The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-12-19
STRIPPING
AN |k1|AN
.'@PALACE'
MAGNIFICENT FU X N l.
TURE IN CHEROKEE
CHIEFS MANSION
HOUSE BUILT AS
STRONG AS FORTRESS
Beds are establishments Within
Themselves Time
Regime

For more than sixty years a Chero- |
Kee mansion near Tahlequah was
filled with mahogany and rosewood
furniture that would have been the
delight Of collectors of antiques
Much Of this furniture ermains in the
Cherokee country The larger pieces
such AS bcls, sideboards and cabi-
nets, were regal in their magniiicence
Their value at this day would be
thousands OF dollars. It was the
privilege OF only few persons to see
all this furniture. Al the close OF
the Ciyil war the more valuable and
costly pieces were packed away In a
room Of the mansion, and remained
under lock and key until about a
year ago
Among the cultured and wealthy
white men tina cast their, fortunes
with Cherokees was Major George
NJ. Murrell, of Virginia. He won the
Laalt of the eldest daughter OF Lewis
Ross, brother of John Ross, ,who was
chief OF the Cherokees for forty odd
years. Their marriage followed their
elopement Upon the death OF his
wife Major Murrell married her young
est sister His marriage into the
Ross family established Major Muir
relli as a member OF the Cherokee aris
tocracy.
The social and iniellecmai center
| .-f 40 k4s.a
at Park Hill, six or seven miles from
rahltqmh, the tribals capital. Park
I Iiill MAS 'lhe heantifu alome Ol chicf
| kosS Ross cottage. and itswas theff
/ thai 'Nfalbf,' hinITefi 0hilft his mansioi
! f. S6hflfcfn style. This hbit$c, With
is siiatli1lS lana piliafiii ptrtico 81
| sim standing h relic o. the happier
I-days 'knoTn % the chtroke6 peoples
T''fhis was Bhck IN the I0's
The Gharokses We're Shareholders
-and bni.f Major Murrel aud Chef
Ross had many slayesocT The humblest
Cherokee lived III comfort The tribal
| government maintained excellent ma
iional schools for the eiucatlon Of IFS
youths. both boys and girls, at the
expense'oi the nation. Frequently the
more promising boys and girls were
permitted tD finish thor education IN
the colleges and scmlnaries OF the
eastern siAtes.
/, Major Ainrrell built his mansion OF
fortress-lke strength. The heaviest
limbers were used, and across the
massive doors leading to the central
hall were strong bars. The inner
5 doors were two and half inches
thick During the Civil war Confed-
crate soldiers entered the house. The
door OF the dining room was locked
They were unable 20 batter down the
door with their muskets With an
Ak TKey chopped a hole through the
door. removing the lock. The door
staids today as II was left by the sol
diers. Major Murreil, though much
ehagrned at the indignity let the
marks OF pil'age remain as a memen
10 Of the stirring times.
The Virginia and Louisiana es
, lates are still in possession o. his i'm
/ mediate family The plantation a
I. Bayou Gcula IS occupied by his son
| George Ross. Murrell. who has NOR,
than thousand persons employed II
his sugar industry.
Major Murrell furnished his man
sions In keeping with his wealth ant
his cultured tastes The furniture 10
his home al Park Hill was brough
| from New Orleans by steamboat abou
iS45 up the Mississippi and Arkansa
| rivers TO Fort Gibson, and theme
/ hauled overland. This furniture I
said to have been made In England
Il II was Of massive style and of soll
| mahogany before the days OF yer
eer-and G the inner spaces wer
= finished III psewood
> The be,l5 were establishments j
themselves Three large zen coui
s sleep In sEg'e ped. The sideboard
were two feet high The beds wer
seven feet in length. The footboar
was high and beautifully carved. Tn
? corner posts at the head were six II
9 ches square. ana supported tapestr
J, lined mahogany canopy that extende
d over half the length Of the bed. Th
D healboard. fully five feet in heigh
, was mass Of solid mahogany. e.
u anisitely carved N figures, fruits az
flowers.
The ronnd mahogany table IN th
dining room was Of bar0nia slz
fully extended IL was twenty feet !
', length and gave room for d good
y company The sideboard and ser
. ing table wfre IN keeplng with IN
dining table. the sideb0afd being full
six feet II height aid eight feet
length
The lutniiure in the drawing rool
4, and In the private apartments neI
v upholstered In dark green daTnas
prinkled with gold flowers On
wardrobe vas notably massive, pa
sied Nh. ls..s4Dss A.se ssel. "a e.al .sl.s
II was about ten feet high, five ie'
vide and iwo feet deep. and line
} with rosewood The Ifessers were
II quaint sly.e. Above the vile drageI
u IIlse deep lHlffe waF fa#uAed Nth ps
amids II SMALLER dfaHeta and ehtIxs
lea1ine lhom8olVe5 10 every e0nse