The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-12
The REMNANT OF THE SEMIN oLEs
The Effort the Government Is Making
- raoob Thar,o u, 6.,strIaI p,,~.,,,ta

The Effort the Government Is Making
to Teach Them Industrial Pursuits.
GAINESVILLE. FLA. June 1.-THE
MORNING News correspondent last night
had an interview with DR. Chaplin, who has
just arrived from the Allen place forty
miles south of Fort Myers. DR.. Chaplin
was sent some time ago to this point by the
United States government to superintend
the erection OF a saw-mill, planning mills
and single mills and also the erection OF a
school house and teachers houses and to lay
the foundation for an industrial school for
the benefit OF the remnant OF the once pow
ertul tribe of Seminole Indians, now inhab-
ting the high lands on the northern bound
airy of the Everglades.
The scheme was put on foot by the
Woman's National Indian Association,
whose office is IN Philadelphia and of
which Mrs. Quentin is the. president. DR..
Bratt was sent TO Fort Myers some time ago
by the association 20 open a school, and
white children were allowed to attend with
the hope that the Indians would follow their
example, but as yet nothing has been done
toward inducing them to follow the
ways Of their pale-faced brothers. The
doctor hopes In time, however, by a
patient perseverance, and gentle treatment
to induce them to take advantage of the
| opportunities extended. He says the Semi
noles now number, about 500, with perhaps
| $50, In cracker vernacular "bucks, for they
are warriors no longer. When Osceola or the
| Rising Sun, went down the war-like spirit
OF the tribe was broken forever. Three
things limit the increase OF the race, viz. (:
Their restricted hunting ground, its mala-
rial condition, and a law OF the tribe as to
marriage. This latter forbids the inter-
marrying where there is the least known
| blood relation and is as unadulterable as
that OF the Modes and Persians.
The Doctor says that in consequence of
this tribal ukase boys of Is wed friskly
maidens of so summers or more. They all
have excellent guns, Colts and Winchester
repeating rifles, and sell at Punta Rassa i,
| Puuta Gorda. Kissimmee and Fort Myers
the results Of the chase and she products of
their traps The dress Of the bucks is buck
skin trousers and turban made of many
| yards OF red or yellow calico as they can
| conveniently coil around their bronze brows,
| and that Of the women almost exclusively
beads. They have an utter repugnauce
| TO photographers and their features can
only be had on paper by the use Of kodak
concealed from their sight They live in
| three-sided palmetto shacks aad care neither
to improve their minds nor gather worldly
| gear. Around the Allen place the guava
and many other semi-tropical fruits grow
| wild in the woods, and the finest farming
land can be had for 50 so per acre.
Frost fell there the past winter, and the
| spring drought dlssipated the usual great
| quantities Of water TO such an extent that
the doctor had to sink wells for supplying
! the stock while transporting the mills from
Fort Myers to the site of the school-the
Allen place-which is south OF Fort Myers
| forty miles, and a like distance east Of
| Naples. The Doctor and his wife will 60
| north for the summer in few days.