Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-10-05
Especial Correspondence.l

All Indiana.
Especial Correspondence
KANSAS CRY, Oct. 3.--The Choctaw.
are possessed Of tho most picturesquely
beautiful and inherently fertile portion
OF the Indian territory. IL may with
truth be said there can scarcely be
found finer country on earth th--magnifi.
cent valleys with their rich share OF
wooded streams, gently undulating up.
lands, and an elysian expanse Of prairie,
watered by the Arkansas, and the ''Red
river OF the south"
The Choctaws, or, properly, Chatas,
when De Soto, who wns the first ex
plorer on the continent TO meet them
cSlOh occupied an imnense region,
Now comprised in Mississippi, Alabama,
Georgia and Florida, and, unlike theii
surrounding neighbors, were peaceably
disposed-a nation Of farmers, muct
further advanced in civilization thar
any other tribe.
This tribe has produced some OF the
greatest characters in Indian history
whose deeds have long ago been wover
into the archives Of the United States
and II has been my fortune to hav.
known one or two intimately and many
of the lineal descendants Of others.
The most conspicuous Of all, and the
one whose memory is revered TO this day
with almost a saint like alteration, wa,
"Push .ma-ta-ha," which means 1.-THE
warriors seat is finished"
He was born in Mississippi in 1905
and died in Washington, d. c.. Dec. "a
1924. He had distinguished himself or
the warpath before he was 90 years old
He joined an expedition against ths
Osages, whose country lay west OF tn,
great river, and was laughed at by the
older members Of the party because OF
his boyishness and propensity TO talk.
The Osages were defeated in a conflict
that lasted an entiSe day. "Push-ma
ta.ha" disappeared early in the fight,
and when he returned TO the camp al
midnight, he was jeered ut, and openly
accused of cowardice. "Let those laugh
was his reply, "who can show more
scalps than L. whereupon he took Ave
from his pouch and threw them on the
ground!
They were the result of an onslaught
he had made single handed on the en-.
emy's rear and this feat gained for him
the title of "1he Eagle"
After spending several years in Mex.
leo, he went alone to Torauqua village,
killed seven men with his own hand,
and made good his retreat uniniured.
During the next two years he made three
additional expeditions into the Torauqua
country and added eight fresh scalps to
his war costume.
For fifteen years afterwards he seemed
TO have slipped out Of history, but in
1910 was living on the Tombigbee river,
and had the reputation Of being an ex
pert Indian ball player.
During the war of 1912 he promptly
took sides with the United States, and il
at tho great council ordered by Tecum.
sch, the celebrated Shawnee, for the pur.
pose of uniting all the southern Indians
with tho English, that the purpose OF
the council was defeated and tho Choc.
taws sided with our people.
That memorable council was held on
the Tombigbce river, about five mile.
north of where Columbus, Miss. now is.
1t lasted ten days and nights, and al
first all the warriors counseled neutrality
but John Pitchlynn and "Push-ma. ia
hal"
Tecumsch made the grandcst oratorica
effort Of his life, and apparently had il
all his own way until Push-ma.ta- ha
who was then 81, addressed the assem-
blage, aud then the great Shawnee chief
could only persuade a portion Of tn,
warriors to follow him.
The proceedings of that famous coun.
Gil must have been solemnly impressive.
but no official record, of course, was
kept, because tho Indians who partici
pated at that time wero "untutored sav.
ages" and without written language
for it was not until ten years afterwards
that Se-guo-y yah, the Cadmus Of the Cher.
okees, completed his alphabet.
Some of the spectacular features of tn.
mighty gathering were told to me six O,
seven years ago by the son-then an ole
man-of one of the earliest Baptist mis-
sionaries to the Choctaws. who was pres
ent (the Rev. Mr. Cushman), and wht
often related the story to his family.
One of the ceremonies particularly in
.Crc5ted me, because it resembled tn.
sacrifice of the Jews during the admin
istration of Moscs-but am not one o,
those who believe in tho theory that tn.
Indians of America are descendants ol
"the lost tribes of Israel" am firm in
my conviction of an indigenous origiI
for the primitive peoples of this cont
rent, which many of their traditions
confirm. The ceremony referred to wa!
the demand made by the prophet of tn,
tribe--so called, and who in the Choctav
cult Of that period, seemed TO bear IN,
same relation to his people as the "med.
iCinc man" OF today among the Plains
Indians. This prophet, 10 more def.
nitely determine the question Of neu
trality, or whether the nation should side
with the English or Americans in the
impending war, ordered brought TO him
"a spotless red heifer" with which tc
propitiate the Great Spirit and learn
His desires or advice on the vexed ques.
ton!
Tho required animal was shortly pro-
duced, huge altar Of logs constructed,
the beast with much ceremony slaugh.
tered by the prophet, its naked carcass
dedicated to the flames, and while the
thick smoke of the Offering was ascend.
ing TO the clouds, he etook the bloody hide,
and commanding every warrior to throw
himself prone upon the ground, face
downward, which, as soon rs he was
obeyed, he wrapped himself up in and
waited for a communication from the
Great Spirit
More than an hour was occupied in
TINS rurlous but Impressive lncantation;
meanwhile not a warrior moved from