The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-05-18
The Man of the Garter
BY WAH-LY DAVIS

People OF this generation do not
reallSo how interesting and ins,ruc-
| i've are The aged men and women,
VINO are passing away zach day
bthnoIogistS have said that few fani-s
lIles preserve or traDsmit to one or
more generations the mental pre-
donnnana or power that character
lEed some OF Its earlier members.
We should then have a two fold
interest In these wonderful people OF
another generation and seek rAthor
than ignore the fountain OF knowI.
edge which they undoubtedly pos
sess' They are usually reluctant to
spuak or their past lives. especially II
| lhey ARE OF Indian descent, true to
TRADITION mat tells US OF the taCiturn
! reserved rrd.race.
The old residents nt AmaLnSa.
Okla, during Indian Territory days
WIN remember little store built In
that town by an Indian trader, at the
corner or what - now known as
'herokoe street and Okmulgee ave-
nue, and over the door OF the small
frame building some queer looking
Characters were found. They were
pronouncedl "Gn-ni- tlo-hl- dur" In
mo Chcrostc language meaning,
The Man Of tho Garter so called
from custom once IN use among
the tribe OF wearing beaded garters
DeIow their knees, over dressed !
buckskin leggings
Thls name was given to the owner /
OF this little store. His English name I
Is Joshua Ross, the most Interesting |
OF all the aged Cherokces who now
ives AZ Beggs Okla, at the age OF .
so Yeats. He is the son OF Andrew .
Ross and Susan Lowroy ON his .
rather side being a direct descend 4
ant OF "Coo-wee- sCoO- wee" the IA
nous chief OF the Chereokces and on
his mothers side n descendant Of
'Collu-tsa," meaning she came" He
was born February 7. 1899, In WINS
valley Ala. In tho old Cherokee ma
tion and came with the emigrants to
indian territory now Oklahoma, in
1897.
or his school days much could be
written hs II is varied and interest
ing. He first attended n mission
schsol at Fairfincld. Flint district.
conducted by TIM Rev. DR.. Butler,
one OF the early missionaries to the
Indians, where he learned 10 read
and write. Then going TO Park I'M
mission and later 10 Riley's chapel, a
public school established for In
dians.
ilf WIS lUfU tPnl 10 mdtkllI
Ozark institute. three miles wost OF
Fayetteville, Ark. and In 1851 he at.
tended the Cherokee male seminary
near Tahlequah graduating In 1855.
Even with this education, unusual
for an Indian boy at that time, he
still wished higher education and
was seht TO the Emory and Henry
college In Virginia. where he grad
uated just prior TO the breaking out
OF the civil war,
II is with regret that all OF his
oratln MY Land and MY Country
men" delivered June 16, 1860. while
ht this college, cannot be given here,
hut extracts taken from this wonder
full production OF 80 years ago, will
show the well developed mind and
prediction OF the future of his people
and. country. In part he says:
TT Il land Of flint and blackjack
hilis. prartes and sylvan groves. en-
lvened by running water, with land
scape stealing charms from field and
home. Change and prediction are
painting n new scene for that last
domain Of nature and OF natures
eldest son. II is lapse OF time. the
spread OF power and dominion. tho
death picture OF wild animals and
natives OF the plains. tho end OF u
race. faded. unhonored and un-re-
claimed"
on returning 10 Indian territory he
was appointed to teach In the female
seminary. a school for Cherokee girls
nj Park I'M. but only taught six
the school being closed on
account Of tho war.
In 1883 he was in the south In
The puartermaster's department Of !
the southern Indian service. and was
brought TO Fort Gibson by tho Union ]
army and given a position as book :
keeper In Suffers store nj the third :
reriment OF Indian guards. '
In the same year the Cherokee {
national council met Mt Fort Gibson, r
and Mr., Ross tells OF the welcome n
yiven him by this body OF lawmak- q