The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-10-10
INDIAN TERRITORY,
The Redmau's Aversion TO Civilized
Life, How He EnfOrces Law aud
Preserves Order, A Fish POis
Oning. An Indian Tragedy.

Editor Waterman and JourBol:-Disgusted
with the civilization of the paleface and tired
of its restraints, the Creek full-blojds under
the leadership OF llarjo, their great war chlei'
have determined to cast aside its trammels
and relapse into the savagery OF their ancestors.
They number about 10000 and few OF them UNI
derstand English. They have already redsttict-
ed their territory into its original forto-nine
towns, each ruled by sub-ehief, and reOr-
ganized the Creek Lighthouse, a picked band
of warriors, whose duty It is to preserve law
and order in the nation Their functions are
both executive and Judicial. They not only
run down and capture offenders, but also try
them and administer punishment and from
their decisions there is no appeal. Trial inn
mediately follows arrest, and punishment fol-
lows quick and sharp upon conviction, and the
latter is generally so severe as to act as deter
gent. For instance, thief, convicted of
first oitense, receives fifty lashes upon the bare
back, and they are laid on good and hard For
second oifense, he receives one hundred
lashes, and should no be convicted the third
time, he is regerded as habitual criminas
and shot.
The full blooded Cherokees are closely
watching this attempt of the Creeks TO regain
their old tr bal rights, and restore their old
manners, customs and laws, and should the
United States government not interfere, and
the Creeks succeed in their attempt, he for
rner are likely to follow in their footsteps.
Neither Cherokee nor Creek have ever become
reconced to domination by the pale face
conquered people never grow satisfied and con
tented under the rule of the conquer0r. They
may nurse their wrath in impOtent despair,
but the torch Of llo will at any time fire
chem to deeds of desperate if futile, daring.
Witness the numerous instructions IN the
Emerald ISLE the Sepoy rebellion in India,
the desperate uprisings of the Polish chivalry
against the Russ bear, and other instances
innumerable.
The full-blood lives in the traditions of the
past, and dreams dreams of the long ago when
the land belonged to his ancestors from sea to
sea, and the white man had not come among
them with his fire water and bis iron tube that
belched lightning, and carried unseen death
among his people with an awe-inspiring sound
of mighty thunder. You can never accustom
a full blood to the civilization of the paleface.
There is a faint Of wildness in his blood, which
like Banquo's gh st, will not down, and at
times he seem take an almost childish de-
light in tramplng under foot the laws and
cOnventionalities of the white man. There is
but one pathway to Indian civilization, and
intermarrage between the races is the turn
stile that opens upon it. Intermarriage is the
true civlizer. William the Conqueror real
lied this fully, and after the conquest of the
British Isles, by force of arms encouraged
intermarriage between his conquering soldiers
and the subiugated English, and the heter-
ogeneous populations consisting of Saxon Dane
and Celt, along with their Norman conquerors
were fused into homogeneous race and the
AngloSaXon OF today is the proud result
The Indians are now keeping Lent, not,
however, as a religious ceremony but as a
matter of onyenience and economy
The rivers are low and fish poisonings are in
order. A poisoning is well worth attending
for the purpose of obtaining an insight into
Indian characteristics, 1t is generally an
nounced a week or ten days in advance so that
those desiring to participate may have ample
time to secure their full quota of poison This
o.tIo, e ,,rol-
nut hulls, and bushel basket of either pays
the entrance fee The day before the pro-
posed poisoning the Indians gather near the
designed spot, braves, squaws and papOOses,
prepared for week or ten days soiourn A
shallow or rifle OF low water extend ing quite
across the river is selected Two rows Of posts
are driven into the river extending from bank
to bank, the tops being ON a level with the wa
ter Upon these posts or pillars rude plat
form is constructed of poles. and upon this
platform the buckeye and walnut hulls are
placed. An average poisoning will require
one hundred baskets or bushels OF these Al
ter they have been distributed along the entire
length Of the platform, the braves, each armed
with a wooden mallet, take their places on the
upper side OF the platform and begin pounding
the roots and hulls, and allowing the juices
thus secured to fall into the water 10 and in
speedily securing the extraction Of the poison,
water is frequently thrown on the pulpy mass
and allowed to percolate through it AS the
comes apparent. Fish, large and small, APP
pear on he surface in a dazed condition and
make no effort to escape capture. The surface
of the river appears covered with them ranging
in size from IA one pound bass to a catfish of
100 pounds and more They even now take
gigs and spears and go after the fish in canoes,
while the squaws and papooses station them
selves at the next rifle below and pick up all
fish that float down that far. The quantity of
fish secured at one of these poisonngs is inn
mense ten to twenty thousand pounds being
an ordinary catch. Stagings OF green poles are
now erected, fires kindled under these, the fish
cleaned and placed thereon minus salt or any
seasoning and barbecued fish, "a la injun, is the
result.
A tragedy was enacted on thu road between
here and Fort Gibson, early in August that
saddened the entire neighborhood and broke a
accomplished Cherokee belle of this place, in
company with her sweetheart 'arted for Fort
Gibson in order to have the marriage cere-