Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-01-01
Our Civilized Indians.

There are in The United States about
500, 900 Indians; $4,000 in the FIVE civiliz-
ed tribes-the Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws
| ChickaSaws and Scminoles- 90 900 more
belonging TO other tribes in the Indian
! Territory, and the rest are scattered in the
western part of the United States with q
| few remaining in New York, North Caro-
| lima and other States The civilized tribes
have forms of government more or less
similar to that of the States. The Cherokecs
have constitution and code of laws. The
Greeks have constitution, but their laws
are not yet codified, although efforts have
been made in this direction and code pre-
pared. The Creeks have chief, elected
by the people every four years, a house of
kingsA supreme court. The chief
justice of the Muscogee nation is Baptist
preacher, and is now q missionary TO the
wild tribes two hundred and fifty miles
west of his home. / met him the other day
at the Muscogee Baptist association, on his
way from his missionary abors. He came
back TO preside over the Supreme Court at
its next session, in about two weeks. The
Rev. John Mcintosh, is his name
grandson of General William Mcintosh,
whom the Creeks killed IN 1925, on account
of the treaty Of Indian Springs. The pres
ent chief is Ward Goodman, born in Ala
bama, and who remained there until about
lS4S. He was a delegate to the Baptist as
sociation at Newoka. He is stout-built
man, about 30 years old, black hair, black
eyes, thin whiskers, will weigh two hun
dred pounds, and was dressed in a citizens
dark gray suit. lie is a man of ability, and
hac nfT, 4 1.
coffee, rather. The Presbyterians aud
Methodists have each Il mission school on
the manual labor system, and the Creek
nation pays the board and tuition Of Ger
tain number of pupils. The Baptists are
contemplating the establishment of a mission
school this fall
There are twenty-eight public schools,
kept open ten months in the year, and under
the supervision of superintendent ofpublic
introduction who is also superintendent of
blacksmith shops The nation pays for
sharpening both mental and agricultural
tools. They pay $40 per month to teachers
and pay for school books. The Indians
enjoy religion. | attended an all-night
prayer meeting on Sunday. They say
they used to worship God all night too
The meeting began at dark, and ended
about, sun-up, or little later. Imagine a
savage crowd of Indians singing in Creek
at the top of their voices just before day
light, and suddenly bugle blast sounds on
the alr-wouldn't you think of Gabriel?
The Creeks have no marriage laws, but
the Baptist association adopted a memorial
on the subject, urging the next council to
pass proper marriage law. The writer
hnH hn IL, .r 4
memorial. Their custom allowed several
wives, but the churches have so altered
public opinion that it is rare to find man
with two wives.
'HHow did you punish a violation of
of marriage VOWS: asked the Indian
lawyer
You see that man therel'
eyes"
'Well, his wife was taken by another
man, and one night he went with some
other men, arrested the betrayer, beat him
senseless, and then cut his ears off with
dull knifel"
''How did they treat the womani"
''The same way. Sometimes they let
her off easier than the man."
"What became of the man and woman2"
"They are living together as man and
wife, and the injured husband got him an
other wife"
WAS that your customl"
"Yes; the chief made the law, and
everybody followed it..
Sometimes they cut the woman's nose off
by way of variety.
If the criminal could hide out until after
''Busk," the annual festival, he went free.
Some of the tribes had cities of refuge, as
the ISraehtes had.