The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-26

ceeded to the house. Tooni in front and walking rapidly, but as Stooka entered, with his heavy gun upon his shoulder, he was obliged to stoop, and at that mo- ment a brace of balls were shot through his heart This was done by Tonis companions, whom he had placed in such positions as not to endanger each other by cross-fire.
 Thus died the fearless and unfortunate Indian, betrayed by one he had always loved and trusted, the one he reverenced as a father There, upon the shore or the mighty river, the dew from heaven weeping a low culver among the rushes his reauiem. the tremulous stars, so far and yet so bright. the only light upon his dead faee and even the heart or the oak in pity at the tragedy or the wilderness when this warrior died TOT love of native land. And 1t is so ralr and beautiful 1t is worth the loving ana the dying for it's own sweet sakei
 Placing the lifeless body in canoe they padded down the river all night and reached Gunter's landing early in the morning, where 1t was exhibited as eVl
 dence that his relatives had reaeenleu their pledge to his enemNs The 1ather and other relatives of the dead youth were then sent for to view and ldent11y the body Some of the inhabitants of the val lev said it was not the remains of Stooka, 
 Tooni had killed that he might deceive the whites with 1t. To remove all doubts, the Indians then sent for his mother, who did not know of his death. when she saw the body she wept, Tell down upon and embraced it, placed her hand over the dreadful wound and cried out in her anguish: My brave son!'
 Upon the summit of small eleva- ton, overlooking the scenes of his child al -fra Q feet. forest standing like a sentinel at his head, grass all above him, and many a violet in springtime and golden rods in autumn, while dove comes to mourn where Stooka lies. The deer have Van- ished the eagle scars no more over the blue mountains of Blount. Maybe they have gone where all of his race dwell Tn the western land. Many of his Kindred are wealthy and highly educated, and the wigwam has been exchanged for the palatial mansion, and elegant appoint ments. but no portrait hangs upon the walls that couH compare with that of the handsome, stalwart Stooka in the hour when, in the land of his birth, he pro- claimed himself it's rightful lord, and bold ly challenged the claim of others.
 This record of Stooka was obtained from Jeremiah Vestal, Alexander Gilbreath and J. U Henderson. all prominent citizens,
  over him at the time he broke his irons and escaped, and was at his burial. MT. Henderson was at one time in charge Of Blount Springs. son of his. Maj. TraVls Henderson of Paris, Tex, Is a very dis tinguished man and was one of the three national park commissioners of the state of Texas to mark the battlefield Of Chick amauga and Missionary Ridge.
 The Creek Indian colony in BroWn's hn a half-blood Creek, whom the tribe called John Ogee but he was subordinate to Colonel Brown. The whites were of motley class, among them being Father Biggs," one of the heroes of Copper's novels but he was more disposed to hilarious life than to mischief. Other reckless adventures sought refuge there, and to protect the more peaceful resi- dents the legislature in 1882 extended the laws of the state over it. There were also large number of homeseekers who rushed into the valley during the time that the Indians were encamped at Gun ters landing, and which they had no law ful right to do until the treaty was rati- fled.
 Hearing of this gross intrusion, the United States government sent regular troops to the valley, and they cut down the growing crops of the white invaders and burned their houses. but notWitn- standing all the severe punishment, they were unable to drive them entirely away. It was several years before matters De- tween the government and the Cherokees were fully adjusted, and all of the valley was ceded to the white, the government lands were not disposed of by general sale as all the other lands of Blount and Jefferson had been, but such parties or good character who had located claims to n n respective settlements upon the payment of sS175 per acre for the same. Such lands as were not occupied were subject to entry in the ordinary manner. An lm- migration of very choice people set in, and soon the valley contained many wealthy and. progressive farmers, who brought with them quite d number Of slaves. The cotton crop of MT. Arnold who had a costly residence at Summit, near the Tennessee road, was over DO bales.
 If is generally conceded by historians that the Indians founded occupying the region 1ow known as the states or South Carolina Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mls- sissippi and Louisiana, were class far superior in their intellects, manners, GUS tom and occupations to those of the north- ern and western states; the remains ot their pottery and weapons of war will attest to this fact. To the inquiries of Hernando De Soto, all the early explorers, such as Marquette, and La Sale, and to the Governors Iberville and Bienyille, as to their origin, they all invariably re- piled that their ancestors dwelt far be- vond the Big River, toward the setting sun, and having engaged in warfare were defeated and driven from their native lmd. and forced to make a very long io,Nney of many moons eastward There was quite strong resemblance in their features, habits. traditions and worship of the sun, to the Aztecs of Old Mexlco Some of the speeches of their chiefs were models of eloquence; they bore them selves with the dignity of a Roman sem ator: and their flight of oratory and images of speech were worthy of the Athenian forum The hall of council was the forest, its dome the cloudless skies of southern cline, its scenic background the lofty mountain range. That the emanations of such genius been transfixad on paper. we should not lament today, as did Sallust at Rome, the loss of such archives for the want of a place to pre- serve them. AS it was, with the exception of a few notable speeches, they fell upon the air and then vanished forever like mist upon a river.
 The Cherokees appear to have been somewhat superior in intellect to many or the others. From its ranks sprang the most remarkable character in the edu- | cational annals of the southern Indians. | George Guess Chis Indian name being Se- | ouoy-ah). a half-blood, the son of George | Gist.( Dutch pedder; his mother being i a full-blood Cherokee woman. He was | born in the state of Georgia, in the year l ITO. and died near San Bernardino. Cal, Al~