The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-07-23
THE OATAWBA INDIANS.
THE STORY OF A REMARKABLE
RACE.

THE STORY OF A REMARKABLE
RACE.
The Catawba Reservation in York
Sounty-Specimen Sketches OF the
Survivors.
To the Editor OF The News and
Courier: Washed by the yellow water,
of the Catawba River is a piece o
land less than eight hundred acres
which may rightly be called the Indian
county of South Carolina, for there
yet fingers on it q remnant of the once
great Catawba nation. | had the
pleasure OF spending Tuesday. July ..
with these people. 1t was my second
visit to them, and the object of the
visit was mainly to gather material
Tor writing an article about Billy
George, who is Il very remarkable red
man. spent the previous night at
Catawba Junction, and found the peo-
pie hospitable and friendly. The next
forenoon walked to the Cataw ba
reservation. three miles distant,
through a Lilly picturesque country.
The first Indian | met was hoeing
corn He proved to be Billy Harris,
known as Bowlegs," whose strong
Indian features showed plainly to what
race he belonged He is u former
chief of the nation, and was born 80
years ago right where | met him
working. / got him to go with me to
Billy Georges, or Uncle Billy" as
lie is called. He is the oldest of the
Catawbits and many years ago, in COM
pany with other Indians, signed u
treaty with South Carolina The old
mans cabin is built of hewn logs in
front is a hill, at the back is garden ::
on both sides of the house and garden,
also in front of the former, corn is
planted.
We found Uncle Billy alone. He
was sitting in his shirt sleeves, with
his hat on and Il handkerchief around
his neck. | bought the latter as a
memento of him. The weather was
raw, it rained some, and | sat with the
old man long time by small fire.
BILLY Harris stayed with us for a while
How strange it was for me to be sitting
near an Indian who signed q treaty
with my State; this man. too, was at his
own house, on Indian land, in South
Carolina
1t is not known how old this venera-
able Catawba is probably about So or
~. Age Is Enthusiastically stamped on
his face. He is not u tall man, and
his strongly marked Indian face is free
from beard. Such is u brief descrip-
tion of Billy George, who to-day may
be called the most remarkable Of the
Cataw bas.
His house is divided into two rooms.
The one in which | sat was sealed
inside. Some papers and pictures
were pasted on the wall /: in one corner
was Il press, on the mantelpiece clock
tlcked, few neat chairs and some
other articles made up the contents of
the room.
Uncle Billy talked ON various mat
tels. He seems TO feel the decline of
his nation. He told me that sometimes
he colldnt sleep he was studying so
about his people. talked a good deal
with the old man about himself, and
paid Il second visit to his house in the
evening, gathering the following facts
about him:
He was born among the white people
in York County, about five miles from
where Rock Hill now is. In the Indian
language his name was Coinchee, but
he docs nOT know what it means He
has had four wives and has three living
children, one cf whom, Lucy Jane
George, IS little girl aboat . years
old. He is II member Of the Mormon
Church, into which he was baptized
He rccOllccts that the following In
dians besides himself, signed the
treaty: Jacob Ayres, Jim Kegg
John, Joe, and Sam Scott. He asC
thinks that another one named Billy
Ayrcs signed it too. He said he signed
it as "a witness, or somehow thai
way and also that they say he sign
ed it as Capt. George"
Uncle Billy may rightly be consider
ed II remarkable person in the lndiar
history Of South Carolina, and we may
hope that his declining years viii
always b3 free from want and trouble
Among the other houses | called q
was Aunt Rhode" Harris's, Whose
husband, Allen Harris, was prominen
as chief and died number of year
ago. Without any suggestion on IN.
part, dim was given me here, an,
no pay would be taken for it, Aun
Rhodes household appears to b" tn
most thrifty among the Catawbas
The dinner given me would have bee
very creditable to any boarding house
Jim Harris, the chief, was absent
| met him, however, last year. Tha
evening | was seated on u bench unde
an oak tree near his house in compan
with two other CaLitw bas, Billy Harri
and John Sankcrs. The latter talke
to me earnestly, almost eloquentlA
He wants the Legislature to add tw
hundred dollars to the annuity whic
: the Catawbas receive now, SO tha
they can build Il school house and hav
: u school. If we need anything"
, exclaimed, I'VE need cducation." II
} thinks the State might give them tn
additional money, for, he said, he do,
: not think the Catawbas have ever wo
! ried South Carolina.
, That night got the Indians to ha,
q dance for me. 1t occurred at SaI
, Blue's--a member of the tribe. Thel
} appeared to be two distinct dance
) one OF which was called the India
= dance and the other the wild goo
l chase. From what could learn, the