Evening star., 1915-06-16
Stock Streams With Fish.

lands run broad streams, fed from the
mountains The waters are clear as
crystal. but they are almost devoid of
fish. The government is constantly
stocking streams in various parts of
the country with fish. and Commits
sioner Sells called upon the United
States fish commissioner and learned
the Indians lands could be cared for
along with the other streams at a
minimum cost. Steps are now being
taken to have the streams stocked.
The fourth big plan for the benefit
Of the Indians developed by Mr.. Sells
on his trip to North Carolina Is to
teach the Indian women and girls lace
making. They are very clever at max
ing baskets and weaving some kinds
of cloth. SO Mr.. Sells took up the
woman in New York and she has
agreed to provide teacher for the
Indians at her own expense, who will
give them instruction for thirty days
and at the same time instruct some
of the government teachers on the In
carry on the instruction of the In
dians in the future.
The Indians living in North Carolina
are good citizens" according to Mr..
Sells.
Il didn't see a blanket Indian among
them" said Mr.. Sells. They nearly
all speak English, though the Chero-
kee tongue Is in common use. One
thing which struck me is that there
are no missionaries among tho Indians
They are Christians and practically
all members of the Baptist Church.
They have preachers of their own who
preach to them in the Indian language
They are peaceable and crime is at a
minimum among them"
Indian Schools.
The government owns some seven or
eight hundred acres Of land which is
the Indian reservation adjoining the
property held by the Indians them
selves. On the reservation are locat-
ed schools for the boys and girls and
for the young men and young women
The superintendent is James E. Hend-
erson. who halls from the adjoining
county, Haywood. and Is of Scotch
Irish descent. himself a hill man. Mr..
Henderson. who has proved himself q
capable superintendent. was the first
superintendent of an Indian reserya-
ton appointed by Commissioner Sells
after he came into Office year and a
half ago.
When the Cherokees purchased their
land in North Carolina back in 1912 the
deal was accomplished through w H.
Thomas, who had long been a trader
among the Indians in that part of the
country. Incorporation under the laws
of North Carloina followed. and the
Indians property became communal
affair, to be allotted by them to the
members of the tribe. A council elect
ed by the Indians themselves is the
a tribal chief and assistant chief The
present chief Is Saunooke, a full blood
Indian about forty years old. a gradu-
ate of Carlisle. and. according to Com
ALI
place The governing board. or coun-
Gil. consisting of nine men, is chose n
every two years.
The North Carolina Indians, like the
mountains. lead primitive lives in
many ways. They have no bridges
across their streams for wagons.
though they have the old fashioned
swinging foot bridges that sway with
every step a person takes. Fords are
ing and farming lis done not with
horses but with oxen, just as in the
case with many of the white mountain :
eers in that section. The scenery In
Help at Little Cost.
Commissioner Sells commented On the
fact that the plans which are being de :
veloped to help the Indians to better
thines do not mean a large outlay of
money on the part of the government:
in fact, the expense attached to them
will be practically nothing On the
1oyernment reservation Itself Mr..
Sells also planned a number of needed
improvements In conjunction with tho
surerintendent. He is anxious to have
Inc reservation produce all the but
ter and eggs and vegetables which are
needed to feed the 16 0or more Indian
children who attend the school there.
md dndinR that It does not. Mr SeIla