do you ask for that bear
skin in the piazza?"
Indian" Two dollar, and q half"
Missionary.-"T That's too much"
Indian" Him berry cheap"
Nissionary.-" Where did you kill that bear?"
hndian.-" Tennessee, twenty miles, trew de
smoky Mountain"
Mssionary.-" What did the bear weigh?"
Indian.-" Four hundred and fifty pound Me
tote home two hundred and fifty pound, and de
skin; aud daddy tote de rest"
E. a." Were you not almost broken down by
carrying such a quantity of bear meat so far
through the mountains?"
Iadidn.-" Mo sick tree week !"
Mdia".--" lie" (meanins E. KY "preacher?"
.Nissionary.-"No." !
Indian.-" lie drunk?"
JIissoaary.-"I reckon not"
And then We went on our way smiling, if not
rejoicing. Stoo-kee-stau-yeh seems to think that
there are but two characters among the descend
ants of Europeans, s,-preachers and drunkards.
1t was pleasant hour in the morning when we
arrived at the first ford on the 0conee-uff-t -tee.
The waters Of this purling rivulet were so clear
and stainless that even the poet could not wish
for better emblem of purity. "The King of
day" with his glorious disc peered down upon US
from an arch of living sapphire. On each side,
and not far in the distance, the green tops of high
mountains overlooked the smiling valcs. Hating |
moment to let my horse drink, looked up the
stream and SOW two Indians fishing. Their canoe,
a light and graceful thing, was turned directly |
across the river, and it foated along like some
beautiful swan. In each end Of the tiny vessel
the Indians arrayed in picturesque costume, stood
erect and motionless, their heads uncovered and
their hair streaming long and black in the breeze
Z u
king it altogether, this view presented one Of the
finest pictures 1 ever beheld it was most deli |
cate and graceful grouping Of the romantic and
the beautiful.
And now, I will give you snake story. An
Indian, Se-lo-la (Sguirre) by name, was out in
the mountains hunting for deer, and by chance
came upon u horned rattiesnake. Wishing to cap
ture this strange looking creature alive and not
knowing how to accomplish his end, he haStened
back home for his squaw to come and assist him.
On returning, they saw the horned snake agsln,
Two heads boing better than one, the following
scheme wns devi,cd' they tore the bark from troc
and tlelng up ono end, thcy got the ratlosnake to
crawl 10 ut the other. Turning up this novel trap,
the inside Of it was too sleek for the serpent to
crawl out again. Having carried their prize home,
they soon had 1t secured in cage. Se-lo-la was
offered $3.50 for his snake, but being supersttious
and thinking that all the other "sarpents" might |
get after him, he refused to sell. There is another
version of the matter. lie dreamed thatif any thing
should happen to the snake, then the Cherokees
would pass away like mist upon the mountains
Be that it may, Se-lola carried the rattlesnake
back to its den, and there set it at liberty. loon.
versed with two intelligent and respectable gen.
tlemen, who saw this freak of nature, and gave it
q careful examination. They told me thatthe top
of the snakes head was shaped like that of cow;
that its horns were as long as q cocks spur, but
more slender; that each Of them branched out so
that there were four points to'its horns.
accompanied the Missionary to one of his In
dian meetings. His audience was quiet, attentive
and serious. The Aborigucs seem to have music
in their souls. was affected almost to tears on
hearing them sing some of our good old Congre-
gatioual tunes. The Missionary addressed his
red brethren altogether through lngnist. He
gives q sentence in English, and then Charlie
Hornbuckle the interpreter, cxpounds it in Indian
l.a1T 1al hnlA