Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-01-15
BIZ FREDERIC
]. HASKIN
THE LAST OF THE 6EAIN0LEo

tian nations the principle of self-protsc-
ton is so generally recognized that
criminal, even though confessed and
Condemned, is expected TO. take every
possible advantage to save himself.
Charley Billy was a worthless Seminole.
even more of drunkard than most OF
his fellows
He was condemned to death by the
tribe. lie was not made a prisoner, he
came to town and went to the white
mans store, he had money, he could
have escaped without any trouble what
ever But he mad. as effort to get
away He told the white trader that he
would soon be gone into the big sleep"
He returned to his people, was shot. and
his body was cast away in the swamp.
A baby, the child of the woman In Lno
case, We. cnrown alive to the buzzards,
and the woman was given to the half
negro executiOner for wife. The Semi
noles in Oklahoma under tribal govern
ment never imposed Imprisonment upon
condemned man. It is tribal notion
of honor, that is held sacred even by the
most. worthless of criminals.
The marriage ceremony is simple. At
the Green Corn feast the young girls
start running and the young men chase
them. The man who catches girl has
found a wife Divorce is equally as sim
pie, the offended and non-resisting party
to quarrel having the right TO leave
home and play quits. Some rich Semi
noles. medicine men usually. have more
than one wife to comfort them and TO
cultivate the sugar cane which viii be
made into firewater.
The dress OF the seminoles Is savagely
roxv ho al n
misses between the ancient dress OF their
fathers and the conventional costume OF
the ordinary American. but In every In
stance there is a wealth OF color. Rel
and green and blue in the brightest
shades are used for their shirts, often for
their trousers, and there are always gay
cravats or kerchiefs about thei necks.
Their headdress is but little different
from that OF their ancestors who were
here when Columbus came. and they stiIl
keep their scalp-locks intact.
The women wear mother hubbards'' Of
the gayest and loudest cotton cloth tina.
the trader can find to bring to Florida
About the neck of newborn girl baby
is placed a string of beads. and these
are added to and multiplied until grown
woman sometimes has so many beads
that II Is a burden to carry them. The
women have strings Of eeaten gold and
silver coins which they wear about their
shoulders. over the enormous mass OF
beads The social position and wealth Of
a Seminole lady may be determined By
the number and by the color of these
beaten coins.
The Seminole puts no faith In the white
man. He does not trust his enemy. He
Is unwilling to take that help which the
white man would now be glad 10 extend
to him. He does not want to work. He
wants TO hunt aIligators. The only white
mans civilization for which he cares Is
represented in firearms and whisky. He
win have the very best and latest inn
provement in fre-erms and he viii have
the very hottest and most potent of fire.
waters. Otherwise. he scorns the white
man and his ways, and he Is content to
live among the alligators in the only part
of the ancient Seminole empire that the
white man has failed 10 utilize. But the
surveyors are busy in southern Florida
and IT Will not be long until we shall see
in very truth the last of the Seminoles-
Copyright, los. by Frederic. j. Haskin)