Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-02-21


80 occasion for old Osceola
- Tribe, Improved Order
A of Red Men. 1t was the
[ fftieth anniversary ofthe
w WtESSkindling of their council
VS& fire in Alexandria, and it
[Ryf lSxwas fttipgly celebrated
5-so much so that the en-
tire programme was car,
ried out in q successful
and satisfactory manner.
Although the name Red Men Is as
ISOLATED with the aborigines, and the
members of the order adopt their vo-
cabulary and masquerade as the true
Americans, such as the discoveries OF
this continent found them, their creed,
slightly altered fiom passage in st.
James reads: "True religion and
brotherly love is this to visit and as
sist the widows and fatherless, or a
fellow-being in affection and to keep
ones self unspotted from the
world" And the history of the
order since its introduction in Alex
andria shows that this has been
carried out both in theory and in prac-
tice. While the members masquerade
as Indians and their meetings are
called Council fires" those who sit
around them do not thirst for scalps,
but smoke the calumet of peace and de-
liberate on the higher issues of civiliza-
tion-th true mission of life-the al
deviation of distress and how best to
succor all especially those having fra
ternal ties on them. They are the
spiritual progeny of those who centu-
ries ago extended the right hand ofwel-
come to Miles Standish and who talked
business with William Penn. The Red
Man goes back long way in history.
Adam is believed to have been one,
from the fact that the name in the orig
pal Semitic tongue means "red," and
it is argued from standpoint hard to
controyert that his descendants made
their way from Asia into America via
Behring's Straits Gf the straits existed
at that time) and gradually overspread
this country. Others urge equally as
strong arguments to prove that they
are part of the ten tribes of Israel who
revolted under Jeroboam. AT any rate
they were not idolators and their wor-
ship of a Great Spirit, their wave
offerings, &c., all tend to the belief
that they are of the seed of Abraham.
But the Red Men as secret benevo-
lent order had its origin previous to the
American revolution, and they played
no minor part in helping to bring on
the war for independence, some patrl-
OTIS at that time meeting secretly in In
dian costume to foment plans for the
country's freedom. 1t will be remem-
bered that white men dressed as In
dams threw the tea overheard in Bos-
ton harbor, and there are documents
now in the possession of the British
government which were sent in by gov
errors of the colonies complaining of
The reasonable acts of men of the An
Clio Saxon race who masqueraded as In-
dams when bent on mischief Hence
the order finds America indigenous. 1t
exists no where else, but here it has
large field in which to grow, and where
il has grown and fourished and become
q fixed institution, having in every
place.in which council fire has been
kindled prominent and useful men
among its members. What can be said
Of other places can also be said of Alex
andria. Here, too, during the fifty
years of its existence, the names Of hun
dreds of our best citizens have from
time to time been on the rolls of either
O:ceola or the War Eagle Tribe. The
latter became extinct many years ago,
by being merged into the former.
Red Men form unique organization.
While other secret societies have kings,
priests, worshipful masters, eminent
commanders, generalissimos, chancel.
lors. noble grands and other high.
sounding names for their officers, sug-
gestive of eminence or royalty, they are
content to adopt those appertaining to
man in state of nature; hence they
call their presiding officers sagamores,
prophets, and sannaps, their tiler, or
sentry, "guard to the wigwam," the
members braves" and term their bust
ness deliberations ''the hunt" or
trail" Their calendar is compiled OF
suns, moons, runs and breaths instead
of years, months, weeks, days, hours
and minutes.
The council fires of Osceola Tribe
have been kindled for half century
at the seventh run, thirtieth breath,
during the beaver, hunting, cold, snow,
worm, plant, corn and travelling
moons" which is only q more extenu-
ated way, in The Rcd Mems parlance,
of saying "hali-pasL seven o'clock dur
ing fall and winter" and ''at the eighth
run during the flower, hot, buck and
sturgeon moons" which translated is
at eight o'clock in summer. All who
have entered the wigwam have been
made to subscribe to the fact that
he was believer in great spirit, the
creator and preserver of the universe,
and possessed ofsome known reputable
means of support" and have been
made to pay 'three fathoms of wan
pun (three dollars in money! as
scalping fee." As has been said, every
thing connected with the order is sug-
gestive of the inhabitants of North
America as the Pilgrim fathers found
them. The officers are called sachems,
prophets, &c., children OF
members papooses, money wampum,
"a fathom dollar and an inch a cent?;
the place of meeting is wigwam, the
council fire, the chairs of the
officers stumps and all outsiders are
denominated pale faces. Numbers of
the latter with their friends, including
10 dioo haoop IN nroud into tbo Oaa-