The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-12-18
THE GEORGIA HUM0RIST
FURTHER INTERESTING HISTORY OF NO.
TED INDIAN CHIEFS.

| Discovers Existence of Old Books Which
Throws Light Upon the subiect---An Old
Lady in Texas Writes a Letter to the Gel
ebrated Philosopher.
Now here is q book that is worth
having. A book that is 24xio lhcnes
and weighs twenty-five pounds. us
| s;xtv-one wears old, and has 10 large
size plates of the most notable Indian
chiefs, each plate. covering page ana
being accurate and graphic llkenosses
| and all done in colors, with the fuss
and feathers and tribal ornaments and
as finely executed i'll face and features
as oil paintings. l did not know that
there was such book or that such
work could be done in those days.
Each plate has biographical memoir
accompanying, which Is in large type,
so large that I can read it offhand
/ without glasses. This work seems
have been compiled from the records
in the Indian gallery of the war de-
partment at Washington by Thomas
M. Mckinney. The book / hava is the
property of Mr.. David Black, OF At
Ianta, and as it has came down to him
in the family, did not suppose there
was anotherin the state, but my friend
Joe M. Brown tells me that his brother
Elijah has it, and also another volume,
which I wish to see, for this one has
neithor Ross nor Osceola. 1t has Ridge
and Mcintosh md other Greek and
Cherokee chiefs. and Paddy Carr, the
famous Interpreter, whose father was
Scotch Irish and his mother an In
dian. For many years he was in Gen.
eral Jackson's service and in govern
ment service, and got rich and invest
ed his money in land and negroes, and
owned eighty slaves when he died. A
warm friend of his had a beautiful
daughter named Ariadne, and when
Paddy's wife gave birth to twin girls
he named one AIRY and the other Adny.
This book has charming biography
of Major Ridge. and makes him o very
strong-minded and noble man. His
likeness shows as much force and de-
cision of character as does that of Web
ster or Calhoun. Indeed, some OF the
speeches made by the Indian chiefs IN
their long protracted discussions with
the government are as pathetic, eio-
auent and unanswerable as if they
came from Patrick Henry or any other
great orator. 1t is touching and tear
full to read the pleading, poetical elo-
quence of Black Hawk and Keokuk
and Tustenuggee and Major Ridge and
Big Warrior. Mr.. McKenney was the
governments agent in all these trea-
ties, and declares their oratory to be
natural gift, and 10 race OF people
could excel them. They speak with
out art or effort, and most of them had
low, soft, sweet and musical voice
that gave fit expression to their earn
est pleadings.
The account given of Major Ridges
greatest embarrassment in contending
with John Ross is very amusing. Ross
was bitterly hostile to Ridge and his
policy, and in order to alarm the In
dams he got half-breed named
Charles to pretend to come down from
some far-off mountain with message
| to them from the Great Spirit. Charles
said: ''The Great Spirit is angry with
YOU. He tells me that you are follow
| ing the customs of che white people;
that you have already gotten mills and
clothes and feather beds and books
and cats-yes, cats and, therefore,
the buffalo and other game are fast
disappearing. The Great Spirit is an
gry, and says you must cut short your
irocks and kill your cats and give up
your mills and quit living in houses,
aud then your game will come back.
This excited the Indians very much,
and they cried out that the talk was
good. Ridge arose with anger in his
ACE and voice and said: 'The talk IL
not good. 1t is false. 1t did not come
from the Great Spirit" The Indians
rushed upon him with fury and wild
tight ensued, and some of his friend 8
were stabbed, bat Ridge was very
powerful man and defended himse Ii
with great courage. The tumult was
1uieted after time, and Jesse Vaun
and John Harris and some old men
brought about q reconciliation.
There was much trouble all along
those years. I have a long letter
from Mr.. R. M. Edwards, venerable
lawyer of Cleveland. Tenn He saws:
'In my youth I spent many happy
days in fishing, hunting and playing
with the Indian boys of the Ocoee dis
trict in east Tennessee and among the
many sad scenes of an uneventful life,
one of the saddest was to see my little
play fellows start or their long and
weary journey to the west They left
the most beautiful country 1 ever be-
held. 1t resembled more a magnifi-
cent park than forest, owing to their
tribal custom of burning the woods to
keep down the undergrowth.
It is singular that so great concourse
of people--fourtesn to sixteen thous-
and-could be gathered up by force as
it were and removed, going through
Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and
Missouri. They crossed the Tennes-
| see at Blythe's ferry, just below the
mouth of the HIawassee; then crossed
the Cumberland range as Pikeville,
then to Sparta, Lebanon and Nashville;
then crossed the Cumberland river,
| and next the Ohio. and Vincennes; then
! on to the Mississippi, which they found
frozen over. and had to wait a month
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