The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-26

In snort OrdeF, however, having nfSt COAu-
lmanded that the tribal doctors be de-
spoiled OF their scalps, he made him
READY for the journey to the wonderful
waters; and ere the Great Spirit had
closed his eyes in rest and shut out the
Hight Of day, he was on his way south
ward borne in litter on the shoulders
of band of his most select young braves
over mountain, through dell and vale
they kept their course and came at
last to the broad and laughing Tah-Kee-
Tee-racing waters-known now by the
less euPhonioUs name of French Broad,
which they found to flow southwark and
in their line of march without ado and
promptly they appropriated unto them
selves dug out which they found fas-
tened to a bush hard by the water
edge, and >thence after the manner of
| adventures in the old heroic times jour
Ineyed various stathmous until they had
reached a place where even at midday
clouds of steam were risintg from the
earth and low pools of strangest aspect
marked the. green plateau.
The chief, now sore and rigid, was
lifted from his boat. and his royal per-
son stripped of his leathern trousers,
tomahawk and other garments, immersed
! forthwith in one of the hot springs.
| Mighty mani" said he, "but this feels
good" And his sigh of content stirred
| the needles of the pines on Round Top
| and of the balsam groves on Lovers
Leap, and cen to this day, in the sigh
of the winds through the forests of these
two mountains. can be heard the echo OF
that great sigh of rest and contentment.
The chief spent the greater part of
seven days in the pools and drank deep
rapidly as nc would had he lived by
gienically,-b he had put by his medi-
cine men. Nevertheless, in a little while
he reganed the use of his crippled limbs,
the govt left him, and he began to walk
about and notice things.
After one or two moons the great chief
said to his retainers: Il very much pre-
fer to live here than to die elsewhere;
return to the land of my fathers to
gather up my goods and chattels and
remove hither in due course" So he
started forthwith on his homeward jour
rey and when he reached the forks of
the trail, about six miles distant, he
espied a mighty beetling cliff overlook
ing the ripping Tahkeeostoe and guard
ing the southwark pass. Here he halted
end on the face of the massive pile wrote
the strange inscription which is still
visible and gives to the bluff its name.
Paint Rock.
Scientists and archaeologists have long
scratched their heads and puzzled over
it in vain; and it is only recently that
student deeply learned in the mysterious
lore Of forgotten tongues, has been able
to decipher its meaning. After scrapinG
away the moss and lichens which had
made the inscription dim upon the page
OF stone the strange hieroglyphics reveal
ed the legend:
WITCH WATER-HEAP Goods
MILE-SAY OU-KATCHIE-HI
This is not only a valuable guide board
and testimonial of the virtues of the wa
tiers, but is of great historic interest.
The mighty chief with his young men
continued his journey until he had reach
ed his old hunting grounds, the land OF
his fathers. After assembling all his
tribesmen and their squaws, the boys and
young women, he made announcement of
his discovery, babe them one and all to
come with him and aid in the establish
mont Of a new dominion in new and
rich country. On the morrow all the
Cherokees, which then numbered but few
followed their leader on the trail which
ended in the new-found valley where the
witch water flowed to cure all ills; the
air was perfumed with balm of pine and
balsam, the flowers of the rhododendron
and zalea covering the mountain sides
made the vale appear an Eden bower,
nor cold of winter nor heat of sum-
mcr ever prevailed. Protecting their hot
springs they erected that old stockade,
which enabled them even in the white
mans time so long to defy all invaders
For many, many years the tribe lived
and flourished and in the village of
their chief there was never a case of
sickness known; to their witch water
they laid the strength Of their warriors
and the might of their tribe From the
great village by the steaming waters
spread the Cherokees' domain over all
the mountain country of the Carolinas,
Tennessee and Georgia.
Later, when the white man began to
crowd the Indian from his vast domain
and the wiser heads saw that day by
day the red man must lose his hold, and
old Say-Ou- Ratchet Hi was Bonded low
beneath Ine DuTuG0 Oh his many years,
and his head covered, like the summit of
Great Bluff, with a silver Wilderness,
he, in his wisdom, saw that it would be
best for ali the Indians did they cease
their continuous warnings and combine
in one strong people So when about to
die he called to his side all the greater
chiefs of the Cherokees and of the Ca
tahas and the leaders of the lesser bands
around about. and, first exacting from
them sacred pledge, left as his legacy,
to the Indian peoples the Hot Springs
valley, under the condition that it should
forever be ground of common right to
all the tribes so called together that no
Indian should there ever shed another
Indians blood; that each tribe should,
when called upon, relinquish any other
fight and protect for the red man this one
last possession; wherefore it came about
that the North Carolina Hot Springs val
ley was the last bit of ground wrenched
from the Indians in this whole part of
the country.
1t is due to the wisdom of the great
chief, Say Gu Katchei-Hi, that this lit
tie mountain locked vale became known