Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-09-26
Early RecOllectiOns
Of Old NOxubee.


Along in the ffties many Indians iri'
habited the country out west and south
vest Of Shuqualak, principally Winston,
Neshoba and Leake counties. and it was
. custom Of theirs. about twice year,
10 form In bands Of from 25 to 30 and
visit points as far east as Shuqualak,
south to jackson. west to Kosciusko
and north to Starkville-sometimes in
cluding Macon, selling their wares
baskets. dressed buckskins, beads,
blow guns, pottery. etc., having their
women and children and all their be-
longings along, including ponies, bed
ding. cooking utensils, clothing, etc.
Often these rowing bands would be
seen coming into town with the men
astride their ponies, wearing big, red
blankets around them, regardless OF
the temperature Of the weather, with
the women afoot, adorned with red
shawls and bandana handkerchiefs. and
carrying the burdens, all their posses
sions being borne upon their backs, the
men doing the riding and taking things
easy.
After arriving in town the women
and children would unload their bedding
and utensils at the foot of some conven-
lent tree, and take their salable wares
and go out over the residence portion
of the town. selling them to the women,
while the men would take up their
headquarters at some saloon and remain
there until they had exchanged their
buckskins and blow guns to the incom-
ing customers for dimes with which to
buy whiskey, and there they would
stay until they had sold entirely out
and drank up every cent they had OBJ
tanned for their wares. This they
could well afford to do as the depend
ence for the family maintenance seemed
to be entirely upon the women.
l have seen az many as a dozen In
dian men all drunk al the same time on
the streets of Shuqualak, and it was
show worth seeing to see their women
and children trying to get them out OF
town and hear the rahble OF language
they would use. for but very few OF
them at that time could speak a word
of English, and the drunken Indians
cursing and the women's entreaties
were all in their own language, but the
onlooker could guess pretty well what
was being said by the vehemance with
which the words were spoken by the
men and the distressed looks and sub
dued tone of voice of the women.
There were always one or two men
with each rowing band who could speak
broken English to an extent to be un-
derstoed, and remember at one time
when one of these bands of Indians
came to Shuqualak they were headed
by an Indian named "Ellic," who could
talk a little English and that ne got
tanked up on whiskey and proceeded to
curse out lin English) every white man
that passed him on the streets, (the
regular citizens humoring it, for 1t was
funny), until finally an Irish ditcher by
the name of Mike McMannon, new
conner, came along and Ellie hailed him
with the salutation: "White man first,
Injun second, nigger third and Irishman
last" and the last words were hardly
out of the Indians mouth before the
Irishman, big stout fellow, landed a
right-hander under the Indians Jaw,
sending him sprawling from the two
feer-high gallery of Jack Kleiner's res
taurant and landing him on a huge pile
of oyster shells that were lying there.
and thai he hadn't more than struck
them before the Irishman was Oh him.
and where, for half hour, the fight
continued, first the Irishman on top and
then the Indian, neither of whom could
talk the English language except brok-
enly. bue both possessing good staying
Qualities as fighters, and of all the
lauchable language and occurrences
that | ever witnessed this was the
most laughable, they never getting OH
The oyster shell pile during the time
and at the end of the fight the erst-
while three-feet high pile Of shells hav-
;ng been scattered and ieveled to a sin
gle shell depth.
And there were others who saw plen-
ty 70 laugh at and entertain them In
the fight. for long before it ended every
merchant and clerk as we'll as the coun-
try contingent in town to trade were
drawn to the scene, and not one but
regretted to see the fight end, the bel
lieerents never ceasing until both were
about out Of breath.
No weapons-not even stick or a
plank were used or attempted TO De
used-the fight being according to the
stvle in those days, ''fsticuff, the
participants shaking hands at the end,
and this was done, and as a token OF
,nnreciation for the entertainment
tha Indian and Irishman we're carried