Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1895-03-23
sEMINoLEs DYING OF.
me Natives OF the Everglades Threat
ensd with Utter Extinction.

The Natives OF the Everglades Threat
ened with Utter Extinction.
II will soon be in order for some
one familiar with the lives ana habits
q the Florida Indians to write a book
on .'Ihe Last Of the Seminoles." The
remnants Of this once powerful tribe.
who are scattered through the Florida
everglades, scarcely exceed 200 in
number Pat Murphy OF Jacksonville.
one OF The attaches OF the house OF
representatives, has latey returned 10
Washington from that state, and the
other night talked entertainingly 10 a
Washington Post reporter about old
lhlet Tallahassee and his tribe. He
was at one time trader among the
Indians In the everglades and had
many good friends among them.
~ saw man in Jacksonville lust
before ] left, said he. .who had been
down with the Indians for several
weeks and told me tina, their ranks
are rapidly becoming decimated. They
are poorer than ever. The game Ia
their section, on which they largely
anbsisted, is nearly all shot away. and
lhe few remaining able bodied men
VIII soon have 10 get down 10 good
old hard work unless the government
comes 70 their relief. They have
very little property o. their own. and
what they have is not Of much value.
They do moi take kindly TO the trades
Of farming, and for that reason are
insuiiiciently clad and are leading a
kind Of hand TO mouth existence.
There are hot over 200 remaining
who populate the three or four strao-
CLING villages One OF these is al Cow
Greek, IN Breyari county. another al
Lake Ro-alie. in the same county.an.
other AZ Miami Id Dade county and still
another 81 what Is known as the Biz
ypress. on lake Okeechobee. ripht
IN the heart 81 the everglades. Talla-
hassee. the chief Is a e.looking.
nedium-siEed Indian aged about 10
years. and talks English quite iuently
lie sets inc example for the few
Young bucks left IN the tribe by lead
Ing a clean, sober life. bot he cannot
induce them 10 ~ 10 work and earn
their oWn iooi and clothing. Their
neglect ~ their person. ANA irregular
habits and eating are making physical
wrecks 81 them. and il will only b. a
few Years before their villages viii 81
broken np AMI the handful of those
stlil living scattered in al directions.
hhen Tallahassee dies he viii be sue.
cecdel by his son. strappinp big
Indian whom tho whites call ..Billy
Buster" His only ambition is to xiii
lots ~ game. and be il an expert
hunter and fisher IL considers him
stlt insHiiei when The subject Of work
N preached 10 him.
1.-The Scminoics keep up their an
nual feast which Is called the green
corn dance II takes place during the
first quarter ol the moon ia June.
All the living members Of the tribe
gather 10 the neighborhood Of Chief
Tallahassee abode al this period
Then al their laws are made and they
pow-Wow Tor DAYS and days until all
have heen heard who have anything
to suggest Tor the good % the tribe or
FOR ihcr entertainment This Il also
the popular time FOR weddings. and
often q dozen marriages are celebrated
while the green corn dance continues.
The dance feature % the gathering +
something on the order OF AT Indian /
dances They paint their faces and I
bodies with glaring colors. circle |
round and round a big camp fire,
stamp their feet, and give the short. /
sharp yclps SO characteristic Of all In
dams They keep up this so.called |
dancing until they IAN exhausted.
MANY whites VISIT their gathering
place at this season and are invaria.
bly well treated