davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening journal., 1916-04-21
A Short Sketch of This
Interesting Tribe Who
Although Living In the
Wilderness of the Flor
ida Everglades Have
Felt the Effects Of the
European War.
Copyright. 1916. by The international
Syndicate


syndicate
~HE Seminole Indians OF today
al are only a frail remnant OF the
mighty tribe OF Osceola's time.
- Ever since their separation from
The Creeks OF Georgia their lives have
been one long struggle for existence
and for a place which they might call
home. Their name in Indian dialect
means wild wanderer," and Il Is GER
sainly not a misnomer IN this instance.
Everglade Homes.
For years their home has been in
the wilderness of the Florida Ever
glades. and there they lived the sim
pie life, feeding upon the game such
as deer, bear. turkey and small fowl.
They had the native fruits and nuts,
and on the little islands which rose
above the waters OF the Glades they
cultivated potatoes. beans. corn and a
starchy plant called "coontie." from
which they made their -four. Then
came the draining and reclaiming OF
the Everglades which spoiled their
game preserve for the white man be-
gan TO set up farms where once the
wild animals roamed. Even the little
dry islands OF the Glades where the
corn and the coontie once fiourished
have been turned into truck gardens
for the raising OF vegetables FOR the
Northern markets. The white man'i
gun has frightened away all the biz
game, and even quail. squirrels ans
ash see scarce.
Evening journal., 1916-04-21

aforementioned plant tho Govern
ment last year expended one and
three-Quartor million dollars I'm max
ing more than a million pounds OF
cannon powder and $4,000 pounds OF
high explosive. That little stunt IN
ammunition making saved Uncle Sam
nearly q million dollars over what it
would have cost to get the same ne
cessities by contract. An interesting
adjunct OF this plant is a factory for
reworking old powders and powder
scraps-a make over" sion that can
handle 5000 pounds OF powder per
day.
The pride OF our war officials just
now IS tho new plant al tho Watortown
Arsenal for tho manufacture OF arm-
or piercing projoctilcs for seacoasi
guns and mortars Here the chiei
output IS 12-inch deck-piercing pro.
iectnes but just 20 show its versatility
tho establishment also turns out upoT
demand mobile artillery shells. shrap
: mel cases and target practice proiec
tuesAthis last an important class o
. munitions that must be used up az
/ rapid rate IN time or peace n the me
: behind tho guns are 90 make good !
q time OF war. A nifty little speciali
Evening journal., 1916-04-21

is encouraging Uncle Sam 10 take up
the manufacture Of all sorts OF war
munitions II was only i'm 1900 that
the Government began to make pow
der at the establishment on the lower
Potomac and then operations we're in
augurated on a comparatively modest
scale. Yet. at present. this modern
manufactory. thanks TO appropriations
by the last Congress. is IN a position
10 meet the powder calls Of the Navy
and may still further be "speeded up"
II it IS decided TO spend as proposed
this year the sum Of $4,000. 900 for re-
serve munitions. But for all this
achievement. Thomas A. Edison. the
famous inventor. and an earnest advo-
cate OF peace. said. after a recent visit
TO Indian Head that he would favor
doubling the capacity OF the big Fed
eral powder MILL
No Longer Novice.
Ever hear OF an acid test? WELL
here goes for story OF one that
proves that Uncle sam II not yet en-
titled to rank as a veteran in ammu-
milton manufacture is no longer ir
the apprentice class. Mixed acid Il
one OF the essentials in the manu-
facture Of smokeless powder. Uncle
Sam has been buying his acid In th'
open market. Lately the purveyor
of acid have boosted the price-ac
count Of the war. you know, same a
Evening journal., 1916-04-21

The Army. alike to the Navy. has
some busy little experimonters who
are always going after something
new" in the ammunition line and the
best OF these inventive sharks have
not been lured by the offers OF fancy
salaries made by the managers Of
private munition plants. Recently
TO illustrate tho tireless effort - the
military experts at the Frankford Ar
senal have conducted experiments and
developed a method or manufacturing
cartridge cases OF steel that would
prove most valuable In an emergency.
Another novelty lately produced is a
smali-arms ammunition pack"
Making Munitions For Our Army.
Not to have all the eggs ia one has.
kct is considered In many respects
an advantage and this is the polics
that Uncle Sam follows IN providinf
army ammunition. The responsibilitl
for providing projectiles is apportione,
among a number OF Government ar
senals located In different sections o
/ the country. whereas at tho picatinn
Arsenal Is located the Army powde
factory and high explosive factory Nc
TO burden the reader with too man
figures it may be noted that at IN
Evening journal., 1916-04-21

