Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-06-19
WHY NAMED SEQUO|A
ORIGIN Of the Title Given to Cali
fornia's Big Trees.
HONOR TO A FAMOUS INDIAN.

HUNUK III a fAMOuo iNDin'
The Wonderful Work of Joseph Guess
Half Breed Cherokee, Whose Lat
inized Name, Thanks to Generous
Scientist, tho Giant Trees Bear.
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. inhaDit'
ing the lands near the coast around
Santa Cruz. "What is the meaning or
sequoia?" I asked a judge. 1T is I'M
doubtedly Of Latin derivation, but
fail to remember its significance" was
the judicial reply. The physician de-
clared it "well chosen scientific nomen-
clature" and stopped. A man on the
street said he guessed 1t was the
name of the fellow that discovered the
trees" so I came to the conclusion that
but few know, and yet the story Is In
teresting.
A long time ago, as the story books
say, there lived near famous old Fort
London, in east Tennessee, not far
from the Georgia line, Il very great
man of whom not one American In a
hundred has ever heard. Joseph Guess,
or Sequoia, a half breed Cherokee In
dian, was born in 17G0 and possessed
qualities which would have made him
great at any period or among any peo-
Die In the worlds history. Combined
with a powerful creative intellect were
indomitable energy, application. per-
sistence, that no Encouragement could
affect, and firm confidence in his own
| ability to overcome obstacles. In his
youth he acquired distinction In his
tribe as a craftsman In silver, his
handiwork showing not only technical
skill in execution, but unusual ingenu-
ity and originality of design.
1t was not, however, until 1909 that
he began the work that was to entitle
him to a place among the earth's truly
great. In that year Sequoia's ambition
was fired by the knowledge that the
whites had method of communication
by means Of writing and books and set
out to devise q written language for
! his own people. When 1t Is realized
that Sequoia was illiterate, knew not
a 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 q doubt of his ultimate
success, with the superb faith that be-
longs only to 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 eighty-fve
characters, by means Of which might
be expressed every sound In the Chero-
kee 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 to read and
write 1t. There are not lacking learned
and distinguished philolOgists who un'
hesitatingly declare that Sequoia's al
phabet is the most perfect ever devils
ed for any language.
He had at first the usual experience
of inventors. Shafts Of ridicule were
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 1921 In California. He was
then sixty-one years Of age, when q
council of Cherokee chiefs formally
adopted his invention. Soon printing
press was established, and quite
large and varied literature was Its
fruit while even a newspaper was
printed In Cherokee by the aid OF Sc
QUOTAS alphabet.
The desire for learning among the
Cherokees was remarkable, so much sc
that In very few months after the
invention was given to the nation thou
sands Of its members could read and
write. Considering the difficulties Of
his undertaking. ! think we are safe IL
writing the old chief who died full OF
honors far from home In 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
30 their names are known of all men
The people toward whose uplifting Sc
quota spent his life are scattered tc
the four winds Of heaven. Only rem
nant remains, and In few more gen
erations they will be but a memory
and his achievement will be known
only to the curious.
The old chiefs life work was not In
vain. No life of unselfsh devotion
ever is. A great American scientist
with soul attuned to the fitness OF
things Latinized the Indian name tc
sequoia and gave 1t to California;
great trees. And what name for the
greatest Of American growths could
| be more appropriate than that Of one