Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1904-05-11
"HONEST MUM"
How the Chicknsaws Were Taught
the Meaning of the Expression.

How the ChicknsaWs Were Taught
the Meaning of the Expression.
Among the earliest Corners to the
Hatchee country, in western Tennes-
see, was a Mr.. Barnes, blacksmith,
who became friend of the Chickasaw
Indians and often mended their guns
without charge. Barnes was a poor
man, but obtaining on credit a donkey
named Moses, which was valued at a
considerable sum, he imported the ami
NAL and stabbed it at the smithy, says
the Youths Companion. 1t was the
first in that region. One morning he
found the door open and Moses gone
He followed trail to the bank of the
river and lost it. The stream was in
flood. and he believed his valuable ami
NAL was drowned. Unless he found
some way to raise the money to pay
for it he was a ruined man.
Two months later a trading scow
came down the Hatchee from Bolivar,
and on the roof, spread out in the sun,
was the hide of Moses, unmistakable
in it's soft and handsome grays. Barnes
related his story to the trader and re-
ceived 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 In
dams, who had never seen one, but
who were then hunting on the Hat
chez, were the offenders.
To trap them he tried a little strata
| II nj chnnffncr
and offered as a prize ''the handsomest
skin ever taken on the Hatchee, the
pelt of a beautiful animal"
A Chickasaw 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 UNI Me shoot umw cried
the winner, running to the skin and
pointing to a 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 evel
seen before, breaking through the
cane. He had shot it and sold the
hide at Bolivar. He was delighted tt
get it back.
This was what Barnes had hoped
for. Standing, he addressed the Chick
asaws.
my brothers." he said, you know
me. l am a poor man, but l am
friend to the Chickasaw. 1 mend hi
gun for him and deal fairly by him
This animal was my white mans pony
| I 20 nj
here. 1t cost me much wampum, til
| price of many Indian ponies. To los
it will lose me all. 1t escaped me an
went to the woods, and there Chicl
asaw killed. it.
when l am in Chickasaw country,
obey Chickasaw law. When Chick;
saw is in white mans country, b
should obey white mans law. Whit
mans law is that whoever kills m
pony must pay me for it. What wi
Chickasaw doT
The Indians had listened attentivel,
When he had finished, they went I
their ponies, tethered near by. Tt
whites watched them meanwhile wit
intense interest. The Indians untetl
( cred their ponies and brought them u
D Take um," they said. Indian hay
only ponies. Give um ALL"
e "How many?" asked Barnes.
o you say how many"
Barnes appointed an appraiser, wi
:. selected a number of ponies equal
d value to the donkey These the bIac
:. smith sold to his neighbOrs.
d The Indians gave up their hunt al
. went back to their villages, poorer, b
satisfied. They had maintained, f
their tribe at least. some claim to Il
a title, Honest Injun."