Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1916-07-27
LEGENDS OF
SUCK CREEK
Tigin Of WhirlpOOIs as Told
by Indians.
UNTSATYI, FAMOUS GAMBLER,
SUPPOSED TO LIVE THERE
Suck Was Known as Untiguhi, POT
the Water Thunder, a Great
Doctor, Believed to Have Cured
His Son in Waters.

The interest which has been taken
in Suck creek lately" said ID. 4. Barn
ct, special agent OF the advertising de-
partment of the Queen & Crescent route,
Yesterday, reminds me OF the indian
legends which attach to that locality.
9'As the Indians told it land, by the
way, they always prefacsd tale by
This is what the old man told me when
was a boy rather than by the Once
u pom q time as our grandmothers be-
ganl, at the mouth of Suck creek, on
the Tennessee, about eight miles below
Chattanooga, is a series OF dangerous
whirlpools known as The suck, ana
noted among the Indians as the place
where Untsaiyi, the gambler, lived long
ago. The Indians called it Untiguhi'
'Pot-in- the Water ON account OF the
appearance of the surging, tumbling
water, suggesting boiling pot. They
assert that in the old times the whirl-
pools were intermittent in character.
and the canoomen attempting to pass
this spot used to hug the bank, keeping
constantly on the alert for signs OF
coming eruption, and when they saw
the water begin to revolve more rapidly
would stop and wait until it became
quiet again before attempting to pro-
ceed.
"Thunder, it seems, lived in the west,
or a little to the south of west, near the
place where the sun goes down behind
the water. In the old times he some
times made Journey to the east ana
once after he had come back from one
of these Journeys child was born In
the east, who, the people said, was his
son. AS the boy grew up, 1T was found
that he had scrofula sores all over MS
body, so one day his mother said to him:
"Your father, Thunder, is great
doctor He lives far in the west, but II
you can find him he can cure you"
80 the boy set out to find his tather
and be cured. He travelled long TOWARD
the west, asking Of every one he met
where Thunder lived, until at last they
began to tell him that it was only lit
tie wav ahead He went on and came
to Untiguht on the Tennessee. where
lived Untsaiyi, or Brass :,
"Now, Untsaiyi was great gambler
and made his living that wav. 1t was
he who invented the game that was
plsyed with a stone wheel and stick. he
lived on the south side of the river, and
everybody who came that way he chal-
lepped to play against him. The large,
fat rock, the Indians assert, with the
lines and grooves where they used to
roll the wheel, is still there, with the
wheels themselves and the stick turned
to stone. He won almost every time,
because he was so tricky, so that he had
his house filled with all kinds OF nne
things. Sometimes he would loose, and
then he would het all he had, even to
his own life, but the winner got notnlng
for his trouble, for Untsaiyi knew how
to take on different shapes, SO that ne
always got away.
LAS soon as the gambler saw the BOY
he asked him to stop and play whlle'
but the boy said he was looking Tor MS
father, Thunder, and had not time to
wait.
"'Well, said Untsaiyi, he lives in
the next house; you can hear him
gru M bling over there all the time, 30
we might as we'll have a game or two
beflSe you go on
Il 9 boy said he had nothing to pet
'lhat's all right said the gam bier.
we play for your pretty spots
.Ae said this to make the boy angry
so that he would play, but still the BOY
said that he must go first and hnd MS
father, and would come back afterwards
"He went on and soon the news came
to Thunder that boy was looking Tor
h im who claimed to be his son.
"I have travelled in many lands, and
have many children" said Thunder
Bring him here, and we shall soon
knaw.'
$50 they brought in the boy, and
tt hinder showed him seat, ana told
hirSxo sit down. Under the blanket on
the Seat were long sharp thorns OF the
honey locust, with the points sticking
up. When the BOY sat down they ala
not hurt him, and Thunder knew tnat
it was his son. He asked the boy why
be had come.
al have sores all over my body, the
boy answered, and my mother told me
you were my father, and great doctor,
ind if came here you would cure me-
Yes, Thunder replied, l am great
octor, and III soon fix you.
There was large pot in the corner
md Thunder told his wife to I'LL 1t with
water and put it over the hre. When
t was boiling he put in some roots, tnen
ook the boy and put him in with them
lie let it boil long time, until one
would have thought the flesh would
,oil from the boys bones. Then Ihun,
Ter told his wife to take the pot ana
brow it into the river, boy ana all
She did as she was told, and ever since
b ere is an eddy there that the INDIANS
allied 'Pot-in-the-W Water.
"a service tree and calico ousn
rev on the bank. A great cloud OF
team came up and made stresks ana
lotches on their bark. When the {
team cleared away the woman looked, I
nd saw the boy clinging to the roots
4 the service tree, where they huhg