The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-07-25
ONE DOLLAR A YEAR.

Uncle Billy may rightly be consider
ca remarkable person In the Indian
history OF South Carolina, and we may
nope that his declining years will
always be free from want and trouble.
Among the other houses 1 called at
was Aunt Rhode" Harris's, whose
husband, Allen Harris, was prominent
as chlet and died u number of years
"so, " Wlthout any suggestion on my
p"'0' uluh'r was given me here, and
~ ~, pay would be taken for It,. Aunt
rnss mnooes household appears to be the
.rm MosC thrllty among the Catawbas.
The dinner given mo would have hean
very crcdltublc to any boarding house.
jim ilarris, tho chief, was absent.
mot MN, however, last year. That
evening was seated on u bench under
an oak tree near his house in companv
with two other Catuwb bas, Billy Harris
and John Sankers. The latter talked
10 me earnestly, almost eloquently.
no wants The Legislature to add two
hundred dollars to the annuity which
INC ti Catnwc pas receive now, so that
they Gun build IL school house ana have
Il school. If we need anything" he
exclaimed, I'VE need educption." He
thinks the State might give them this
additional money, for, he said, he does
not think tho Cataw bus have ever wor-
ried South Carolina.
That night got the Indians to have
dance for me. 1t occurred ut Sam
blues-a member of the tribe. There
appeared to be two distinct dances.
one ol which was called the Indian
uance a and the other the wild goose
chase. From what could learn, those
dances are probably borrowed from
the neCnorokecs--ercn the words sung
with the dance seems to be unknown
to the Cataw has. 1t seems that ONLY
two Indians know much about these
dances-Bllly Harris and Uncle Tom
Stevens, who Is a jolly old red man.
Frank Canty. an Indian lad, took part
Win these two In the dances.
In the first dance one of the women,
Betsy Canty, took part for u while,
ana another man, Lewis Gordon, took
part in tho wild goose chase. Two
words uscd in the second dance sounded
!iko c-ho and un-JO. | believe that
Uncle Tom and Harris were the only
ones who sung. | would like to give u
description OF these dances, about
which there are no Objectionable
textures, but that would DO difficult,
SO | will not attempt it. 1t was u
strange sight, South Carolina Indians
cngaged in Indinn dances, IL sight long
to be rendered.
Bob Harris an, Intelligent member
OF the tribe, went around with me u
good deal, and that night he walked
back part Of the way to Catawbn
Junction with me. Considering his
limited chances, he is above the in
tclligence and speaks OF sometimes
sending items about mis- people to the
papers.
And now with Il fcw observations |
will close this already long lctter.
Citizens Of South Carolina! When
We consider the past history Of this
once estrong nation. consider tho great
ness of one of it's eM'! ). chief, King
Hasler Ito whose memory lnsttSarv has
mover done justicc,) consider how file
Catawbas have fought Tor the people
of our State, dos, 1T not seem as If we
ought to show some interest in the
feeble remnant? I hope the Legisla-
turc will make some provision for
giving them IL school, and | feel sure
that II our Governors would sometimes
visit tho reservation their visits would
be greatly appreciated by the Cataw-
0as. MCDONALD FURMAN.