The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1889-03-01
SUBSCRIPTION: sl.o0 Per Year.

never correct the faults Of another
woman's children; neither will they
insist on their little ones sharing
either their playthings or food with
their companions, though the women
will often deny themselves for that
but among children 1t must
be share and share alike if they are all
girls. Should boy, however-of the
same family, of course-be in the
question, he is first satisfied, even if
he takes all.
The first time Jimmy Doctor Squaw
whose name is Den-a-see, which her
husband says means ''alle same Polly"
came to see me gave her plate
of cake. She took it with a smile, but
would not touch a mouthful until her
husband had helped himself to the
largest piece. Then she ate hers
daintily. and when finished stepped to
the end of the piazza and threw the
crumbs into the yard, both from her
lap and the plate.
/ first discovered that she was some
what of cook from her timid ques.
tiOns about my groceries, and her de-
light with an old pan that gave her.
/ now know that her sofkee is noted
as ''plenty good, " and no one knows
how to make coOntie bread better, OF
to roast corn more perfectly than Den.
a-see does.
This coontie. when ready for use, re-
sembles corn-starch, and is quite equal
to it in all preparations in which the
latter can be used. 1t is made from
root, which is grated to a pulp, then
soaked in water, and squeezed
through coarse cloth bags. or
rubbed through a mesh of the finest
copper wire. The liquid matter that
escapes is then allowed to stand for
some days, when the water is drawn
off, and leaves a white sediment, which
is washed again and again, and finally
allowed to dry in the sun. and becomes
as white as snow and is as fine as
the finest flour. This work is all done
by the squaws. and they take much
pride in their fine white coOntie flour.
SOfkee is composed of gopher Ga
land turtle), pork, sweet potatoes,
onions, brier-root and maybe several
far from tasting badly when made by
Den-a-see. She has just one pot in
which to cook every thing-frst her
coontie, then perhaps sofkee, after
which it may be used for boiling herbs
or trying out the fat from an alligator's
tail, but it is always thoroughly
cleaned after each using; and the idea
that these Indians are either greedy
or unclean in their cooking and eating
is to do them an injustice; for from
personal observation, both in their
camps and at my own table. l have had
many opportunities to judge of their
table manners.
There are no more contented or hap
pier women in their homes and families,
and visit to their camps will always
find them in the midst of household
duties. Every woman will be busy at
something, either making coontie
flour, braiding baskets, tanning deer
skins, sewing, cooking, washing or
doing some one of the thousand and
one things that are always to be done
wherever there is a house and family
to be looked after and taken care of.
The men, if they are not on an alli-
gator or deer hunt. are pretty sure to
be found busy with their guns or
canoes, or else amusing the whole
camp by grinding out music from one
or more orguinettes; for music-bOxes,
Waterbury watches and umbrellas are
fashionable extravagancesa among these
Indians.
Their religious belief is that the
good Indian, when he comes to his
'slong sleep" will be rewarded with
youth, strength, and all that he de-
sires.
When a young or old chief wishes to
marry he goes to the house of the
maid he has chosen and places a guava
stick beside the door and retires.
Should she wish him for her husband
she places also a stick by the one he
has left. When he next calls they ex-
change and hold the sticks as marriage
certificates.
When death visits camp fire is
lighted and it's slow-rising smoke is a
signal to the next camp, which also
starts fire, and so on until all are no
titled that the ''IOng sleep" has over
taken some one of their tribe. AS yet
it is only glimpse that we can have
or give of their life; but each year ii
is becoming more possible to know
them, for civilization is fast finding its
way all along the coast. and even to
the very edge of that mysterious and
Notwithstanding country, the ever.
glades and cypress swamps of Florida,
where dwell the proud descendants ol
| Osceola and his chiefs, the Seminoles.
-Harper's Bazaar