Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-03-24
AMONG THE sENIINOLES.
Peculiar Manners and Customs OF
the Remnant of the Tribe.


Ten years ago the writer spent year
in the peninsula of Southern Florida.
In the inaccessible wilds of the ever
glade region there were then existing
two distinct tribes of the great Semi
mole nation of southern Indians.
The largest tribe was Seminole
proper, and lived in what is known all
over the state as 1.-THE Big Cypress, {"
dark swamp strtching across the pen
insula near the northern end of the
everglades. There were then several
hundred of the warriors of that tribe-
The smaller tribe, consisting of some
forty or fifty warriors, stald on reseri
walton near the head of PeaSe creek and
the Little OuthlacOochee river, Tho
chief Of that tribe was Chipco.
One night had an opportunity Of
making Chipco'S acquaintance at the
little trading post where lived man
by the name Of Collins, who acted as
government agent. We were out at the
little store in the dusk of the evening,
when suddenly two Strapping warriors
came striding up 10 the door, and each
threw down his pack of skins, which he
had brought along to barter for goods.
Both grunted out their salutatlons in
broken English, and seated themselves
on a log near the store, which was loca-
ted near the public road, in the edge of
a little clearing surrounded by the
boundlesS forest stretching away for
miles and miles on every hand.
While watching the two savages as
they sat in silence around their camp
fire, | was little startled by a deep
voiced "Howdee'' at my elbow, and
turning l beheld tall, muscular man,
of commanding appearance, with a
rather stern cOuntenance and indeScri-
bable air of a man accustomed to COM
mand. 1t was Chipco. The othe two
rose at the approach Of their chief and
saluted him respectfully, saying as few
words as possible, and making them
selves understood by gestures.
ChipcO threw down a long buckskin
bag and began to empty 1t. What was
my surprise to see that the bag contain
ed gOphers? There were ten or dozen
of the rough looking old tortoises in the
sack, and It must have weighed between
100 and $50 pounds.
The old chief spoke few words to
Collins and myself, and then invited us
to take a seat by the camp fire. We did
so, and then, at sign from the chief,
the younger. of the two warriors, Who,
as Collins told me, was young Tlgertail,
a son of the noted chief of that name,
arose and began to relate the days ex-
perience i'll the Seminole language. Col
Inns interpreted portions of it in whiS-
pers, ard l found it was quite common
place, but l can never forget the i'm
preston it made npOn me, delivered In
the manner peculiar to the race.
The warrior stood up, Strengthening
himself to his full height, and with
arms folded and head erect, he began to
detail the occurrences of the day. The
moonlight fell on bis handsome features,
bringing out every detail of the Strik-
study for painter.
In low, subdued voice he began.
First be told OF the early start he made,
and. by gestures, indicated that the sun
was just rising. As he proceeded his
voice rose with the sun, and from time
TO time lie raised his brawny arm and
pointed to the quarter Of the heavens
where the sun was at the time the incl
dent occurred which he was then detail
ing. | was lost in amazed wonder and
admiration, but this was only prelude.
His auditors showed their attentiveness /
by occasional gruntS. but not word |
was uttered until lie had completed his |
tale. At the close he sat down, and the |
others mildly applauded him by favora-
bic comments on his speech.
Than tho n+har trarTTnr xyhO xr-qc aaII
ed Tustenugge, and who was the right
full chief of one Of the petty clans of the !
Big Cypress tribe, began in the same |
manner and repeated his adventures,
which were similar TO the first because
they had Travelled together. Collins
afterward told me that this young man
had been defrauded of his chieftanship
by political rival, and had left the tribe
and attached himself to Chipco;s band.
When he had concluded, the chief
himself arose. l can see him now as he
stood there in the moonlight, his manly
form clad in a Seminole savage dress,
and his head posed as proudly as any |
knight of old, and the fierce flashing of
his eye as he gaZed at the distant lake
for an instant, the Silvery moonlight
adding to the weirdness of the scene.
He was then about 80 years of age, and
the firm mouth, high bred nostril and
magnificent physique of the man inspi-
red respect in those who came in contact
with him.
By the low, soft voice in which he
began l understood that he started at |
the first blush of dawn, fifty miles away,
near the shores of the great Okeecho-
bee. His intOnation was clear, his
enunciation perfect, and the rythmic
melody Of his voice reminded me of the
distant sound Of finely toned organ.
Slowly he ascended the scale, and L
could tell precisely when the sun rose,
by the inexpressible tone of gladness in
which his language was pitched. High
er and higher grew his voice, and the
rare chords and cadences could have
made the fortune of the more cultured
brother, could he have possessed the
power TO initiate them.
He told US how he struck long dry
level, and how thirsty he became, and
how he searched in vain for pool or
rivulet or water and how he grew
fatigued, and the game bag grew so
heavy that he bent beneath its weight.
How the great drops OF preparation
gathered on his brow, and at last with a
majestic sweep he pointed directly up-
ward, and at the same time burst into
that glad tone again, which indicated
that he succeeded in finding water. His
voice was now pitched in its highest
key, yet there was no harshness or dis
cord in the tones, to jar upon the in
tensely high strung nerves of the inter-
ested listener. There was an instant's
pause, and then L could observe a Slight
lowering Of his voice as the sun started
in its downward course.
Lower and lower it sunk as the sun
neared the horizon line, until, depicting
mis- adventures in the darkness, his
voice was almost a whisper. But the
most wonderful thing was the tone that
his rich voice assumed when describing
the rising of the moon. l never again
expect to hear anything 50 expressive
as the tones of the chiefs voice, as he
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