The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1919-08-12
Items About the Pageant

/. interesting thing ever done in Mou
! Holly.
( One benefit of the Making
Mount Holly" pageant will be educ
tional. The War Camp Communi
Service tried in two instances wi
mixed audiences to see how maj
were familiar at all with the histo.
of Mount Holly. It is surprising
see how few knew even the ear
name of Mount Holly or had res
early accounts of settlers here.
| One of the noblest characters sur
ly that has lived in these parts, w;
old King Chameleon, Of the Delawal
Tribe. Surely he was the first prob
bitionist of this country, being col
verified by sad experience of the yer
earliest settlers selling rum to hi
braves. "The strong liquor was frs
sold to us by, the Dutch" he said i
one of his speeches, and they wer
blind. They had no eyes; they di
not see that it was for our hurt. TIL
next people that came among us wer
the Swedes, who continued the sale O
this strong liquor among US; the
were also blind, they had no eyes
they did not see it to be hurtful to u
to drink it, although we know it to b
hurtful to us. When we drink it i
makes us mad. We do not know VIVA
we do. We then abuse each other
We throw each other into the fire
Seven score of our people have beer
killed by the drinking of it. Thos,
people that sell it are blind-the,
have no eyes. But now there is {
people come to live among US that
have eyes. They see it to be for oul
hurt and we know it to be for oul
hurt. They are willing to deny them
selves the profit of it for our good
These people "who have eyes" were
the early English Quaker settlers
What wonder the Indians always
loved them and got along happily
with them. William Penn was Okla
nickon's everlasting friend and neither
Penn nor his followers ever had the
least friction with the followers of
Chameleon. The traits of William
PENIS character came out in an Incl
dent happening upon his arrival at
this settlement. His fame had gone
before him and greatly interested the
King of the Delawares. The Governor
had decided to do the honors to Penn
upon his arrival by driving him in his
gorgeous coach from the boat to the
mansion. When Penn looked on the
features of Chameleon and remember
ed there the virtues of this Indian
chief he refused the coach and four
and arm in arm with the poor" Indian
walked up the path to the Governors
abode. This was his answer to pomp
and show. He preferred rugged vir-
tue and simple manners.
Another incident setting forth the
character of this good man was his
rescue of the group of settlers arriv-
ing before William Penn came. They
we're making their way up the Della
ware for settlement in these parts,
out were very long delayed by storms
and other difficulties, arriving so late
hat they were beset by starvation
md cold. Chameleon hearing of the
straits of the pale faces went down
o see with his own eyes. Hearing
rom one of them their sad story and
seeing half a dozen corpses lying
bout, emaciated by starvation, he
bounded back through the deep SHOWS
o his own wigwam, gathered up all
he food that he could take and rushed
Jack to the pale faces. Next day he
ent orders throughout his tribe that
very brave should bring in on his
houlders for the starving pale faces
! buck. When they arrived with this
'ounteous supply it was soon found
hat the pale faces had no means to
erve such food-it was bread that
hey were most in need Of Thereupon
)kanickon, with his long legs, leapt
Jack again through the snow many
niles to his wigwam, snatched up his
title Princess daughter with corn and
grinding bowls, carried her back
through the snow on his shoulders and
lad her bake Indian corn bread, at the
same time showing them how to do it
'or themselves.
About hundred years ago the last
Of Okanickon's people lived in a wig
wan close to the famous coon tree"
an old Indian woman who was al
ways welcomed by the inhabitants
who revered the name of Chameleon.
Thomas Budd, who lived in this sec
ton before the Revolutionary war, de-
scribes a conference called with the
Delawares when it was rumored that
the Delawares were about to make
war on the settlers. 1t was soon made
evident that these rumors had been
spread, not by Indian enemies of our
early Quaker settlers, but by rival
white settlers One of Okanickon's
chiefs said that they were advised ito
make war on US and cut US off while
we were but few" The alleged rea-
son was that the Quakers had sold
smallpox with the match coats" they
had sold the Indians. Then the great
King said "Our Young men may speak
words we do not like nor approve of
and that we cannot help. We are
your brothers and intend to live like
brothers with you. We have no mind
to have war. If we intend ever to
make war upon you we will let you
know it and the reasons why we make
war with you, and if you make US sat-
isfaction for the injury done US, for
which the war was intended, then we
will not make war on you. We are
willing to have broad path for you
and for US to walk in and if an Indian
is asleep in this path, the Englishman
shall pass by and do him no harm;
and if an Enghshman is asleep in this
path the Indian shall pass by and say:
He is an Englishman, he is asleep; let
him alone AS to the smallpox il
was once in my grandfather's time
and it could not be the English that
could send it to US then, there being
no English in the country. And il