Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1882-08-09

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goatee npon his chin. His tall and
stately form and digbified carria q
enabled him to assume the "biQ
Indian" with great effect. He pre-
sented q very striking appearance
when en- grand terme, with turkey
feathers in his hair. q white embroid.
cred bunting shirt, yellow leggings
and moccasins, and sitting in digni.
6ed silence at the council watching
with the elders the ball plays and
dances Of the youths of the tribe.
He WAS more Indian than the In.
dians Themselves. Once some wag
Of the Cberokees dresspd M q tall
negro in caricature Of Houston and
stationed him behind him in coun
Gil. Houston endured it with stOlid
impassiveness, taking no apparent
notice of bis imitatOr.
Councils of the tribe we're held
yearly at Tah.lon.tees.kei. Some.
times they lasted for a week. At
these councils laws were enacted,
aud affairs with the Government of
the United States were settled.
Houston was adopted as a member
of the tribe, but was never elected
a chief, as has been stated. He
never took par; in the deliberations
except rs a silent spectator. He
was, however, sent with a delega.
ton of the tribe to Washington to
obtain the fulfillment of the terms
Of q treaty. He wore his Indian
costume, and lived and slept like
bis associates throughout the jour.
ue5:
The councils were held in an open
shed, rooted with boards, but with.
out floor, the members sitting up.
on benches Of hewn planks. 1t was
a great gathering Of the tribe, as
well rs OF the members of the cOun.
Gil. Sometimes q thousand or more
at upon the ground. Every after.
uoon was devoted to a ball play and
every evening to y dance, in which
both zen and women took part.
Sometimes flatboat load of whisky
would arrive, and then there would
he q perfect pandem0nium of hoop.
ing, riot aud debaucbery in the
blazing fires under the canopy of
the giant trees. Houston took no
part in tue games or dances. and
preserved his sObriety on occasions
Of public drunkenness, reserving his
not unfrequent debsuches for pri.
vate occasions, and perhaps as a
relief from the solitary misery Of
thought.
Houston remained as the house.
hold guest Of his friend John jolly for
more than a year. Then be fell 10
love with . balfbrped woman of
great beauty, named Tyenia Rogers.
She was as stately for q woman as
he WAS for a man. He removed to
the west bank of Grand River, op-
posite Fort Gibson, where, in the
delta of the Grand, the Arkansas,
aud the verdigris, he made q small
clearing in the rich bottom land,
which still forms . part Of small
Cherokee farm. aud has q log house
upon 1t, although probably not the
one built By the hands of Houston.
Here he lived for two years or more.
he was trequent visitOr 10 Tue
military post of Fort Gibson. and a
generous consumer Of the suffers
whisky. His tall form was occas-
ionslly seen lying 10 the street 10
the stupor of drunkenness.
This life Of savagery and drunk.
enness finally palled upou the no.
bier elements of bis nature. The
struggle OF the infant Common
wealth Of Texas for freedom arous-
ed bis sympathies and bis ambition.
BE left bis friends, the Cherokees,
and Joined the fortunes Of the re.