tea and tires-from three cents per
pound to nearly seven cents per pound.
Whereupon our Federal powder
makers have gotten busy with the re-
suit that they have discovered that
they can manufacture their own acid
at a cost OF 3 cents per pound or less
and can. in one year, save the Govern-
ment more than one-third OF mill
lion dollars OF enough to install the
acid making plant
A parallel case IS found I'm torpedo
manufacture. but how the Government
is making its own torpedoes az the
rate OF moro than four hundred a year
would make a whole story IN itself
The manufacture OF mines. too. mines
OF both the anchored and tactical types
IS an interesting "side line" I'm tho
Federal munitions industry. But when
we bear in mind that a $4,000. .0Ot
dreadnaught becomes mere worth.
less. floating hulk the minute heI
ammunition IS exhausted is a. anl
wonder that the powers that be a
I Washington are most concerned abou
/ the main chance" in munitions. Tha
is why the loud cry TO Congress 4
for a bigger reserve" OF large shell
and other munitions that requir
months 20 manufacture.
Evening journal., 1916-04-21

she reaches middle life she begins TO
take of the strands one by one and
by the time she is no longer able TO
work she has but one strand. known
as life beads. and these are buried
with her.
Sofka being the national dish-a
stew made of meat and thickened with
vegetables or grits. II is cooked in a
huge kettle and eaten from a large
wooden spoon which is passed from
one 10 another-not very sanitary. 10
say the least. Sofka 10 the Seminole
is like friJoles 10 the Mexican and pol
to the Hawaiian. The spoons used
are difficult TO obtain. as they are
family heirlooms and cannot be sold
without the consent OF the woman
who is head OF the house. Each fam.
ily has a sort OF coat-of-arms carved
on the spoon.
Alligator Hunters.
The men are great alligator hunt
ers. In hunting these a steady nerve
and an unerring shot are essential
The Seminoles so out in canoes OF
dark nights carrying a bulls-eye Ian
tern and from time 10 time throw th'
light over the water. When 'gatoi
is located the Indian steers his cano'
TO a point about ten feet from hi
prey and puts shot between the eye'
Evening journal., 1916-04-21

that IS being produced at Watortown
Is tho might tracer" which can be
attached to tho shrapnol ammunition
for 3-inch field guns and which IN
action serves 20 indicate to tho gun
nors what they are doing when nrins
at night.
Hand Grcnades and Acropianc Guns
Newspaper readers who have beer
thrilled with accounts of AN tho new
tangled forms of ammunition that
have been introduced this past couple
OF years I'm tho Old World need not
worry but what Uncle Sam is right
Iup-to-datc in turning out the lates,
I fashions ln munitions from his own
plants. At Frankford Arsenal. for OK
ample. much work has been done this
/ past twelvemonth in the production OF
hand grenades. ilght bombs (for a.
/ Elimination in the event OF night at
tacksl. etc And while Yankee in
gonulsy has bccn exercised 10 devise
special types OF guns for shootina
down hostile aircraft our busy little
ammunition makers have bccn stor-
ing up FOR future use "the best ever
bombs TO be dropped from acroplanes
flying the stars and Stripes Nor is e
any secret that at Frankford singular
success has been attained with bombs
manufactured from ahrapnel cases.
4 Many -sldcd Manufactures
Enough has been said. probably 20
lconvince almost any reader that now
lthat Uncle Sam has hranohed out ns
"A fullnedgcd manufacturer OF ammu-
milton. he hnds "a necessity, unknown
90 tho maker of canes or candy, FOR
. being many-sided manufacturer
And yet we have not catologued nearly
. lam the lines OF tho explosive stock iH
trade that Uncle sam must provide
I Nothing has been said about ths
j smoke bombs that the Government {.
b. producing at one OF its factories, ant
{ then there IS the shrapnel for 60
{ mountain gums" that are tronsport,,
- on mule haci, TO points inaccessible bi
y ordinary means or communication
n Even the signal rockets that arc uses
.- In night operations rank as muniuor
- I'm the category OF Federal manutoc
" turcd products. Every month Is ap
a 10 add some new form OF trouhi,
N maker-for example. tho u. 8. Navy
I'M lately developed "ant-airoratt pro'e'
iy tile"
Evening journal., 1916-04-21
Our Military and Naval
establishments Have
Their Own Powder
Plants - Making Shot
and Shell Testing Gun
Charges Under Exact
ing Conditions.
BY WALTON FAWCETr.

