Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-08-30
AMONG THE cATAW5AS.
Who and What They Are and How
They Live.


the remnant of the once powerful tribe
OF Catawba Indians. The reservation
as it is officially known, fronts on Ca
tawba river, and here in this space OF
little over 900 acres these Indians
now make their home. Once roaming
at will all over the section Of country
now comprising the counties Of York
Lancaster, Chester, Fairfield and Union
the present condition and habitation OF
these Indians is only another instance
of the result wherever the white man
and the Indian have come in contact
1t is question Of survival of the fittest
and that the Catawbas have given
way before the white man Is no dis
grace or stigma to that tribe, for the
whites are masters and rule wherever
they go, whether 1t be America, Europe
Asia, Africa or the isles Of the sea- He
IL the governing power and all aliens
must come under his dominion.
The Catawbas live now much like
their fathers lived In days past. 1t is
true that they have adopted the dress
Of civilization, but the conditions about
their reservation reminds one very
much of the home life Of the Indians
as described in history. Living In lit
tie huts, working few acres Of corn,
cotton and possibly few other crops,
one almost imagines that he has step
ped into America along with Raleigh,
John Smith or any Of the heroes OF
old. The work is done mostly by the
women, the men spending their time In
fishing, hunting or loafing. Here and
there you will see a cabin with man
at work in the fields and where that
is the case you can easily see signs OF
the thrift and energy in the way that
the buildings and crops appear. But
the general rule is that the work is
done for the greater part by the wom-
en-.
Where a man cuts down the trees
and builds a cabin that is his so long
as he lives there. No one will encroach
on his right and the nation recognizes
him as the owner Of that particular
spot The Indians have a system
whereby one party can sell his house
to another and usually money Is the
medium Of exchange. OF course, this
does not give the purchaser title to the
land as recognized by the laws OF
South Carolina, but the purely local
customs that prevail among the In
dians allow this and recognize the pur-
chaser as the owner. The patches that
are worked in connection with the
home are also the property Of the one
who has the house. The rocky section
of country here does not allow any big
returns and no wonder the Indians do
not pay much attention to farming. II
one passes through and looks at the
land he will easily recognize the poor
est land in York county and for that
matter in the northern part Of the
state.
The reservation Is we'll watered. Be-
ing 80 close to the river there are
numerous branches and steep hills. II
has the appearance Of foothills closer
to the mountains. You will find cab
in on one hill, then branch and after
climbing another hill you will possibly
find several residences in a group. One
thing that will strike the visitor Is the
dense underground that is found all
over the Nation. One neighbor cannot
see another unless their houses are In
hollering distance, the whole tract
with the exception of the little patches
Is covered with a thick underground
that render objects invisible until they
are close at hand. The cattle run a,
large and 1t is a matter Of cornerine
and catching them If one is bought and
the buyer wants it right at once.
Entering further into the reservation
by what Is known as the Indian Ferry
road, there being a ferry on the river
at the Nation, the first thing that at
tracts the attention Of the visitor is
little cabin sitting a little to the right
OF the road and surrounded by dense
underground. On coming closer the
cabin is found to be q dwelling place
for an Indian and his family. 1t is
common custom to see the family al
sitting around under the trees in chairs
or on benches, the children playing, the
men whiting away at a stick oi
working with a gun, and the womer
making pottery. The Indian womer
are skilled with the use Of their hand:
and can make pottery that brings
nice little price. They make pipes
bowls. and all kinds Of such articles
out of clay. They first roll the clay In
to the shape of the desired vessel, re-
minding one very much Of kneadine
dough for biscuits, and then burn 1t
This Is hardening process and has tc
be done very carefully or else the clay
will crumble and the design Will b'
spoiled.
Continuing on this same road ane
not far from the first cabin, stands the
school house as the next object tina
viii attract the attention Of the visit
| or. The school house is one room
structure. with a bell tower, and II
built like the school houses usually
found in the rural districts Of Soutf
Carolina Here the little Indians art
taught for a few months every year
usually by a white teacher and paid by
the state OF South Carolina, 5000 being
appropriated for this purpose ever!
year and placed in the hands OF th'
Indian commissioner
Passing the school house the Visito
comes to the church that Is about INT
same size and fashion Of the schoo
house. Here the Indians hold their re
ligious exercises after the fashion OF TN
Mormons, the majority of them pro
Tossing that faith. There are among
the Indians forty-five Mormons, sever
Presbyterians and one Methodist. IN
Mormons hold their meetings ever!
Sunday and at stated times every yea
some Mormon elders will visit the res
eryation and hold meeting.
The burying ground of the Indians
Io.o+bar yery jptaresting ,SDOt, 1t