The Detroit times., 1914-12-08
ANCESTOR OF
MRS. R. CROKER
LEADER OF RACE
Sequoyah, Chief of Cherokees,
introduced Art of Printing
in Tribe
WAS MANUFACTURERS OF
METALS AND ORNAMENTS
Always Man of Peace and
Friendly With Whites-His
Dramatic Death

NEW YORK, Dec. S.-When MISS
Beulah Benton EdmonJop Just pelore
she became Mrs. Richard Croker and
as such. perhaps entitled TO the rank
OF chieftainess-dowager OF the we'll
known Tammany tribe. announced 10
reporters that she was Cherokee
and direct descendant of the great
chief SeQuoyah, she probably brought
up in the minds or most New fork'
ers a vague association with the dig
trees OF California, II she brought up
any association at all. But MISS Ed
mondson, IN claiming descent from
Sequoyah. was making as proud q
claim as that OF the Englshman who
announces that he is a descendant
OF William the Conqueror or the
Erenchman who claims the blood OF
Charlemagne.
Whatever the name OF Sequoyah
may mean 10 present-day Americans
east OF the Mississippi. out In Okla
homa Miss Edmonsons claim VIII
be estimated at high value, for in In
dian Territory today there are many
thousand Indians and others with
Indian blood in their veins to whom
the name OF Sequoyah means as
much. in many ways, as the name OF
Washington TO the ordinary Amer
lean.
Most OF the great and famous In
dian chiefs succeeded In entering
their names on American history
solely by virtue OF the skill, courage
and ferocity with which they fought
the white men. King Philip, Corn
Tnpn
sch. Sitting Bull, Geronimo, and even
Chief Joseph, are chiefly remembered
by the trouble they gave the United
States army, even though traditions
OF eloquence and generosity occa
sionally are appended TO the stories
OF hard lighting.
| Seauoyah. chief OF the Cherokees
alone among them all, never lifted his
hand against the white man. Ills
fame as a chief rests almost entirely
on one great achievement-he intro
duced not only an alphabet and
written language but the art of print
Ing among his people.
The Cherokees. when Sequoyah
was born. about 10' years before the
War OF the Revolution, were already
a we'll known and powerful friendly
tribe. Their country covered much
OF what is now the mountain region
OF Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia
but scattered communities or the
tribe ranged as far west and soutf
as Mississippi and few villages
across the great river In Arkansas.
! The Cherokees, moreover, we're OF
a much higher type than the hunting
nomad tribes OF the plains or the
half-naked savages whom the Puri
tans first encountered In New Eng
| land and the Middle Atlantic region
They were OF the same stock as the
/ famous confederacy OF Six Nations
the Iroquois OF New York, and had
made even greater progress toward
civilization than they, in this respect
being inferior only to the Hopi people
OF the southwest.
The Cherokees, when the white men
found them, were already living a
settled and peaceful existence, in per
manent and fairly comfortable, sub
stantial log houses. Instead OF sub
sisting. according 10 the popular idea
OF the Indian, on game and fish, they
| lived in well-ordered and law-abiding
communities, cultivated their own
farms, and were quick TO seize upon
such improvements in their way OF
living as they could learn from the
white settlers At very early date
they learned TO keep domestic ami
mails, and most OF the prosperous In.
dian farmers possessed herds OF cattle
and sheep, trading butter, wool and
so on with the English settlements.
Sequoyah was brought up In this
semi-civilized community, and until
nearly 20 years old followed much
the usual life OF the young Chero-
kee brave, hunting fishing, roaming
at large over the country, although.
even then, he manifested an unusual
interest In the white men with whom
he came In contact, made many
friends among them. and showed re-