New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-12

to engage in the business Of silversmith. His
countrymen at that period wore various silver
| ornaments such as arm and wrist bands,
brooches earrings etc. with which traders sup
piled them. in exchange for their furs and peits'
| Spurs were also in use among those people 10
a considerable extent. They rode much ana
seldom without those appendages to horseman-
| ship Guess began with rude materials to imi-
! tate all these. His first attempt was TO make
q pair Of spurs. After much labor at this trade.
ne finally became an expert. Continuing as a
silversmith for several years, in the year 1915
| he gave 1t up. -
I'm the spring Of 1898 he was day sitting.
| Indian fashion, on the porch floor of his brother.
| in-laws house. His brother in-law. Coionet
Iowrey had Just received letter. After IL
had been read aloud by some one present the
conversation turned upon the power Of the white
man in making so many things tributary 10
him. and especially the art Of communicating
to one another by writing Guess, on hearing
this, said he did not look upon it to be so diiii-
cult. for he thought he could make writing for
the red man as good that used by the white
man. This produced burst of laughter. but
Guess was silent. Presently. taking up piece
OF slatestone near him, he began drawing CHAR
acters on it with the point OF his knife rms
| made him a subject of ridcule. and his fellow
| associates looked upon him as crazy. THESE
attacks upon his sanity however. had no other
| effect upon Guess than to fix in him more friniy
the resolve to carry through the design which
| he had thus for the first time incidentally con-
ceived. Going home he gave orders to some
| of his people to put him up at some remove from
| his home a log tenement. 1t was soon hnished'
| when he returned to 1t, and gave his time wholly
| to the subject. Nearly three years did he labor
| at this theme and at last he announced its COM
pIetion 1t was tested and failed. This failure
only served to impart fresh energy to Guess
who in a short time again announced he had nm
| ished his work.
1.-The next question was how to convince others
| Of its utility. You may read your writing.
| said Colonel Lowrey. but that will not prove 10
| me or any one else that 1t Is worth anything"
| Guess mad, however, prepared to surmount the
difficulty. He had taught his little daughter,
girl at that time twelve years old. the sounds'
| the powers Of his characters, and how TO COM
| bine them in the formation Of words and sem
fences. Colonel L1wrey had no sooner started
this examination than the little girl. whose name
| Is Ahyohkah, sent on some errand to
| neighbours, and during her absence Guess told
Colonel LOwrey that no might dictate any talk
he chose. which Guess said he would write
down and when his daughter should return she
would read it. This proposition was acceded to-
the child sent away. the talk written down by
| Guess and when the girl returned it was handed
| her by Colonel LOwrey. and she read Off the
words he had dictated to her father. without
falter or committing the slightest error.
This had convincing effect upon all those
| who had heretofore ridicuIed him. and he soon
| gained respect admiration and gratitude. The
| fact that he had made the Cherokee language
readable was soon made known to the Council
| Of the nation. and he was then considered an
| important factor to the nations advancement
| A silver medal was presented him by the Coun-
| Gil as a token Of their regard for his ability:
1T appears that the first draft Of the alphabet
| contained eighty-six characters. one Of which
has since been dispensed with. 1t is said that
the sound which gave Guess the most trouble
| to conquer was that which We affix to our let
| ter s. The lsping sound which it produces
created a formidable difficulty, but it was over
| come. Old and young. attracted by the novelty
of the discovery. and by hope Of becoming bene-
fitted by it. in great numbers applied themselves
! to learn the hitherto mysterious art or reading
! and writing-or OF talking to one another with
| a pen The Council Of the Cherokees then re-
| solved to establish printing press at New
Echota in the old nation. in Georgia which was
| Coz. .rnun nj
| Elias Boudnot a young Cherokee, a graduate
of Princeton. was elected editor The news
| paper went into operation and was called IN
| Cherokee Cha-la-kee Chu- he -sa- ne-hec, and
| in English The Cherokee Phoenix This paper
continues to exist to-day. and is known as The
| Cherokee Advocate and is published by the
| Cherokee Government at Tahlequah, the capt.
| tai
| "Some of the letters are familiar in appearance
| to those Of our alphabet. but with far different
sounding. When the first imperfect copy OF the
| alphabet was received at Washington 1t appeared
incredible that a language Known to be copious
| should have but eighty-five syllables inc exam
| inaton Of Cherokee spelling-book puplisheu III
| English characters solved the mystery. IL Is
| found that every Cherokee syllable ENDS IN Il
| vocal nasal sound. and that there were no
| other double ccnsonants but Il or al ana Is ana
| combinations Of s with four or five dl1erent
consonants The language has twelve conso-
| nants, including h, viz: or X, n. ]. m, n, qu
| d or t, d Il, is, W, y s; five vowes VIZ: e.
| l. o. IL, and nasal ung. 1t is obvious that multi
| plying the number of cOnsonants Including the
| tD by the six vowes Gncluding the nasaD
| and adding to the product the said six
| novels each Of which is occasionally
| syllable you have the whole number Of
POSSIBLE s.:ables in tho language. those excepted
| which result from the combination OF united
| to another following cOnsonant. with the six
vowels 1t would have required about thirty
| additional characters, il Guess, adhering to his
| principle, had made new one for each such
| combination (sta, ste. etc: spa spc, etc).
| "Hc made s distinct character Finding that
| occasionally k was pronounced 6. d like t. and
two distinct aspirations connected with ma he
| has added eight characters, representing the