The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-01

Monroe l. T.. Letter
 Of the 756 different languages or d. alects spoken by as many dinerent tribes or nations of Indians from the time when there was not white man on the American Continent until the present, only one nation, that of the Cherokees, has a written or printed slanruage It requires twenty-six let ters to write or express the Enghsh language, while that Of the Cherokees run to eighty-seven. many or them pe- ing formed exactly like ours, or the English.
 The story of the invention of this alphabet Is one full of interest, and is furnished the writer by Mir. w. T. Whitaker, founder of the Whitaker orphan Home. It is known that when. the Cherokees occupied large portion of North Carolina. Georgia ana Ten- nessee, there was in the tribe one buck who was regarded as especially duIl and lazy This was Se-qua-yah. He took no pleasure in the chase Tor game. seldom had the bow and arrow and the war whoop had no fascination for him. in the dances which filled the hearts of the braves he took no part but he was good natured and kino' although he had the appearance or pe- Ing burdened with some deep and hio- aen sorrow His peculiar actions eoulo moi he understood by his fellows; ne was regarded as one of unsound mino- IS Indians would say. head heap so round" When not assisting ms squaw around the wigwam he was In the woods alone.
 The Story of Se-qua-yah.
 Rv and by there came to Se-qua vah's home a little girl babe, anu ibere shone a new light in the queer Indians eyes upon her advent.
 little one was named which means has arrived, or nesn tne sn As the child advanced Tn years .ns sather became more and more deVoteu' and would spend hours with her III .no voods. returning to the wigwam oniy ryben fbe face of the Great Spirit--tne sun--had gone down behind the inoSn S tains. now called the Blue hiose. Se aua-yah was not idle wniie spen hfs time in the woods. While iistehihs tn inc prattle of the child, the notes of the feathered songsters. the ,niha of inc Indian was solving propleli rrhfrb none of his people had eVer bnen able to solve. and which was to Tiff them from ignorance to ih'eiii gence and Christianity.
 Talked With Mouth Open.
 Years rolled by and still the lnolah was in the woods cutting queer-look- ing characters on pieces of bark strip- ned from poplar trees. As eacn char .cfer was finished he would sit down and teach Oc-he-chac, who had grown to inc age of perhaps Is years, now 10 nronounce it. When eighty-seven char acters had been cut on as many pieces of hark Se-qua-yah declared ms ,,-crl< finished. and told Oc-he-chas. Una. tbav would talk with "mouth-open' IL yas not long before the two coulo put words and sentences together py cut ,inr the characters on bark, ana then Se-uua-yah, told his people wnas aS could do. This, of course. they uouD.ou' hut he proved 1t by sitting on laI rock many miles away from ms oausn Ter and receiving and sending mes sares. For many moons hunoreus ,, Tndians gathered to see the wonueii ,.t, Indian and his work, and at nrst 9oen father and daughter were regaroes1 @ evil snirits. Eventually other !nolans -.ara taught the characters, anu whea st hecame common his people realIno .s.t ca-oua-yah was indeed a great man. ,a ,,ah' con- .a,,,ad inc idea of printing newspa- sar fbe first publication being caiieo wT,4s rbarolxee Phoenix. After the 1i,srolraea had tramped over the dirt road to their present nome tne p@PT was revived and is still puoIisneu' is called The Cherokee AovocaIe, @H is while first printed in all CheroSee, T 10 now issued in both Cherokee ana Ens fish. This paper has been a great eeu rator. and is often referred to as oe- aua-yah's paper.
 The Memory of Se-qua-yhh.
 There are many Cherokees no" nv