r may or may not be true, as the
old adage argues that money
makes the mare 90. but there Is
no question that it is ammunition
that puts pep" in preparedness. It
Is the supreme essential. A nation
with plenty Of powder might make
bombs OF tomato cans and do deadly
execution. but a nation with guns and
no shot and shcll-perish the thought
As the people Of the United states
have been brought face TO face with
he issue Of preparedness" 10 has
gradually dawned upon many persons
who never thought OF it that way be-
fore, that in the event Of war II would
be vastly more important for Uncle
Sam 70 have an ample reserve supply
OF ammunition in his magazines than
a bulk OF gold coin I'm his strong boxes.
Uncle Sans credit might be good II
he hadn't the coin to pay cash for his
purchases, but It requires time to man
lfacture ammunition.
a vital need" the Secretary OF the
Navy terms this necessity for q sur
plus store OF ammunition and in proof
Of his statement he calls attention To
the fact that the cry OF every. nation
engaged in the present European con-
nlct Is for ammunition, more ammu-
milton and still more ammunition
War Department officials take the
same attitude.
Uncle Sam In the Munitions Business
Aside from the paramount consid.
Grafton Of laying by some extra am.
munition for noisy day the most in.
teresting feature of the present sit.
uation is that which discloses Uncl,
Sam looming up in the role of am.
munition maker. Incidentally, thil
angle has direct bearing on the mos
holy contested point in the disput,
over preparedness The citizens o
the republic who don't believe I'm Law
ing out vast sums in preparation fo
war will tell you. the minute conver
sation on tho subject starts that thi
whole preparedness agitation has beer
engineered by the American firms tha
manufacture munitions. AS thes
antis have It there is already a "muni
tions lobby" hard at work at Wash
ington trying TO induce Congress q
squander countless millions for death
dealing supplies that may never b
needed.
Now the interesting question IS as {
vhat these ready debaters will sa
Evening journal., 1916-04-21

OF the monster. Before the gator can
founder out of reach the Indian grabs
his AK and sewers the spinal cord and
drags the carcass into the boat The
alligator possesses an extraordinary
vitality. the nerves often being active
for several hours after the head has
been severed from the body, and tho
writings OF the huge bodies are
frightful.
Picturesque Dances.
The tribe has its festivals and
dances. many OF which are not unlike
the Indian dances In tho Southwest.
The Medicine Men OF the tribe usually
arrange the time for the date OF tho
Green Corn Dance. festival which Is
governed by a certain phase OF the
moon. This dance Is perhaps the most
important OF their festivals, ana IS
held as an expression of gratitude 10
the Great Spirit for an abundant mar
vest-a custom borrowed rom 1ne
ancient sun worshipers. The hununs
] Dance takes place once In foui years.
and Is genuine play day Tor me men,
women and children These dances.
v-bie not as weird as those OF tho
Indians OF the Far West, are quite as
ren,ar<able and well worth visiting II
ne traveller is willing 10 brave ths
Florida sun In July.
Evening journal., 1916-04-21

will, and the young man goes OF 70
hunt another bride. II. however. the
girl sees At TO accept his attentions
he goes deer hunting and n no sue
ceeds in bagging his game the young
woman will find a dead deer outside
her wigwam. The lover hides In the
bushes and watches. II the carcass Is
taken into the house II Is a sure sign
OF her acceptance. A few days later
she makes a shirt. usually bright IN
color. and sends it 20 her admirer.
Then the day OF the marriage is set.
and the young man goes TO the girls
home at sunset and takes up his resi-
dence there. He is now her husband
and they sot about TO build their home
in the camp OF the wife's mother. for
here again. like the Alaskan Indians.
the child takes the clan OF the mother
instead OF the father.
Picturesque Clothing.
Both tho men and women love gay
colors. and although they mix them
without the slightest regard to har-
mony, the makeup of their costumes
is picturesque. The men, who are al
ways tall and Of a dark copper color
usually wear deerskin leggings and
moccasins, a bright cOlored shirt and
tunic around which a sash is draped
The belt IS made OF buckskin with
pouches for a hunting knife. a re-
volver and ammunition. Sometimes
the Seminole brave wraps his head In
a red bandana handkerchief. and
at others he, wears derby hat
The woman. too. has a fine physiQu'
and magnificent hair. She affect
bangs and wears her hair in a psych'
knot. She is always barefooted an,
her wide flowing skirt is made lonl
enough to reach to her toes.
Beads are worn as marks OF dis
tinction and mean everything to N
dark-skinned woman OF the 'Glade'
She receives her first string when sh
is one year old, and one string 10
each year until she is welded. Ate
marriage she receives two strings 70
each child born. on festal occasion
she piles up her neck with from twer
/ ] " TO thirty pounds Of glass beads an
r4waJks about like a grand dame. Whe
Evening journal., 1916-04-21

