The sun., 1919-09-07

ask Him to help them and give them
food and homesr 'Munkschay (no).
No ask him. Then ne relates a sue
cessful hunting experience. Yes, me
know. Me tell Great Spirit, me thank
YOU The Seminole, like his ancient
ancestors, thanks the Great Spirit for
blessings received. but beseeches no
favors.
Seldom II ever has Seminole
squaw visited the white man. STEM
o-lakee, however ventured to visit us
with her brother. travelling 500 miles
by or cart, canoe and railroad. REACH
ing our waiting automobile they en-
joyed this first ride in the Are wagon
with the same dignity and calmness
as Is their custom In the cypress dug
out canoes along the watercourses of
their saw grass homes. Stem-o-lakee
wore many strands Of glittering beads,
which are the insignia OF her position,
usefulness, caste and the wealth OF
her husband or father; plenty Of
beads, plenty good Indian woman
The white doctlr, however, whom she
had come to consult, ordered the re-
moval Of the necklace on account of
It's great weight, fifteen pounds or
more. She was willing to remove a
few strands. but when visitor was
announced she donned her gay dress,
which swept to the ground. added the
discarded ropes Of beads, gave a twist
to her raven hair into the unalterable
Psyche knot, and appeared shyly
nj the drawing room door. with eyes
Inning and a pleasing smile, ready
% offer a gracious hand clasp.
Three hundred miles from her for
est home this young woman showed
an Unborn grace and dignity In all her
demeanor. admiring the belongings
and furnishings OF the white homes
with feminine instinct, particularly
the pictures on the walls. All In
dams like pictures ojus (much),' she
remarked. But when asked IL she
would enjoy living In such an abode
she instantly answered with decision.
White mans home like litty bit, one
week, me think, my home Okeechobee.'
Amaxed mt Telephone.
when an entire Seminole family
visited US, for the first time entering
a white mans habitation, they all ac-
cepted the change from the wigwam
OF the weird morasses with the sim
plest dignity. Only one thing evinced
apparent curiosity, and this was with
in an hour after their arrival, when
had been called to the telephone.
Looking back / saw the two children
peering in through the French win
dow, doubtless wondering what foolish
thing I was up to. At another time
their aged grandmother. Martha Tiger,
came close to the telephone with a
quizzical look. explained I was talk
ing to the store man downtown. Mar
tina, however, was not readily awed;
she and her contemporaries, with
smoke signals and many Intangible
ways Of getting news of the enemy.
had puzzled many an American officer.
This visit had been planned for
many moons in the wigwam village,
and when 1t was time TO leave the
man OF the family announced with
calm dignity, Tomorrow morning
tod-ka- bith-lo hiepus steamboat go) >
Early the next day they stood, brown
skinned and picturesque, CARRIED in
many bright colors, on the deck Of the
little steamer ready for the long, tor
tuous steamboat ride down the beau
tiful Kissimmee Valley through lakes
and secret canals to the mystic land
OF Okee-cho-bee.
Keeping their word inviolate, as
the Seminle always does. they pres
emily sent us letters. Me write to
tell you me have not forgotten you.
My sister. She-y-o-hee, got little pap
poose, six days old. 1t is a boy. Stem
o-lak-ee, Bilee Bowlegs's sister, has
one. too. ten days old. 1t is a girl. Ne
send you pumpkin seed He referred
to the Indian tree climbing pumpkin,
often used by the American soldier
for target practice. the idea being to
hit the stem and thus bring down the
pumpkin from its high altitude in a
forest tree.
THE seeds were received and dis
tributed among friends and neighbors.
Some delicious pumpkins were raised
and enjoyed. but. alas. for a future
crop. Not a seed saved: to the wig
wan seed bag must we go IL more
pumpkins are to be planted.
Saved Seeds 900 Years.
For 800 years the Seminoles, how
ever. have never failed to have their
crop OF pumpkins and to save seed for
the next planting. The original seed
they brought with them In their mi
grations from Mexico, where a pump
kin, centuries old. may still be viewed
among the carved relics of Aztec ORR
gin, linking the land Of the Montezu-
mas with the present day life In the
Everglades.
this koontie plant, another Semi
mole food. grows luxuriantly in some
parts of the Glades, and is both beau
tiful and edible. The legend runs that
the Indians were starving when Gods
Son came to live with the Indians to
make them good Indians. He stopped
at the most southern point of Florida.
where He met three medicine men,
who carried Him around the southern
peninsula while He sowed the seed of
the koontie root. which is Gods gift
to the red man. During the Seminoles'
seven years war. when starvation was
frequently imminent, the koontie saved
the tribe. Little cakes made OF the
koontie flour are very delicious.
Possibly no legend of American
history holds greater interest than
does the dramatic story OF the Big
Snake--so big no man can tell-head
big oJus (much). with horns like the
great owl and eyes look like flames of
| fire. Long. long time ago Big Snake