Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-04-09
BILLY BOWLEGS.

BILLY BOWLEGs.
The Principal Man Of the Florida
Seminoles Visiting Friends.
Billy Bowlegs, who is loyal Sem
mole and a progressive one, too, Is
making his periodical visit to his white
friends at Kissimmee. New York and
Washington and Chicago have enter
tained a prince, and Billy in his abo-
riginal surroundings is no less a
Prince of the Everglades" Billy
walked from Indian Town to Fort Bas-
singer, a distance Of thirty miles. At
Bassinger he boarded the steamer
Roseada, and reached Kissimmee Fri
day night. In speaking Of the trip, he
said: Young captain, good man, no
charge"
All day Saturday and Sunday Billy
did his usual amount Of handshaking,
both with old friends and little child
rem, who wanted to shake hands with
an Indian chief. Billy Is not dressed
as elaborately as usual, which is ac-
counted for by visit Of some tourists
to his camp two weeks ago, the tourists
paying him good money" for his full
dress decorations.
AS Is Billy's custom when at Kissim
NEE, he attended Sunday school and
church, and then with the patience of
a Sphinx answered questions until
dark. When asked If he was tired, he
answered: "Tired, ojus," although his
native politeness had not permitted
him to show any restlessness at the
tedious afternoons questioning. Small
trinkets and pictures presented by the
children, who came to see him, he care
fully placed away to carry to the tod
dlers In the everglades.
From time to time pictures from
Sunday school charts, on the life Of
Christ and Biblical characters, have
been given to the Indians or mailed to
them, and Billy reports:
Indians got 'um," Billy having his
In his trunk. Blue-back spelling books
were given to the Indians who visited
Kissimmee two years ago, and Billy re-
ports that the books are in good order.
and Indian boys spell littly Bit"
On this circuitous trip, Billy will go
to Sanford, stopping at Orlando to buy
a special make Of OK wagon, which he
will have shipped to Fort Pierce. He
will, from Sanford, go across to Titus
Vile, and down the east coast, where
his brother will meet him with the OK
en- to hitch to the new wagon.
Not one hairbreadth will this Indian
diverge from the truth. For some time
the Friends of the Florida Seminole So
ciety has been trying to show the In
dams the necessity for learning some
industrial work, such as tanning skins,
making belts, pocketbooks, etc., and
thus utilize their raw material. Billy
has consented to do this, and in press
ing the question as to when he will
come to Kissimmee City and be taught
this industry he replied: "Six months;
me don't know; maybe ten months.
Six months, me say, and no come,
white man say, Billy Bowlegs lock-a-
dox, o-jus) (lie too mucnI."
An interesting bit Of information In
connection with Tallahassee's name
was secured from Billy, although after
many attempts, as it Is difficult to get
information where it requires the In
dian language to tell it.
Tallahassee" is only the old chiefs
nickname, or white mans name for
him, old Chief Tallahassee's Indian
name being Fo-so-wa-tos-to-nock
meaning bird chief, or chief of the bird
genus, tribe or family.
The origin of the name Of Florida's
state capital dates back to the days
that are but tradition to the Seminoles.
Long, long time ago, many Indians
and houses were on the site where the
city of Tallahassee now stands. One
day, so the tradition goes, all the In
dians went Seminoles do not know
why they left, as they were Of an older
tribe. Some time after some Indians
came along, Seminoles presumably, and
seeing many houses but no Indians liv-
ing there, exclaimed, Tallahassee"
the nearest Interpretation being "All
gone" or deserted"
The careful manner in which Billy
gave the traditional account, CORES
ponding to old Tallahassee's previous
accounts, solves an interesting question
as to the meaning of the word Talla-
hassee.-Florida Times Union and Cit
izen.