The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-03-18
WHY NAMED SEQU0IA
Origin OF the Title Given to Cali
fOrnias Big Trees.
HONOR TO A FAIOUS INDIAN.
The Wonderful Work Of Joseph Guess,
Half Breed Cherokee, Whose Lat.
inized Name. Thanks to a Generous
Scientist. the Giant Trees Bear.

Scientist. the Giant Trees Bear.
In CnlIfornia's wonderland nothing IL
more Interesting or wonderful than the
Scquoii gigantca. which grows along
Sierra Ncvada's slopes. and IT, lesser
cousin Srqunia scmpcrvircns. inhabit-
ing the lands near the coast around
Santa cruz what is the meaning W
scIUoiat' ! asked a judge. "lt is I'm
doubtcdly Of Latin derivation. but
fail tn remember It's Significance" was
the judicial reply The physician de-.
clarcd II "wcll chosen scientific uomcn
clHture" and stopped 4 man ON the
street said he guessed Il wps the
name of the fellow that discovered the
trees" So ! came To the conclusion that
but rcw know. and yet the story Is In
tCrcstiug
\ long time ago. rs the story book.
say. there lived near famous old Fort
London, in east Tennessee, not far
from the Georgia line. very great
man of whom not one American TN q
hundred has ever heard Joseph Guess.
VI tN''lN'Nls ~ lltlll ll'Nl ' lltl'Atf III
dian. was born In 1860 and possessed
qualities which would have made hin
great at any period or among any prp
pie In the worlds history. Combined
with powerful creative Intellect were
indomitahlc energy application. per.
slStcncc, that no diScouragcmcnt coll1
affect. and a firm confidence In his own
g1,IlffV a tt..l,1 In
youth he acquired distinction in hi
tribe as craftsman In silver. his
handiWork showing not only tcchnica.
skill I'm execution but unusual ugcnu
lty and originality of design.
1t was not. however. until 1900 that
he began the work that was to cntitIo
him To a place among the carth's truly
great In that year Scquoia'S ambition
was fired 10y the knowledge that thc
whites had II method Of communication
by means of writing ana books ana set
out TO devise written language for
his own people When II Is realized
that Scquoia was illitoratc, knew not
a single letter of the English aphabet
had no basis I'm his own language to
! build upon, the stupcndous difficulties
| of the task he set for himself may
| well bc imagined. He began his great
/ work without doubt of his ultimate
! success, with the superb faith that he.
| longs only 10 the great. From an old
! English spelling book he copied all the
! letters giving to each sound, modi-
/ fed some Of the letters he found. In
vented others until he had cighty-five
! characters. by means of which might
he expressed every sound in the Chcro-
/ kec language Not only would this
have been impossible with our alpha
bet, but so simple was the system that
any one speaking Cherokee might with
| In week or two learn 10 read and
write II. There are not lacking learned
and distinguished philologists who IN.
hcsitatlngly declare that SequOia's al
| phabet is the most perfect ever devils
ell for any language.
He had at first tIr usual experience
OF inventors. Shafts of ridlcuc were
aimed at him, ana he even received
violent abuse from many of his tribes
men for his attempts TO introduce this
remarkable innovation, but his triumph
came In 1921 In California. He was
then siXty-One years of age, when a
council OF Cherokee chiefs formally
adopted his invention. Soon printing
press was established, and quite q
large ana varied literature was its
fruit, while even newspaper was
printed In Cherokee by the aid of So
quotas alphabet
The desire for learning among the
CherOkecs was remarkable, 50 much 81
that In very few months after the
lnvcn Ton was given TO the nation thou
sands Of It's members could read and
write. Considering the diilicnltcs Of
his undertaking, | think we are safe iu
writing the Old chief who died full Of
honors far from home I'm Mexico one Of
the greatest of Americans.
Tennessee has given TO the world
many great men, Presidents Jackson
Polk and Johnson standing In the fore
front. The nation they served has be-
come one Of the first of the earth and
so their names are known OF all men
The people toward whose uplifting Sc
quola spent his life are scattered L.
the four winds Of heaven. Only rem
nant remains. ana in a few more gen
eratlons they will be but a memory
and his achievement will be known
only 10 the curious.
The old chiefs life work was not In
vain. No life Of unselfish devotion
ever Is \ great American scientist
with soul attuncd to the fitness of
things Latinized the Indian name 10
Sequoia and gave it TO California 'S
great trees. And what name for the
greatest Of American growths could
be more appropriate than that Of one
Of the greatest Of Americas early race
Scientists tell us some Of these trees
are thousands Of years old Everything
that lived in all the earth when they
We're young has long since passed
away. But there are young ones com
| ing on under the shadow of theiI