The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-08-27

ohS iOVih. Lie nuiflDtF VI long,
wide, and high footlogs spanning
the creek attracts attention. By
careful count there are twenty-eight
of these logs within two miles. Here
we come on a squad of Indians loll-
ing by the wayside, who treat us
with the greatest indifference again
we meet a buck riding bareback,
who tries to give us as much room
as possible at another point ayoung
squaw with pappoose fastened to her
back makes her way in the opposite
direction, with quick step and eyes
fixed on the ground. They will let
the traveller go by without look or
word. / have been told that they
watch strangers very closely from
some hiding place, but when met on
the highway they seem confused and
to be in a hurry to get out of the
way. The men wear citizens dress
and the women delight in garments
made of the most brilliant red. A
group of squaws arrayed in red filing
along the road, with their babies and
bundles strapped to their backs, is
picturesque.
The government makes every eff
fort to keep out of the reservation
settlers, both whites and negroes, and
the laws of the State forbid inter
marriage, yet there are many half
breeds, and it was my observation
that the cross between the white
man and redman makes a handsome
man and u beautiful woman, but
they are said to be of a more evil
disposition than either race. The
Indian has no fondness for town
life and hence the centers of popula-
ton are few and hardly worthy of
the name of village. Wolf Town,
Bird Town, Big Cove and Yellow
Hill are the principal places and it
is at the latter that a government
school has been established first
under the Friends, but for the past
three years the government has had
entire control. 1t is 6 most beauti-
full situation the Ocona Lufta river,
wide and clear, curves in full view
of the buildings, rejecting like a
great mirror every object near it's
waters. AT the base of the hill,
which is the site of dormitories, is
u %luXuriant lawn on which fine Jer-
seys browse. The months of July
and August + vacation, yet we
found pupils who had not returned
to their homes, and the Superinten-
dent, MI. Potter, the instructor i'm
Agriculture, Mr.. Shelton, and the
ladies connected with the school
were very kind and entertained us
in every way possible. Between the
superintendent office and the school
room is a quaint band stand, which
is used by a large and excellent In
dian brass band. The stand is a
mulberry tree which sends out from
its trunk eight or ten feet from the
ground nine large branches in the
form of the ribs of an open inverted
umbrella. On these limbs the cir.
cular floor is placed with seats and
railing. There is nothing remarka-
bic about the school room except the
fact that the desks are free from the
marks of pencil and knife. No Sim
mortal names were carved on the
lids. There were several excellent
maps drawn on the boards there
was a very accurate map of North
Carolina drawn by Laskie Standing
deer, but the best map was that of
the United States drawn by Abel
Wolf. l was so well pleased with
this that L asked to see Abel. He
was called into the school-room and
was introduced to a stout, intelli-
gent Indian boy fourteen years old.
lie had been in the school for three
years; he speaks and writes English
we'll and is fluent in the use of
Cherokee; he was fond of reading,
writing and drawing, but did not
like arithmetic. He wrote on the
board in beautiful letters "Not Fail
ure, But Low Aim is Crime" The
boys and girls are received at this
school when seven years old and are
taught, fed, clothed and, / may add,
washed, by the government until
they are ready for higher education,
when they are sent to a Northern
school like that at Carlisle. 1t is
easier to teach them English than
to cultivate in them a fondness for
the food that other people enjoy.
The Indian bean bread, a mixture of
meal and beans, which their friends
bring to them, Is eaten with greater
relish than the most palatable dish
prepared by the best of cooks. They
detesA milk and vegetables. The
girls are o vicious,than the bows.
When the pupils leave the school
they often go back to their old WAYS.
About four hundred of this nation
are now being taught by Christian
men and women. The government
has made an appropriation for 1876
pupils at the Yellow Hill school for
the next year. The industrial side
OF education receives much attention:
the girls are taught to sew and the
boys the use of tools. A good GAR
den and farm are connected With
the school.
The old Indians know little En-
lish, but have a written language of
their own>
The names of the Indians are