Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-16

z. STUDY ~ NATIVE LIFE u
FLORIDA.
Jacksonville fila Letter in n. Y.
Tribune
The Fl0ridan who is called the
.. King Of the Crackers" is one Of the
richest cattle owners in the State;
one Of its most eccentric characters:
and the first baby born in Florida al.
Ter the State was coded TO the United
States Government by the Spaniards
in 1919. HIS father lived in Alachua
county, close down by the Indian
/ ne.
Many 4 hundred times" as he
told me, the boy Jake" saw young
Osceois, who as boy and man was
most proficient at these games of run.
ming and jumping, shooting and
wrestling and all manly sports. Us
ce0ia was chosen ns king OF all the
pettY chiefs Of his tribe; his mother
was . daughter of the old king ana
His father was said 10 have been .
white man. When I asked the king
Of the Crackers" what he remember
ed Of the young chiefs looks, he re-
piled.
"He was noble lookin' man. He
hadn't the high cheek bones most In.
iuns have, nor little varminty eyes
He want pooty Injun, but he was
manly loOkin' and tall and straight
and you felt an awe OF his presence
you couldn't shake of. ;"
At the breaking out Of the Indian
war in 1885 all the friendly Indians
were changed TO warriors and braves
ssJake" was then q lad of 10. Once
during this war the sound Of sheep
bells saved his life; and once an old
deer-hound saved the lives of over q
thousand people. This was the way
OF it:
A "REMINISCENCES OF EARLY TIMES.
"Jakc's" father. having fought the
Creek Indians in Georgia, knew that
he must place his wife and children
in q safer shelter than the isolated
homestead. He bundled them all in
tO wagons and set out for Q settle
ment called Newmansville. Other
families were pouring into 1t from
every quarter and there were soon
between 1000 and 1000 people sudden
" gathered together where only 9
few families had lived before. Food
became scarce. The men had 10
work hard to build dcfenses around
the iowa. They dug trench and
made wall of logs fifteen feet high
and double-a log behind each crac <
Ia the logs beforehand at this work
they labored day and night. They
needed to be well fed. But there was
NO way to get supplies unless man
took his life in his own hands and
made stolen trip to his deserted
home. with its smoke house and it,
sweet potato patch. "Jake's" father
decided to do this. He took another
son and Jake" aud the three rode
away together, each intending to
bring back all his horse couid carry.
IL was after dark wher they entered
their home. There was hank" Of
sweet potatoes 10 the yard They
found plenty of meat In the smoke
house a1d there was corn in the barn,
besides AL the cotton they had pick
ed that year. Corn meal and bacon
and potatoes would make splendid
booty to carry back, and they PACKED
mp rs much a. they dared, knowing
that possiblysthey might have to ride
for their lives going home.
aAyED BY A SHEEP BELL.
They loaded their horses and tied
them close to tho house, and then, as
there was some hours 10 wait before
the time for starting back, the boys
shrew themselves down on the floor
AID went To sleep. But the father
watched. He knew that the Indians
lad threatened to burn his house and
wondered that it had been spared SO
icing. But the crafty enemy had
hecn waiting for just such an occa.
sion a. this, when he should BE-
tempted to come back to II. and even
aoW they knew that he was there and
wcr creeping up on him. intending
Co kill him and his boys ard destroy
hIs house all al one stroke. But sud.
denly, through the stiffness OF the
midnight a sound broke on his ear
. sheep bell.
Up, boys, and out! The Indians
arc on us!" he cried, for the sheep
Wcrc rushing toward the sheeprpen,
following their leader. and he knew
By the way they ran to their shelter
aEst they had been startled by the APP.
prosch Of men. In moment all
) three were In their saddles riding for
dear life. seeking hollows of thick
wooded places and obscure unknown
paths for safety. But they were not
.ssut OF sight when tho glow Of their
burning dwelling liz the sky. and
though they got safely into the forti'
fications the Indians took terrible
revenge upon The helpless animals
chat had given them warning. There
we're more than a hundred sheep.
They penncd up the bleating crea'
lures ard Que by one skinned them
alive. From some they tore off wide
belts Of fleece, Others they LETT with
A,odies covered but with legs stripped
aad some had their helpless heads
and faces skinned. All died 10 horri
bic suffering, tortured by insects and
birds ofprey before dying.
WARNINGS OF THE INDIANS.
As the hot summer went on there
was sickness aud death In the tortifi
cd village behind the tall logs and
as the Indians seemed to have desert
Cd that part Of the country, the times
werc changed. Mothers carried theil
sick babies outside Of the walls and
camped and cooked In the shade ol
tho trees, only returning when dark
Acss came, Old men and boys, who
w'osc the cole defense Of the place
went hunting for wild turkeys OF
other game, and Ill rested In 4 care
Iass sease Of security. So II was tha
Oue day old man pendarvis" wen
cut to see II he could kiln deer ans
following narrow stream shaded b,
trees, where deer came TO drink
Suddenly his old dug stoDped with ,