The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-05-30
SUMTER. S. G. WEDNESDAY, MAY 80, 1894.
South Carolina Indians.

South Carolina Indians.
Mr.. Mcdonald Furman Tells About
the Catawbas.
4 Pleasant VisI to tie Reservation Chief
jan Ha,ri-U Uncle Billy Geo1ge-A Pleas
AIT Indian Aome-A boat ride on the Cdtaw-
6a Ruer-Nher Matters.
Mr.. Editor: One day, not q fortnight
ago. I rambled with ii ledian man
over . beautiful piece Of woods, which
had here and there q settlement-the
homes of Indians. for the land on which
I walked belongs to the red race. Sur
prising as it may seem to my readers,
this Indian land is in South Carolina.
1t is the Catawba reservation in York
County. and this was my frs. visit to
the tribe.
On Monday forenoon, May a. left
the pretty little city Of Rock Hill, on
horseback, and after a ride of some nine
or ten miles over 3 pleasant road. |
reached the lCatawba nation. The first
house Visited was that of jim Harris,
who was elected Chief of the tribe a
year ago lsst November. Some account
Of this Chief will be of interest to your
readers. He is q pleasant, intelligent
looking Indian. with a mustache, and
was born on the reservation IS years
ago last March. He has travelled
about some, having been to Washing.
ton once, and to Columbia several times.
He is a widower now called twice
at his house, and although be was suffer-
ing from rheumatism, be talked readily
With me. He said, among other things,
that he didn't think South Carolina
statute could show where a Catawba bad
been in the penitentiary. Jim's brother,
David HARRIS clean shaved. rather
striking looking young red man, not
quite twenty-two-is the largest farmer
8WOuR tueO dt8
1 called at tie house of Billy George.
or ..uncle Billy" as he seems to be
called by the nation. he looks like a
genuine Indian, and is about the oldest
Of the Catawbas, being probably in the
neighborhood Of s. or 80 years. As
capt. George" be signed the last treaty
made between South Carolina and the
Catawbas, aud be claims to be the only
Indian now living who signed it.
There are 120 Catawbas in all ; 81 are
living on the reservation, % are 10 far
away Colorado. aud the others are in diff
ferent places. Thereare two white women
living 10 the nation. q Of whom is the
wife and the other the widow Of az
Indian. asked the latter (who / met
at Jim Harris's.) how che came to
many an Indiao aud she answered.
.'cause I loved them" About seven
on the reservation can read. aud write.
I am inclined to think, from what l
could learn. tbas the Catawba language
is not used much on the reservation
now ; even Jim Harris, the Chief, can
speak it very little. "Uncle Billy"
George told m e that yam-ma-rav-her
w.s Catawba for chief, this word is not
used now.
This has become a mixed nation !;
Epps Harris, a Catawba who claimed to
be about 60 years old, mentioned to me
seven Indians who be said are about all
that are full blooded. Lewis Gordon,
who went about with me over the
reservation more than any other
Indian, looked far more like a white
man than an Indian. The Catawbas
don't walk in Indian 6le now. and none
Of the children ever practice with bows
and arrows, There was nothing Of the
Indian in the dress of those that | met.
There are 1872 acres, more or less, in
the reservation, of which not over 200
acres are cleared, some is rented ont to
whites. There seemed to be a number
of paths on the reservation, and in my
walks l noticed some hills and little
streams. As l said before, the woods
here are beautiful. I think any one
who enjoys walking about in forests,
would feel fully repaid for visiting the
reservation. especially at this time.
when spring is in all Of its beauty aud
glory, aud everything looks SO green
and pretty.
There are about eighteen settle
ments on the reservation, most Of which
are built of plank and have %outhouses.
There are patches around most of the
settlements. The laws Of landed pro.
perry among these Indians are interest
ing. Whenever one of them cleans up
land, it becomes his, and if be dies it
belongs to his family. visited niue Of
the settlements, and from what | saw l
should judge that the homes Of these
people are about like those of small white