Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-09-06
NORTH CAROLINA INDIANS.
A Remnant of the Once Powerful
Cherohees.
A Reservation I'm the Mountains
All MethOdists and Demo-
Gratis.
DeHeArts Springs. Swain County, N. c., Cor
respondent Nashville American.


DeHearts Springs. Swain County, n. c., Cor
respondent Nashville American.
1t is not generally known that there
are about one thousand Cherokee In.
dams in Jackson and Swain counties,
North Carolina, on the 5000 and Geo
nee Olulta rivers, which head 10
Balsam mountain. Many years ago,
when the United States government
set apart the Indian Territory for the
Cherokees and Choctaws to move to, a
small tribe, under their Chief, Juna-
loska, refused to go, preferring "a
remain among their native mountains.
The land they lived upon belonged to
the State of North Carolina, which
permitted its citizens to enter it at
i've cents per acre. Many of the best
lands were thus entered, and the Indi-
ans were compelled to live in the
inaccessible Businesses of the noun
tains. About thirty years ago Colonel
William Thomas, a native of SCOTS
creek, and a self educated man, began
to interest himself in behalf of the
Indians on 5000 and 0conee 0lufta,
and made many trips to Washington
to get an appropriation for them, as an
equivalent for what they would have
received had they gone with their
brethren beyond the Mississippi river.
After seven years of hard work the
appropriation was made by the general
government and invested in a reserya
ZION of one hundred thousand acres
from the State of North Carolina, on
the rivers above named. The Indians
are amenable to all the laws Of North
Carolina. and in addition are governed
by the Secretary Of the Interior at
Washington. just like the indians in
the Territories. They have their
Chief and Council and all business for
the nation is transacted through these
After the death Of Junaloska they
elected as their Chief Sonanook, and
upon his death they made their great
white friend, Colonel Thomas, their
Chief. During the late war the Indi-
ans volunteered to fight for the Con-
federacy, and elected Colonel Thomas
as their colonel. We understand they
made good soldiers, and were espe
cially dreaded BY guerillas and bush
whackers, who the Indians knew SC
well how to hunt and track to their
dens and Businesses in the mountains.
CHIEF WATERS.
Colonel Thomas was the first white
man who W took a very lively inter
est in redeemipg Western North Car
olina from its wild and savage condi
ton, and his great brain conceived the
idea Of building a railroad from Ashe.
vile to Ducktown, right through the
heart of Western North Carolina.
He spent years in travelling the noun
tains, searching for a practicable route
for a railroad. 1t is said that he would
frequently bel away from home fol
weeks at a time, riding over the noun
tains, lying down under a tree when.
ever night overlook him. There was
only one practicable route, and he
found it after many years of toll and
study. He went to the Legislature
and introduced bill for the building
OF the road, which is now being COM
pleted. he also introduced a bill fol-
the building of a fine asylum for the
insane. he was a man OF great brain
and industry, and he taxed his mind
too much, and he has been in the asv.
lum about eight years. He has lucid
intervals, and always keeps himself
posted about Indian affairs and his
railroad, and writes very able and in
teresting letters TO representatives OIL
Jackson and Swain counties. The
Cherokees have ever been friendly tc
the white man, and while this little
tribe on the Soco and the 0lufta smoke
the pipe Of peace, and have neither
the tonahawk nor other war nipple.
ments, yet they are not unlike their
brother red men of the western forests
in their customs and habits, in the
way Of fishing. hunting, ETC., and have
their annual green corn dance, wal
songs athletic games, etc.
INDIAN BASE BALL.
Citizens here have frequently ex-
pressed the wish that | could witness
the Indians at a game Of base ball
They strip stark naked, except a small
apron, and grease themselves from
head to foot with Polecat oil. They
do not hit the ball, but throw and
carry it to imaginary lines, and he
that carries it is caught, held fast, and
soon all the players are in a big pile,
writing, pushing, jerking and doing
everything except fighting. Many are
frequently badly hurt in the scramble.
but nobody pays any attention to
them. As 500 as the play is over,
the players all break for the river and
jump in.
ALL METHoDIsTs AND-DEMocRATs.
The Indilns have their schools. and
pay their school tax cheerfully.
They also have their churches. and
are all Methodists. They will have
heir annual camp meeting 10 Sep.
TENDER, on 0lufta river. There il
said TO be a peculiar SAVIOR OF wildness
in their singing, shriller aud less soft
than their white Methodist brethren.
They are also all Democrats, and vote
the straight Democratic ticket. They
all love Colonel Thomas, and great
sorrow is felt Of his misfortune, which
they well know is their misfortune
Their preachers are white men, whose
preaching has been very graphically
described to me. The preacher
breaches, and it is interpreted BY ar
English educated Indian, called b.
the people a "linkister"-no doubt |
corruption Of "linguist."
A TERRA IECoGNITA.
For one hundred years this country
has been almost as a sealed book e
the outside world, there being but
little intercourse even between the
two sections Of the State. The river
afford an immense quantity Of water
but are so swift hat nothing can navi
gate them, not even a poplar log, with
safety. Merchants have until recently
had to haul their goods from Atlanta
100 miles, oyer a moderately good dir
road, or from Knoxville, Tenn, IOC
miles, over a road which Two trip
would break IN empty log wagon. i
took from five 10 six weeks for /,
wagon train TO make the trip. Thu