The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-01
THE RED MEN OF OTTOLAY,
THE LAND OF THE SKY"
The Cherokees One of the Tribes Occupying Territory
Held by Their Ancestors From Time
ImnemOrial.
Clifford Smith in The Sunny South.)


cloudy there is very little sky to be
seen. But the name is pretty one and
the Indian who applied it to this fasci-
mating nook in the North Carolina noun
tains is to be congratulated on his lack
Of veracity as name giver The white
man, however, with his disagreeable per-
sistency in naming things as they are
and not as they ought to be, has swept
Ottolay aside and calls it the Great
Smoky mountain instead. So up the
Great Smoky mountain l climbed to see
the noble red man.
! had heard much of the primitive
wildness of this Ottolay before I set out.
There was a 12-mile climb from the last
house on the Tennessee side to the first
house on the North Carolina side, and
there might be any kind of adventure
in the way of bear or an Indian between.
Therefore, l was very glad to have my
bloodhound along with me. OF course
this bloodhound is not trained in indian
warfare, neither is he accustomed 10
stay his appetite on bear steak. But he
is the proper thing for such trip in
appearance. anyway, and puts on de-
lightfully bold front Probably that is
why we were spared an adventure with
a bear.
We met an Indian. however. not far
from the top of the mountain. l saw him
coming up the train a long distance be-
low me. squaw was with him. 1t was
noble sight. Here l thought, SIS
the Unframed savage in his primeval wild
erness. His thoughts are intent on noble
game. Before him the swift deer and
eel
carries none of the white mans weapons
with him. His own prowress and cum
ming are more than a match for the Wild
est beast of the jungle. At his side
travels his sure-footed spouse come to
witness and rejoice in her lords skill.
There will shortly be a great slaughter"
Then / stood aside as these two Child
dren of Nature reached me. / tucked the
bloodhound between my legs and bowed
profoundly. / would speak to them. al
though. Of course, they would fail to
understand the rude dialect of the pale
face. So 1 said:
Have you killed a bear today?''
Then he answered:
mo; me go pick chestnut
Have you no game in your bag, moth
ing that you have killed in the wild
forest?"
No; me no kill. No got gun. No
money. Me pick chestnut. Good chest
nut. Me sell three quart for 10 cent
You want buy chestnut"
1t was discouraging. I left the degen-
crate savage immersed in his sn"7'1
thoughts and pursued my journey in dis
gust.
At the foot of the mountain I reached
the government school,. There We're
plenty of Indians here, and no chestnuts
1t was recess time, and horde of young
savageS came forward to entertain me.
The entertainment consisted in throwing
stones at the dog and regarding me as a
sort of vaudeville performer whose prin-
cipal function was to provide mirth II
was disappointed in these savages They
are as undignified as the paleface. The
dog was also disappointed. Neverthe-
less, We concluded to stay with them in
order that we might learn the festive
war dance with the madens and 20 take
the scalps from our enemies with the
men.
These things, however, are not taught
at the government school, At the lat
ter institution the young redskins are
taught principally how good the white
man has been to them. Special editions
of American history are provided for
this purpose. and the course is very in
structive as showing the ingenuity of
the official historian in the art of ex-
purgation.
Indeed. / was greatly impressed with
the benevolence Uncle Sam has shown
toward these noble red men OF North
Carolina. This benevolence first showed
itself 67 years ago. At that time these
Chcrokees were spread over the IS noun
tain counties of the extreme western |
portion of the State. Into this wild sec
ton they had been pushed and crowded |
from the more fertile lands eastward ever |
since the advent OF the white man.
But they made their stand in the noun /
tains The latter had furnished them
game as far back in the generations of
their ancestors as the memory of their |
wisest could run. This was their home, |
they know no other. Centuries before
the first caravel of the white face cross /
ed the Atlantic their fathers had lived
and died here. But 81 years ago Uncle
Sam taught them that was all wrong
Ottolay might be the Land of the Sky"
the Indian. Uncle Sam was expanding
vigorously at that time, and he told these
deluded savages that their condition!
would be greatly improved if they would
leave these mountains of North Carolina
and travel westward to Indian territory. |
where they would find lands, that no one
else would take as a gift, provided for
them by their generous and thoughtful
uncle. AT first the Cherokees failed to
recognize the benevolence animating this |
proposition and were slow to enigrate.
linen most of them yielded to the urgent !,
persuasions of their affectionate relative
ana took up their march to the far |
away land allotted to them
handful of the more stubborn MEM +
pers OF the tribe, about 500 in all. re-
NAMED. claiming that the mountains were
their fatherland and that they would /
sooner die than live elsewhere. This. of /
course, was reprehensible on their part
ana showed their lack of appreciation of .
Uncle Sans regard for their welfare
Consequently, the latter was comneIIed
10 chastise them. For number of wears
accordingly there was cat and doc.
lime in Ottolay. The 500 disobediant Tn
dianS who defied the ediot nf ho,;,1