The Seminole still has his alligator
industry in a part OF the
swamp as yet untouched by the biz
dredge. and for time he managed TO
sell these to advantage TO the mission
trading post about seventy miles from
Ft. Myers. But the European war
has claimed even the people Of the
Florida wilderness as victims The
shutting of OF the European market
for these hides has been the final
blow and the struggle of the Seminole
today is one OF the pathetic instances
Of the far-reaching effects OF that
awful conflict now being waged be-
yond the seas. A sensitive race. with
no particular fancy for the white man,
the Seminoles for years have resented
the missionaries who came among
them bringing medical aid and meth
ods OF sanitation as we'll as the teach
ings OF the Gospel. and Il seems the
very irony OF fate that Just as these
simple people were becoming inter
ested in the work of the mission and
ready 20 trust the pale face. the good
physician who had done so much FOL
them died and the European wal
closed up their one chance OF making
living. For a time Il was feared
that they would starve. but good
friends came 10 their aid and the,
are managing to exc out an existence
Intermarried With Negroes I'm Earl!
Days.
They are totally unlike any othe
tribe OF Indians. due perhaps TO tn
fact that the Florida wilderness wa
the hiding place OF runaway slave
from the Southern States as we'll a
Evening journal., 1916-04-21

OF the Indians. The seminoles well
coined the fugitives and in time they
intermarried The planters tried in
vain TO find some way by which they
could secure the return OF their wool
and ivory" but in vain, for the United
states at that time US10) was too
much occupied with the troubles with
Great Britain 10 get into a bron with
Spain over a few runaway negroes.
So the Indians and the slaves were let
alone and they lived in peace and
harmony for many years. Finally, In
1919, Florida was purchased from
Spain for the sum of s.. 200. 100000 and
the Seminoles we're brought under the
dominion OF the United States. For
time the tribe suffered from the
plunder of slave catchers who, be-
sides Selling the negroes. stole horses
and cattle and committed other depre-
dations. The Indians pleaded for re-
dress but things continued to grow
worse until 1928, when the plan OF
emigration to Arkansas was submit
ted to the chiefs. The Indians knew
that the climate was different and
their plea TO remain in Florida was
pathetic. Then. too, the negroes were
to be left behind and many OF them
were the husbands and wives OF the
seminoles and they decided 70 refuse
to emigrate. United States troops
were sent TO the scene when the In
dians began 10 commit a series o'
outrages against the whites and nor
rlble tragedies followed one after an
lother in quick succession
Osceola.
\ II was az this period that tn
Evening journal., 1916-04-21

when st comes about that Uncle Sam
is in position TO manufacture all
his own handle with care" supplies.
Within a few months now the L. 8.
Navy Department will have completed
extensions OF its great plant at Indian
Head. Maryland. on the Potomac river
that will place it In a position TO man
ufacture all the powder needed for
our warships. The Government has a
lusty Infant industry" in torpedo
manufacture; new projectile Factories
are proposed il Congress will loosen
the purse strings.
A Big Saving In Cost
Thrift is an influence that is push
ing the Government into the field OF
ammunition making. Here is grain
of comfort for the taxpayer who does
not believe that the way TO preserve
peace is to be prepared for war. At
any rate he can have the consolation
of knowing that just in so far as Uncle
Sam makes his own war material will
money be saved 10 the public that
pays. over any plan Of purchasing in
the open market In proof OF the
economy OF Government ammunition
making. take the case Of powder
Just before the outbreak OF the
/ Spanish-American war the Govern
ment was paying the fancy price Of 81
per pound for all its smokeless pow
der and during and after our brush
with Spain we paid so TO So cents a
pound to the private companies from
which the supply was obtained. In the
face Of continual protests. approach
Ing a public scandal, the price grad
ually went down TO 60 cents. Their
Congress made a thorough investiga-
ton and as a result fixed SO cents pei
pound as all the Government would
pay This past year Uncle Sam hai
been making smokcless powder at In
dian Head-not a sparse quantity, bu
q total OF nearly 1000. 900 pounds
a cost OF less than % cents per pound
No wonder tho officials anticipate Will
, satisfaction an output at this plant o
FIVE million pounds OF powder thi
. year and six million pounds next year
AS a matter of fact the brief his
, tory Of the Indian Head ammunitio
: plant is the one big object lesson tina
Evening journal., 1916-04-21

