The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-25
Indian Money
How 1t Was Made
and How Used.

/ a circulating medium, which correspondent
10 the currency OF European nations. Of
this aboriginal money, which was called
sewan or servant, there were two kinds
-wompam OF wampum, which sLgnifed
white, and sUckanh0ck sucki signifying
black Wampum, sometimes called pea
que, was made from the stem Of the per
/ twinkle shell, the ''meteanh0ck Of the
Indian Taking these shells, which were
found in great quantities along the shores
they broke them. so as TO secure the
thick portion Of the stem; Of this they
made beads about a third Of an inch
in length. This was the white sewan,
/ corresponding TO the silver Of our day
The gold Of the Indian was q black
purple or blue bead. made from the shell
OF the clam, called the '-quahaug-" The
commercial value Of the latter was twice
that Of the white sewan- The labor re-
( quired in making these beads gave them
/ their principal value Prior 70 the in
+ PRODUCTION OF iron implements, they were
( fashioned and bored with dints. finely
/ polished, and strung upon the sinews Of
( animals. A traveller says: They do
this work so cUnnIngly that neither Jew
! Tor devil can counterfeit them" These
/ beads receive additional value by being
woven into belts, in which form they
4 could be divided into pieces Of different
I value. Universal in It's use, and unques-
/ toned in commercial Importance, sewan
( was not only the money, but also the
/ jewelry Of the Indian In the ornamen-
( tation Of the person it distingu shed rich
I from poor; by it ransoms were paid.
+ --r--r ii
/ fact. in the political diplomacy Of the
! Indian. the sewan did the work that the
80 almighty dollar Of today IS credited
/ with accomplishing. Louk after the set
( tIement of New York. the rich ladies
/ Of the Indians excited the envy OF the
/ Dutch DANES by their lavish display OF
! richly dressed deerskin petticoats. pic
tured with devices Of sewan; rnoccasins
braided with valuable beads, while from
their ears and hair pendants. eIabora tely
designed hung down upon their shoulders
1t is said that a hundred dollars would
not suffice 10 cIoathe the aboriginal bellies
in this style
The chief manufacturers Of this cur
rency were the natives Of Manhattan and
Long Island. One Of the largest she'll
heaps found on Manhattan was on the
hill through which Broadway runs, just
north OF City Hall Park, called in the
early days. ''KaIchook, or 'Idule-ShelI
Point" no doubt it was the remains Of
primitive mint. or wampum rnanufac-
tory The immense quantities manu-
factured accounts for the fact that in
many of the shelI-banks left by the In
dams il is rare TO find whole shell. Be
cause Of this industry. the early name Of
Long Island was f'Sewan-hackv." com
pounded from sewan, and the Delaware
word 'hacky,' or hacking" the land.
that is the land Of sewar: II is so name4
on some Of the old maps.
The Indians Of early DAYS would not
recognize European money. One Of the
first clergymen TO this country under
took 10 explain the value Of a rix dollar
10 a sachem. who laughed TO think that
the Dutch should set so high a value on
piece Of iron, as he termed the dollar.
As the principal trade OF the Dutch was
IN furs and sewan the only money valued
by the Indian. it necessarily followed that
IL became a medium Of exchange not
only between the Dutch and Indians. but
also between the colonists themselves.
and for many years It was the current
specie Of New York; payments were al
most universally made in sewan. and
during the days Of Dutch rule SUNDAY
contributions in the churches were raid
IN this native currency. When a shell
button accidentIy finds its way into the
sacred plate today, a psychologist ought
10 be abs TO trace it to a sire habit
mysteriously outcro0ping in the son.
New York in the early DAYS. as now.
was the great mart OF trade The good
splendid sewant of Manhattan" was the
genuine article. and its value was fixed
at an early period a four beads for
stIyver two cents. and 4 braided string
a fathom long was worth four gutl5ers.
q. guilder being forty-one and half cents
Of our money. Inferior sorts Of sewau.
broken. Enstrung and badly made. began
TO circulate. limitations OF porcelain were
imported from Europe, but this couid not
impose upon the natives and failed as r
speculation The first public expression
IT an apprehension Of evil to the country
from the expectation Of specie was voiced
IN New York (then New Amsterdam IN
ls41. when an ordinance was enacted in
council. in which Rev. Kieft recited that
nasty. rough things imported from 9TH
er piaces-was II circulation. while the
good splendid sewant usually called Man
hattan'S servant. was out OF sight OF *
ported. which must cause the ruin 81 The
country. Therefore in order - remedy
the evil the ordnance provides that an
coarse servant. well stri1gad. should Pass
ar six for q. stUyver only. but the well
polished IT t1y< for S-uyver. and who
ever offered ~ received the same at ?
different price should forfeit the same
and also ten gIilders 70 the Door A.
this date beavers CT dried beaver skins.
became a medium % exchange. ci-culat-
ing just As bank bills do Tow. This ar
dcle was lzss subject u fuctuation. am
vas divided into whole beavers AMI
half beavers the former worth about
three dollars Of the present c0u--encv.
Another u2estiun - exchange vas the
legitimate currency Of the fstherEzad.
commonly known as Hollands
II ISIS. L s. said. commerce was mar
Is spoiled the Dutch being c7n7el5z1
n give two fsthons = white ara o-s
fathom Of black sewan for q Beaver. \
tsthon vas commonly estimated a. as
much IS nan could resch vttn OK
stretched arms and the Dutch historian
complains that the Indians alxavs TAX,
she largest and tailest among them n
trade wtth as
IN 1-zv. ls5o there being ~ present 10
o-1er specie the rates We-e again rex
uia-ed by al ordinance which directed
tAat 'Eo loose seTazr shall - current.
nor - a lawful tender. except chas IRE
same shall b strung Oh ore string. IS
-1s general custom has been heretofore. F