The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-07-04
INDIAN CURlosITIEs.
Queer Aboriginal Books Contained in an
EthnoIogists Library

EthnOiOSlsT>S Library
Perhaps the most remarkable small library
in this country is the property of James G.
Pilllng, the well-known ethnologist of Wash
ington. 1t is the largest existing collection
of books in Indian languages, and of these
languages there are no less than fifty-fve
in North America north of Mexico. All of
them distinct tongues as different from
one another as Chinese and English.
More than one-half of the 500 dialects into
which the fifty-five languages referred to
are divided are preserved in books. 1t is be-
lieved that the first book printed on the con
tinent was in an Indian language-the
''Nahuat published at the City of Mexico
in 1889. The first Bible printed in America
was in an Indian tongue-the celebrated
Eliot Bible. This is one of the most costly
of ali rare books About forty copies of it
were specially prepared with dedication
to Charles II. One of these, in good con-
dition, is now worth about $4,000
The first printing done west of the Rocky
mountains was in the Nez Perez language.
1t was primer for Indian childrena turned
out from the mission press at Clearwater,
Idaho, in 1889. The press that did the work
udu Uotu uEOuSuG ny tue Oil
the way from the Hawaiian Islands.
The first book printed in Dakota was
dictionary of theSioux language produced in
1866 at Fort Laramie. 1t was prepared by
two officers of the United States army,
Lieut.. Hyde and Starring, to pass away the
weary hours during long and cold winter
at that lonely outpost of civilization. They
were aided in the work by an interpreter
and by the Indians who loafed about the fort
The type was set up by the soldiers, and
fifty copies were struck off on crude hand
press Only two copies are now known, one
of them belonging to Gen. Starring of New
York, brother of the author, and the other
to Mr.. Pillng.
THE CHEROKEE ALPHABET.
The only existing alphabet that is product
of one mans mind in which literature has
been printed was the invention of a half
breed Cherokee Indian. His name was Sc
quo-yah, and he had no education whatever;
but it occurred to him that he could express
all the syllables in the Cherokee tongue by
characters. Finding that there were eighty
six syllable sounds in the language he de-
vised for each one of them a peculiar mark.
For some of the marks he took characters of
our own alphabet. turning them upside
down. With these symbols he set about
writing letters, and by means of them a
correspondence was soon maintained be-
tween Indians of his race in Georgia and
their relatives 500 miles away.
At present this alphabet-or, more properly
speaking, syllabary- is in general use among
the Cherokees. In no other language can
the art of reading be learned SO quickly.
Whereas fairly bright child learns to read
well in English il two and half years, a
Cherokee youngster is able to acquire
fueney in reading books written in this syl-
labary within two months and a half. In
1927 the American board of foreign missions
betrayed the cost of casting font of type
of the characters. The literature COM
posed with them is now very extensive, nu-
merous books and some of the newspapers
of the Cher okees being published in the syl,
labary.
BY SQUARES AND CIRCLES.
Later, in 1910, an improved syllabary was
devised by the Rev. James Evans, mission
airy among the Creeks. 1t was phonetic, and
the characters were simpler, being composed
of squares and parts of squares and circles
and parts of circles. The Jealous clergyman
cut his type out of wood and made castings
from the original blocks with lead from tea
chests, which he begged from officers of the
Hudson Bay Company. He manufactured
ink out Of SCOT and on hand press of his
own construction printed many little tracts
and leaflets for the benefit of the Indians
With some notifications his characters have
come into general use, not only among the
Crees, but also among many tribes of the
northwest which speak languages in no
wise akin to that of the Crees, and scores
of books have been printed in them.
IN THE CHINOOK JARGON.
The queerest periodical in existance is
weekly now published by French priest
at kamloops, British Columbia. 1t is called
the KamlOops Wa-wa, which means writ
ing" and is in the Chinook jargon. This
jargon is a sort of international speech. COM
posed of half a dozen different Indian
tongues, mixed with fragments of English,
French and German. 1t is the language
trade intercourse among all the people of
the sparce1y settled northwest as far as
Alaska.
The mission field of the holy father who
publishes this periodical extends over about
500 square miles. Much of his time is spent
in making long journeys between distant
settlements, and during his pauses for rest
on the way he amuses himself with editorial
work. The weekly is written in three col
umns-the first column in jargon, the second
in shorthand characters and the third in
English. The matter is current news of the
mission, sermons, prayers, etc. 1t is null
tiplied by the mimeograph and distributed
among the priests widely scattered parish
oners. The paper on which the printing is
done is blue, green, pink or yellow, accord
ing to the taste of the people who give it to
the good father. The periodical is delivered
free of charge, Mr.. Pilling being, in all prob
ability, the only paying subscriber.
ORIGIN OF THE JARGON.
The jargon was started by the early white
explorers who visited the Pacific coast
Lewis and Clark, the first adventures in
that direction, were followed by the people
of the American Fur Company, sent out
by John Jacob Aster. The passing of these
commercial travellers among the tribes re-
suited in composite vocabulary, which
is now used by people who speak twenty
Mt q mo of 81 Al, I'll