The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-10-04
.SEM|NOLES
HAPPY IN THE
EVERGLADES
ALANSON SKINNER TALKS OF CA.
NOE TRIP ACROSS THE cLApEs
IN INTERESTS OF SCIENCE
THE REALLY, TRULY FREE MEN

one other companion recently made a
canoe trip across the Florida Ever
glades to gather specimens for the
American Museum of National History
has arrived in New York and has
given to the New York World some
interesting Information about the trip
The World says:
Alanson Skinner, who with three
companions in two canoes passed COM
pletely through the Florida Everglades
as an expedition for the American
Museum of Natural History, has just
returned to New York from what he
describes as the land of the free and
home of the brave. The Seminole
Indians, who inhabit the little ham,
mocks in the watery waste of the in
terror of Southern Florida, are truly
the free men of the continent. They
are neither citizen nor wards of this
or any other government Indeed,
they have no government of their own
beyond sort of tacit understanding
that the elemental shall be enforced
among the remnant Of the once power
full nation, which numbers at the pres
ent time 800. Nevertheless, in their
swamp islands, the Seminoles have
monographs and sewing mechines.
They have also made certain proyi-
sion for amusement, setting aside GER
tain hummOcks or grassy islands in
the swamp region as lacrosse
grounds.
THE Seminoles," said Mr.. Skinner
yesterday, believe that they have been
very unfairly dealt with by the white
man and SO they want nothing of his
presence or ways among them. They
were once powerful nation, inhabi-
tating the high and dry pine lands OF
Florida. They were hostile to AEneri-
cans during the revolutionary war, be-
ing under British influence. In 1888
certain of their leaders signed treaty
with the United States by which they
agreed to give up their lands and emf
CRATE to the West. The leaders after
ward declared that they had signed
the treaty without their understanding
what 1t was. Their chief, Osceola.
drove his knife into the table on which
the treaty was lying and said: This
is the way that Osceola signs your
treaty.
'The efforts of the United States to
force the carrying out of that treaty
brought on long war with the Semi
noles, which cost the United States
$10,000,000 and some 1900 lives. In
the end the Seminoles were beaten
and agreed to emigPate. They were
given lands near the Creeks, in what
was then the Indian territory
Three Hundred Real Free Men.
There is today, however, in the Ev-
erglades of Florida the remnant of the
Seminoles who would not emigrate.
They were driven out of the good
1or dc in, l. 1or do
the little islands of the swamp region
This remnant, strange to say, is en-
tlrely familiar with the history of the
tribe, and they have the story of Os-
ceola down pat. Osceola was taken
prisoner and ultimately died in con-
finement.
That is the reason of their dis
trust. All white men they say, tell
lies. The biggest compliment a Semi
mole can pay to anyone is to say, He
tell no lie
I'VE started August Z, from the
west or gulf coast of Florida from
Fort Myers. Down little settlement
called Imokslee livss. Bill Brown, an
Englishman, who So Id in the region
some thirty years ago He has traded
with the Indians during all that time
and is known among them from coast
to coast as the white man who tells
no lies His son was the first recruit
made for my party. Julian A
DimOck was the photographer of the
party and went with me from New
York. Bill Browns son, Frank Brown.
Dimock, myself and an Indian set out
in an Oxcart from Fort Myers. We
went down to the borders of the Big
Cypress swamp and there the Indian
was sent on ahead with canoe to ask
permission for us to visit some of the
camps. The Indians were so angry
with our Indian for bringing us down
there that they would not let our
Indian return to us, and sent him away
on a long hunt.
when We finally saw that he wasn't
going to return we decided that we
would have to go on without an In
dian guide. We got another white
man. Joel Knight, and two canoes
from an Indian trading post on the
borders Of the swamps and set out
First We went a little way into the
Big Cypress swamps, and then re-
turned to the border between the
swamp and the Everglades to the
trading camp of Charley Tigertails,
Seminole. Charley was quite char
acter. He was injured so that great
physical exertion was impossible for
him. Charley was the most progress
sive among the Seminoles. When he
found he could not engage in their
ordinary pursuits he built store on
one OF the hammocks fitted up with
modern counters and appliances. AS
he could not pole his canoe along
he sent outside for a gasoline motor
and used that in the Everglades.
Charley was ultra progressive in an
other respect, also. He introduced at
his store the germ of the modern sys-
tenn of credit. The Indians collect
alligator skins and the plumes of the
white heron or egret, which they trade
for coffee, monographs, trifies and
whatever they need. Well, Charley
gave them credit at this store, in re-
turn for which they were to collect
certain number of plumes and
skins. However, the credit system be-
CANA overburdsned and Charley, the