II was az this period that the
Evening journal., 1916-04-21

famous warrior Osceola came into
prominence. His wife being an Afri-
can slave. was seized and carried
away and when the young warrior
made an attempt 10 rescue her he was
put in jail. His one idea was TO get
revenge on the white man for the cap
ture of his wife. 30 he pretended to
be repentent. and whenreleased he am
bushed and killed his jailer, General
Thompson. and a companion who hap
pened 70 be walking with the officer
al that time. The awful slaughter Of
the u. s. troops, known as Dade's
Massacre, followed. The United States
was unprepared 20 act quickly and
vigorously and after a series OF bloody
slsirmishes word was received from
washington that the Government had
decided TO permit the negroes 70 20
with the indians II they would emf
CRATE peacefully 70 Arkansas. Just as
this was about to be carried out some
OF the slave holders objected and the
Indians. fearing that the treaty was
ruse, ned 10 the wood with their war
cry.
Osceola was their leader hero
among his people. Tall and erect,
with eyes which fairly looked through
the person who met his saze. this
Indian swayed his warriors and proved
himself a military tactician OF no low
order. He was finally surrounded by
our troops and captured. He died in
prison IN 1888, and Is buried at Fort
Moultrie. near Charleston. South Car
ollna. This chieftain II the national
hero OF the Seminole tribe.
Tho dark days OF massacres and
savage warfare between our troops
and the Seminoles have passed and
as far as the United States Govern
ment Is concerned there are no In
dams in Florida for. according 20 the
old treaty they emigrated 10 Arkansas
long ago. Somebody. however. must
have found the Florida Indians, for
lin 1892 an agency was set up near
Fort Myers for the purpose OF assist
ing the Indians and an appropriation
OF 100000 per year was made 20
run It. A sawmill was built and a
school opened, but the Indians did not
take kindly 10 the institution and II
was abandoned. Since that time the
J welfare of the Seminole has been
looked after by missionaries and q
society known as The Friends OF the
Florida seminoles." The Department
OF the Interior has set aside twenty
three thousand acres OF land TO bs
5 held in trust for the Florida Indians
b so that when they are finally driver
b from all other property they may re
: tire 10 this place and live there with
out being further molested.
Courtship.
Only a few of them speak English
! as their chiefs disapprove of it's us'
BY the tribe. They prefer 20 keel
aloof from the white man and hi
ways. Like the Alaskan Indians. the!
have their clans. and under no cir
: cumstances do the clans marry amonl
themselves. which probably account
/, for their sturdy ngures. The court
ship OF the Seminole Is short. Whel
a young brave sees a girl he admire
he seeks out her parents and the giI
is consulted by them on the subjec
II she refuses her father does nc
"a. lf-.a.t -. har rsaas-r,rfucr Qgednsr ha
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-06-10

National Soldiers Home, Togus,
June 9.-(SpeciaD. The monument
recently erected to the memory Of the
Spanish American war and Philippine
service soldiers and sailors. will be
unveiled and dedicated Sunday after
noon, June II. and a large gathering
from the military and civil ranks are
expected to be present.
The exercises will be under the
auspices Of William Tiffany Camp. No
4, L. S. W. V, and the officers have
worked hard to make il a success. The
following are the officers of the Post;
William T. Wade, commander; Will
liam L. Pierce, S. V. c.; James
Murphy. J. V. c.; Arthur B, Clark, ad-
jutant; John Eagan. quartermaster:
James Dennehey, officer of the day;
John r. January, officer of the guard,
and Walter F.. Lee, color sergeant.
Among the officers at the Branch
who saw service in the Spanish war
are Major F. L. Appleton. treasurer,