The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1889-03-01
THE SEMINOLES.
Description OF This Once Trouble
some Indian Tribe.
Their Mode of Life-Bow cOOntie and sOf-
kee Are Made-TaICing Turns i'm Sup
porting the Old PeopIe-CiviIiz-
ing Influences.

These Indians tall, fine-looking
race of bright copper color-are the
descendants of a few bands who escaped
from the soldiers at the close of the
Seminole war, in 1912, while the tribe
was being removed to the lands west
of the Mississippi, and fed to the far
southern swamps of Florida, where
they have been allowed to live un-
molested ever since, and where they
have made homes for themselves on
the almost inaccessible islands of the
Everglades, or in the little open
savannas amid the twilight gloom of
big cypress swamps.
Both of these localities are in the
extreme southern part of the great
Floridian peninsula, and are sur
rounded by vast stretches of pine
forests, palmetto groves and mangrove
swamps.
Few white men have ever visited
these Everglade homes. for it would
be impossible to find them without
guide, and nothing but the greatest
friendship would or could procure
The women never express curiosity
about any thing in the presence of a
stranger, and it was only after frequent
meetings with my particular squaw
friends that they began to notice my
clothing and ask the price and use of
different articles.
1t is a custom for two, three, or
four families to unite, elect a head,
and form a camp. These settlements
are then known by the name of the
head man, such as Jimmy Doctors
Camp, or Tommy Liston's Camp and
so on.
Each family has its own palmetto
house or hut, it's own canoes, dogs,
cooking utensils, pigs and chickens,
and each ones rights are strictly OBJ
served and recognized, while a perfect
harmony exists, or seems to, and in
fact must, for the same families are
known TO occupy the same camp year
after year. When an Indian man or
woman becomes too old to work they
are taken care of by the different
camps, each one fulfilling it's share of
the duty for a certain time. We saw
who had been there for three moons;
he was then going to be taken to Cy-
prus Billy's Camp for three moons;
and then it would be Tommy Liston's
turn to give him food and shelter.
This duty is always faithfully and
willingly accepted and carried out.
The houses of these camps or viii
lagos consist of four posts supporting
| a steeply pitched roof of palmetto
thatch: the floor is made of pine sap
plings hewn to a rough level with an
axe, and covered with bear and deer
skins; and quantities of blankets, and
even cheese-cloth mosquito bars for
sleeping comfortably, will always be
found in one corner of them.
Tied to one or more of the posts of
the house there are sure to be several
little black pigs, to say nothing of
numbers of long-legged, lean, shabby
looking chickens.
Whenever it becomes necessary to
move the women do most of the work,
simply because they are quicker and
more apt at it; for have taken par
ticular notice that the men always as
sist, but'in such a slow, dignified way
that they accomplish but little, while
the women are quick and handy.
A curious custom is that the women
have their own purse, and the men
recognize their right to it; but they
+ are not allowed to spend their money
/ themselves, although they go with
/ their husbands or fathers on all shop
/ ping expeditions, and are rarely re-
I fused any thing they take a fancy to,
even after their own money is all
! spent.
/ A dollar or two is all they ever pos
sess, for the only means they have Of
earning money is by selling a few
! eggs, or making reed baskets, or moe
casins for white people. A squaw's
social standing and her husbands
wealth are generally determined by
/ her bead necklace; to have it perfect
/ in size and color is her greatest joy.
\ These necklaces consist of a broad col
lar of green and blue glass beads,
often a hundred rows, wound round
/ and round the neck, the whole bOr-
dered with a fringe of silver dimes and
half-dollars, beaten thin and then cut
into crescents, stars, and other de-
signs. The first row is put on when a
baby, and is added to as years and
worth increase.
The rest of the dress consists Of two
calico skirts and a ridiculous little
waist Of the same material. though
often OF different color, which is not
fastened to the skirts and fails 10 meet
them by an inch or more.
The back hair is woven in a neatly
coiled knot tied with strips Of bright
cloth, and the front in a straight thick
bang. II is course and black, but
bears evidence Of care. and is always
done up neatly. They make their own
clothing and most Of their husbands
for if he buys a shirt they are sure to
decorate it in some fauciful fashion
with different eolored materials
Both men and women are kind TO all
children. although one woman viii