The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-05-24
"HoNEsT INJUN."
How the Chickasaws Were Taught
the Meaning Of the Ex-
preston.

Among the earliest comerS TO the
Hatchee country. in western Tennes-
see. was 4 Mr.. Barnes. a blacksmith.
who became friend Of the Chicka-
saw Indians and often mcnded their
guns without charge. Barnes was Z
poor man. but obtaining on credit 4
donkey named Moses. which was
valued at a considerable sum. he i'm
ported the animal and stabbed it at
the smitl1y. says the Youths Compan
ion. 1t was the iirSt in that region
One morning he found the door
open and Moses gone. He followed
the trail 10 the bank OF the river ana
lost it. The stream was in food.
and he believed his valuable animal
was drowned Unless he found some
way to pay Tor it he was a ruined
man.
Two months later trading Scow
came down the Hatchee from Bolivar,
and on the roof. spread in the sun.
was the hide OF Moses. unmistakable
in its soft and handsome gravs.
Barnes related his story to the trader
and received the skin which had been
bought at Bolivar from a trader there.
AS no white man would have shot
a donkey Barnes concluded that the
Indians. who had never seen one,
but who were then hunting on the
Hatchee. were the offenders.
To trap them he tried a little STRAIT
agem. He organized a shooting
contest and offered as prize. the
,i,andsomest skin ever taken on the
Hatchee. the pelt of beautiful
animal"
4 Chicksaw brave was the winner
of the contest and claimed the prize.
Barnes brought forward the skin OF
Moses and spread it on the ground.
There is your prize" he said.
Me shoot uln Me shoot um!,'
cried the winner. running to the skin
and pointing to bullet hole. Then
he told how he had been wandering
down the river bank and had seen
this strange wild animal, like nothing
he had ever seen before, breaking
through the cane He had shot it
and sold the hide at Bolivar. He was
delighted to get it back.
This was what Barnes had hoped
for. Standing, he addressed the
Chickasaws.
My brothers." he said, you know
me. I am a poor man, but l am a
friend to the Chickasaws. I mend his
gun for him and deal fairly by him.
This animal was my white mans
pony l bought it far away and
brought it here. 1t cost me much
wampum. the price of many Indian
ponies. To lose it will lose me all. 1t
escaped me and went to the woods,
and there a Chickasaw killed it.
When l am in Chickasaw country,
j obey ChickaSaw law When Chick
asaw is in white mans country, he
should obey white mans law. White
mans law is that whoever kills my
pony must pay for it. What will
Chickasaw do:"
The Indians had listened attentive
~: When he had finished they went
- their ponies. tethered nearby. The
whites watched them meanwhile with
intense interest. The Indians unteth-
cred their ponies and brought them
up.
Take UNI they said Indians
have only ponies. Give um ALL
How many?' asked Barnes.
You say how many
Barnes approached an appraiser.
who selected a number OF ponies
equal in value to the donkey. These
the blacksmith sold to his neighbors.
The Indians gave up their hunt ana
went back to their villages. poorer,
but satisfied. They had maintained.
for their tribe at least. some claim
10 the title "HOncst 1ni,ln"