The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1895-04-27
4 STORY OF THE EVERGLADES.
'eo BY the Transfer OF Billy Bowieg.
Refuge to Private ovn.r

iuee To Private Ovners
~ ~ = ~ lew years ago all that was known
u 'nac vast inland sea on the southern bor-
~ ~ Georgia called the Okefinolxee swamp
"ps, ,n"s IL once had been the stronghold Of
hy DowleRs." Even those who had
=" sa ~ me euphonious name often enough
~ aor.n some idea of the Topography of the
nrss-;l 'eceiVed an entirely erroneous i'm
% psess.on OF Its character. They regarded it
E,.aI .tere waste OF malarial waters like the
- v,slaues OF Florida or the Dismal swamp
~ .nkinia. Within the past two years.
nome'er, The invasion of capital into the re-
Sas OF IT'S cypress and magnolia groves
nas revealed wealth of resources nnsur-
Passeu ana shown that instead of being an
up swamp the Okefnokee is a
$50 inland sea OF very much the same
Superior. waters as Lake
away back in the early days of the CEN
erai c 1sSV prior 10 the Seminole war, Gen
a. linen OF Georgia marched into Flori-
1910; "uu penetrated the Everglades with a
;ndnoe ~ ~ soiulers, his purpose being to
ral,ns,.s ny seminole chiefs to sign a treaty
rennquishing their possessions 10 tbe Gov
ernment. He pitched his tent in tbo beart
OF the swamp and invited the Indian chief
sign the papers ceding the land to the Unit.
ed States. The chief of the Seminoles az
that time was half breed named Smith a
man OF strikingly handsome annearance
over feet in height and as straight as an
arrow. This leader, together with two of
ms suDchiefs, was standing in General
Clinch . tent listening to the reading of
the deed which took away their lands At
one conclusion of the reading the two snb-
cniefs, who could neither read nor write
maze their marks. Turning to Smith
VINO stood in contemplative mood. gazing
WIN nxed eyes upon the papers before
them, General Clinch asked:
You can write your name. Smithsv
es, he replied quickly, but this ia
one Time when intend to make my mark -
quick as thought the powerful half breed
whipped out long, keen knife, and light
nlnglike buried it to the hilt in the heart, of
one oil the subchiefs, then in that of the
otner and finally in the breast of the gov
eminent agent, killing the three almost in
stantly
The soldiers about General Clinch flew To
arms and were in the act of making Smith
prisoner when he calmly called TO them
10 look outside the tent. Doing so. they
found the camp completely surrounded by
a band OF at least 5000 Indian braves ready
to obey their chiefs command. Smith did
not order the massacre of the company. but
without as much as harming a hair Of the
head OF General Clinch or any of his sol
diers marched them to the edge of ii
swamp, and in parting said:
Now, General Clinch, you and your SOL
diers may go, but warn you that il ever
white man places his foot upon our lands
again he had better beware of the Semi
noles"
As General Clinch marched his men away
the Indian braves enthusiastically crowded
about their great chief, and raising him
high upon their shoulders cried out in
mighty chorus, "Osceolai Osceolar' which
means "the rising sum- This was the be-
ginning Of the Seminole war. and it was in
this way that the half breed chieftain re-
ceived the name by which he is known to
history.
The end of his career is familiar to all.
The manner in which he was enticed to
Washington, where he attracted much at
tention and was the observed of all OBJ
servers" under cover of flag of truce, and
his confinement until his death in Fort
Moultrie at Charleston are well remem-
bered.
Smiths successor in command of the
Seminoles was Billy Bowlegs, chief of
diminutive stature, but undaunted courage.
During the war which followed Billy
found refuge in Okefnokee swamp, and
one of the principal islands Of this inland
sea now bears his name.
Okefnokee swamp was until 1890 the
property of the state of Georgia. An act Of
the legislature, approved in October, 1889,
provided for the sale of the swamp to the
highest bidder, the minimum price beng
fixed at 1913 cents an acre. When the bids
were opened by Governor Gordon on March
is, 1890, that offering 26IS cents per acre
was accepted. Journal