Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-22
BEE LINES.

To those interested in the development
and progress OF races the Cherokee Indian
has long been a source Of profitable study,
not only because OF his advanced position
/ in the scale of civilization. but also from
| the fact that OF all the Indian tribes he has
an alphabet and some pretenson to a dis
! tinctive literature. The question as to how
! the Cherokees came by their alphabet and
| how long they have had IL has been dis
cussed great DEAL but never definitely de-
| cded until recently. Through the researches
of one OF the Cherokees educated at the
Carlisle institution ana now a prominent
minister the history of the birth Of letters
with his race was discovered and, notwith
! standing the touch of romance that colors
! the transaction, he vouches for its accuracy.
| 1t appears that when the Cherokees inhab
! tied Georgia and North Carolina, probably
| about the beginning OF the eighteenth cen
| tury there dwelt near the base OF those
! dreamy blue hills that extend down into the
| latter state an Indian by the name of Sc
! qua-yah. Unlike the other Indians, for him
the chase was without attraction, the war
whoop devoid of delight. He spent his days
alone in the woods aud by night conem-
| plated the stars. His air was that Of deep
abstraction and grief, and generally his fell
| low-tribesmen came to regard him as men
| tally unbalanced. After a while a little
! daughter was born to him and when she
had grown old enough went with him each
| day to the woods, where he busted himself
carving strange devices in wood. After
years, when the girl had grown to young
womanhood and Se-qua- yah's locks were
white he announced that his labors were
finished. He then instructed his daughter
how It was possible with his alphabet of
eighty-seven strange looking letters to send
a message any distance. When the discov
cry was announced to his tribe they were
sure poor old Sequa-yah was crazy, but
when he proved his claim by sending his
daughter with messages formed of the let
ters which they understood they no longer
| regarded him as crazy, but as a superior
being. Soon after the completion Of his
| task Se-qua- yah died and was buried among
the hills he loved, where he had dreamed
out his great work. That work itself he
left behind and so perfect it that it
has not been changed to this day, when it
is used in printing several papers in the
Cherokee nation.
The Fremont Tribune Is out in gala at
tire of pink that would hardly seem good
discretion in view of the approaching cold
wave if 1t were not in honor Of an eXtraordi- |
nary occasion. The cause of this journalistic
jubilation is in the fact that Ames, sub |
urD OF fremont, is now assured on u SOuU,uUU
beet sugar factory. The advent of this new
industry convinces the Tribune that an cleo |
trio line between the two places is now a
| necessity and must soon come. In view Of
all of these bright prospects the jubilation
pink dress may be perfectly justiiable.
The wedding of the New York young |
woman who is to wear $4,000 worth of
lingerie on that occasion should forever set |
tie in the feminine mind the question
whether marriage is failure.
The telegraphic dispatches announce the
death at Lima of BARBADOS Espanoza. Mem
ory Is SO short for fame, especially when |
beclouded by defeat and misfortune, that |
perhaps many people of his own country, |
to say nothing of others, have forgotten !
a man who was not only statesman, but |
soldier of fine ability and of consummate |
virtue. During the troublous days that pre-
ceded the revolution in 1891 no man in
Chilli tried harder to avert it by removing |
the causes. He and Colonel Montt were |
both members of the Chilian congress and |
SO great was his influence that for time
it seemed a peaceable solution of the crisis |
would be reached. But when that failed |
and war was inevitable Espanoza rendered !
his services to President BalmaCeda and
was Iue one man laltH1ul 10 MS Cnlel uulH
death. He commanded the Chilian cavalry
In the regular army and rendered brilliant
services. Defeating the rebels at Chohona
| on the 10th Of March, 1892, he would have
destroyed the right wing of Months army if
his plans had not been overruled by Balma- |
| ceda. He bitterly opposed the presidents
plan Of fighting decisive battle at Vinar
del Mar and had his advice been followed
| that fatal day would have been postponed
at least. Leaving his cavalry to Pozzuis, |
second in command he directed the opera
tions Of the infantry division that withstood
the shock of the first charge of the rebels.
Thrice during the day he rallied the broken
right flank of the army and restored order
but about o'clock the forces of the gov
ernment were so demoralized all along the
line that he retired to Calcan and ordered
up his division of cavalry Then followed
a sight seldom witnessed in war as fought
IN this day Riding at the head of that
magnificent body of horse he bore down
on the advancing rebels in charge that
went through their center and which might
have turned the tide of the day If he had
received any support. Fighting back
through the left flank of Months army, he
was seriously wounded in the thigh and his
command decimated. But notwithstanding
that he formed of his shattered forces a
| rearguard to protect the flight of the routed
| army and at Gratta received a bayonet
charge and held his ground until the rem
nant Of his division was annihlated. Es- |
Gaping from the field under cover of dark
ness with President Balmaceda, he accom-
panied him to the American vessel and re-
| mained on board with him until he COM
mitted suicide two days later. His life was
spared by his old friend Montt, who offered
him command in the army, but he re-
fused 1t and went into retirement at Lima,
where he has lived ever since, refusing to
have anything more to do with politics.
SECRETARY CAGES FAD.