New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-01-20
CONNECTICUT INDIANS.
Remnants of the SchagticOokc Tribe
Liring IN Kent.

Among the last remnants OF the Indian tribes
once inhabitng Connecticut are the shAgticookes.
living within the borders OF the town OF Kent. not
Tar from the New York line. where they have ex-
listed for nearly two hundred years There are
twenty-five Of them now their reservation. ana
Is is supposed that there may be three times as
many more scattered about the stats- Those that
are left are half-breeds or QuRrtsT-breeds- IhelI
business affairs are cared for by Fred r Lane
tims IN hunting. fishing or making baskets
The story OF the Schagtco9kes Is that.oI nearly
all Indian tribes but once IN their hlstoiy MsLS
they oppressed and then not oy ConneStc0t n aTs
powerful bands ana dates well back into the eight
zenith century when Pe9uot Sl6e9a Ne 1870" man
Of more than ordinary ability. once lived u perry,
ing one OF thirteen Indians whO Ia T2s, sold sec
ton OF land then part or me Town o. Ne" 80 go
transferred comprising what Is now ne town { %
Shern1an Mau%ehu Ten Wei" zen sbc1t time when
he CHANGED to stray into the nils nov Pron 1
hsuwehG then gathered to himself q crowd Of
Indians. some being, IL IS supposed. OF MS OWE
tribe some Mohegans from the Hudson valley anu
PROBABLY upward OF two hundred settled with him
In the Kent hills. where they deemed the , Wplt9
themselves there before they were found by those
inyeterate missionaries the MoravlaIs VINO aoot 81
band being Christian Henry Rauch VINO IA cue
time o09 d sS MagTehu and upward Oh one
Their conversion came near being their unoolng,
the Indians objected strongly 70 practice Waio9
they circulated the story that the missionaries we're
arming the Indians AS the French and Indlan
tied BY the colonsts In New York. whose Legis,
lature insisted that the Moraylans should DlnS
PRACTICES. AS the Moravians were averse TO taklnS
l aonsho old Of the faith. BethlsheIn. Penn,
10 this place they Were followed by many OF
the tribe at Kent. The climate ala not agree with
atra oil baC q Before
settlers had come into the neighoorhooo OF me
tribe and there became demand for some or the
land. though much Of it was considered as OF AtIs
In i752 the LEGISLATURE Of Connecticut confirmed
q grant OF land the SchagticoOkes, and IN ll0.
an oyerIeST 10 eIne eS from the Iorav
fans and were poor and drunken. though never
the indians and in October. IN. they sent the
following petition to the General Assembly at New
we poor Intns at sea,ouk n the town Of Kent
we desire TO the most hOuable Sembly at New
Haven we are very much pressed by the Mega
wang people praknS fences and our gates ana
our of fruits the loss of our good friend ag9
which desire for mother overseer IN his ste9
10 take Care of and see that we are not Fonseo
by the people make choice OF Elisha Swift OF
Kent to be our trustee If 1t be Dlesins TO your
Evidently 1t was. for Elisha Swift sppointsd
OF land for each family. and the grant amounted
to between 100 and 0C acres OF mountain nor @hT
OF g. the money TO be expended Tor the care OF Sns
NAV be coniectured to have been the last sale and
what there is now left is ample for the twenty-five
survivors.
In 1893 their personal estate was valued az s. 29 g.
and the report for the present year puts II at
So sT OS the real estate being valued at $500 From
1901 to 1923 the overseers accounts were auded py
a board OF auditors appointed by the country. In
1923 the settlement of the accounts turned over
10 the courts. and Judge Gideon r. Welch' OF Tor
ringtOn now handles them.
The Oldest member the tribe. Value KIlsOn, Is
now eighty-four years old. and until a few years
ego he was very active. He was the father OF
large family of children and gave TO all OF them
good education James Harris hfty-six years OF
age and relgiousiy Inclined is the next Oldest
member. They are quiet folk, holding to some Of
the traits OF their race, for until within short
time thew gathered and smoked, not tobacco, but
lobea often termed Indian tobacco. Most Of them
prefer tobacco less strong Apparently Il IS
a question OF but a few years before the tribe
gathered by Mauwehu becomes exSinct.-Hartford
COurant