The Daily Texarkanian., 1894-12-18
sEMINOLEs DYING OUT.
Tha Natives of the Everglades Threat.
ened with Utter Extinction,

ened with Utter Extinction.
1t will soon be in order for some
one familiar with the lives and hab-
its of the Florida Indians to write a
book on "The Last of the Semi
noles. The remnants Of this once
powerful tribe, who are scattered
through the Florida everglades,
scarely exceed 200 in number Pat
Murphy of Jacksonville, one of the
attaches of the house of represen-
tatives, has just returned to Wash
ington from that state, and the
other night talked entertainingly
about old Chief Tallahassee and his
tribe. He was at one time trader
among the Indians in the everglades
and had many good friends among
them,
81 saw man in Jacksonville Just
before ] left, said he, "who had
been down with the Indians for sew
eral weeks, and told me that their
ranks were rapidly becoming deci-
mated. They are poorer than ever
The game in their section, on which
they largely subsisted, is nearly all
shot away, and the few remaining
able bodied men will soon have to
get down to good old hard work un-
less the government comes to their
relief, They have very little prop
erty of their own, and what they
have is not of much value.
They do not take kindly to the
trades or farming, and for that
reason are insufliciently clad and
are leading a hand to-mouth exist
ence. There are not over 200 re-
naming who populate the three or
four struggling villages, One of
these is at Grow Creek, in Brevard
county; another at Lake Rosalie, in
the same county, another at Mia
mi, in Dade county, and still anoth-
er at what is known as the Big
Cypress, on the everglades, Talla-
hassee, the chief, is fine looking
medium sized Indian, aged about 70
years, and talks English quite
huently He sets fine example
for the few young bucks left in the
tribe by leading a clean, sober life,
but he cannot induce them to go to
work and earn their own food and
clothing, Their neglect of their
persons and irregular habits and
eating are making physical wrecks
Of them, and it will only be few
years before their villages will be
broken up and the handful of those
still living scattered in all directions.
When Tallahassee dies he will be
succeeded by his son, a strapping
big Indian, whom the whites call
Billy Buster, His only ambition Is
to kill lots of game, aud he is an
expert hunter and fisher, He con
siders himself insulted when the
subject Of work is broached to him.
''The Seminoles keep up their an
nual feast, which Is called the green
corn dance, 1t takes place during
the first quarter Of the moon in
June, All the living members Of
the tribe gather in the neighbor'
hood of Chief Tallahassee's abode
at this period. Then all their laws
are made and they pow WOW for
days and days until all have been
heard who have anything to sug-
gest for the good Of the tribe or
their entertainment, This Is also
the popular time for weddings, and
often a dozen marriages are cele'
brated while the green corn dance
continues, The dance feature OF
the gathering Is something on the
order of all Indian dances. They
paint their faces and bodies with
glaring colOrs, circle round and
round a big camp fire, stamp their
feet and give the short, sharp yelps
so characteristic Of all Indians,
They keep up this 80 called dancing
until they fall exhausted. Many
whites visit their gathering place at
this season and are invariably well