Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-12-25
Last Indian Tribe Visited Cape
May in 1882 -

yesterday afternoon in q very pleasant
manner His subject was 'Indian VIII
lagos Of Cumberland County and Their
Traditions" He made a splendid
speech and received merfted applause.
Before his address President Gilbert
introduced Wilbur F. Tower, who pre-
sented to the society, on behalf of Mrs.
Hendee and Mrs. Macgeorge, large
nicely framed photographs of the late
Judge Hendee and the laie Prof.
William Macgeorge.
In his brief address Mr.. Tower said
Prof. Maegeorge was identified foryears
with our public schools, the National
bank and In church work and was part
of the history of Vineland.
Judge Hendee was also identified
with the bank, was prominent in the
development of our agricultural inter-
ests, was prominent in Grange work
and in municipal affairs, and he
thought the pictures OF both men de-
served a prominent place on the walls
of the Society's building.
President Gilbert said he believe d
MI. Hendee's father lived when George
Washington was president of his
country and that Prof. Macgeorge's
father was a boy at that time, although
he lived for a time in Scotland.
Mr., Purvis found wonder 10 the ira
ditions Of the Indians whom he charac-
terjzed as a wonderful race. It was In
1855 that he saw the red man for the
first time. The brave came to Millville
and so strong was tradition STAN ped
upon him that he found the exact place
where his ancestors lived three hundred
years before. This Indian told of a
spring In the sand bank that his fathers
frequented and he found the spring
although a house had been built on the
spot. The spring flowed through a
pipe under the cellar wall. The spring
had left the surface many years before.
This Indian, with his wife, dugin the
earth on the bluff west of Maurice River
and finally found an AFRO head of the
pattern used by his tribe when they
lived on the spot. The red man bowed
down and held a season of worship.
Nj. Purvis said he was with the Usage
Indians In the west for two years and
when he drew a map ofNew Jersey the
Osages drew a map also and showed
him where he lived in this state.
The reason for this he said was that
for hundreds of years the Indians from
everywhere came to Cape May to battle
In the ocean and worship the setting
sun after the same that the
Jews journeyed to Jerusalem. New
Jersey, south OF Gloucester, the landing
place for canoes, was considered holy
land because of this custom to worship
at Cape May and there never was a war
on this land. 1t was called the "Land
Of Peace"
The speaker told of pottery found
showing hal there were Indian
villages at Parvin's, Fairion, Red
Bank, and many. other places. At
Fairton the first missionary work was
done among the Indians by the Pfesby-
terians and the Quakers. The red man
was converted but the white man kept
crowding him back. The Indians had
a hundred acres under cultivation.
They grew corn, pumpkins, made
hominy and Mrs. Purvis's grandmother
ate apples from trees set by Indians.
There was a trail which led from the
Fairton village to Red Bank, crossing
Vineland just north of the Soldiers
Home.
The last tr be that hit the. trail for
Cape May to worship passed down
Malaga Road In 1882.
Mr.. Purvis believes that the reason
the Indians did not advance In agricul-
ture, which leads to civilization, faster,
was because there was plenty to eatand
drink without working for it, and If the
white man had stayed away, civilian
ton would have come among them in
New Jersey. "Poverty" he said, forced
advancement
He believed also that a great reason
for the disappearance of the Indian
blood was because the Firms and the
Danes and other men came and took
the Indian girls for brides, and the race
ran out. The last Indian named War
Horse Charley, now lives at Shamong,
and he told Mr.. Purvis's informant re-
Gently that the reason he never married
was because the white men got all the
nice girls, and as he couldn't get a
white woman, he lived a bachelor.
They say he is now 125 years old.
Mr.. Purvis believes that the Indian
population here was very large, and
does not agree with other historians on
this point. The Cohanzics was the
most advanced tribe at Fairton.-Vine-
~