The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1908-11-12
WHY NAMED SEQUOIA
Origin Of the Title Given to Califor-
MAS Big Trees.

MAS Big Trees.
In CALIFORNIA; wonderland nothing is
more interesting or wonderful than the
Sequoia gigantea, which grows along
Sierra Nevada's slopes, and its lesser
cousin Sequoia sempervirens, inhabiting
the lands near the coast around Santa
Cruz. What is the meaning of Sc
quoia?" ! asked judge. at is I'M
doubtedly of Latin derivation, but fail
to remember its significance, was the
Judicial reply' The physician declared
1t well chosen scientific nomenclature
and stopped. A man on the street said
he guessed it was the name of the
fellow that discovered the trees" so |
came to the conclusion tina but few
know, and yet the story is interesting.
long time ago, as the story books
say, there lived near famous old Fort
London, in east Tennessee, not far
from the Georgia line. a very great
man of whom not one American in a
hundred ever heard. Joseph Guess, or
Sequoia, a half breed Cherokee Indian,
was born in 1860 and possessed qualities
which would have made him great at
any period and among any people in the
worlds history. Combined with a
powerful creative intellect We're indom-
table energy. application, persistence,
that no Encouragement could affect,
and a firm confidence in his own ability
to overcome obstacles. 10 his youth ne
acquired distinction in his tribe as a
craftsman in silver, his handiwork show
ing not only technical skill in execution
bat unusual ingenuity and originality Of
design.
1t was not, however, until IS 9 that
he began the work that was to entitle
him TO a place among the earth's truly
great. In that year Sequoia' ambitions
was fired by the knowledge that the
whites had a method of communication
by means of writing and books and set
out to devise written language for
his own people When it is realized
that >equoia was iIliterate. knew not d
single letter of the English alphabet,
had no basis in his own language to
build upon, the stupendous difficulties
of the task he set for himself may well
be imagined. He began his great work
without doubt OF his ultimate success,
win the superb fa'th that belongs only
70 the g eat. From an old English
speiNng BOOK ne copied all the letters,
giving 10 each sound, modified some OF
lhe Ie'JerS he found, invented others
until ne mad eighty five characters, by
NJ a"ns 81 which might be expressed
every SoHna IN the Cherokee language.
-\"J only would TINS have been Impossl-
Die with our a.phabet, but so simple
was lhe system that any one speaking
Nh4fohe@ might within week or two
learn 20 read ana write 1t. There are
H"I lacking learned and distinguished
phIi"ogi5JS VINO unhesltatnEIE declare
lna' >equoa alphabet IS the most per
feet ever devised tor any language
lie had at first the usual experience
OF inventors. Shafts OF rdlcule We're
aimed at HIM, and he even received
violent abuse from many Of his tribes
men for his attempts to introduce this
remarkable innovation. but his triumph
came IN ISL IN Callfornla, lie was
then SlHty-one years OF ago, when
council OF Cherokee chiefs formally
adopted has invention. Soon printing
press was established, and quite a large
and Varedilterature was It's fruit, while
even newspaper was printed IN Chero-
kee by the aid OF Sequoia' 5 alphabet.
The desire for learning among the
Cherokee was remarkable, so much SO
that IN very few months after the in
Venuon was gwen to the nation thou
sands OF It's members could ad and
write. Considering the difficulties Of
ms undertaF ing, | think we are safe in
writing the Old chief who died full of
honors lar from home IN Mexico one Of
the greatest OF Americans.
tennessee has gwen to the world
nj. .rtr,t 80. j. i