El Nuevo mexicano., 1920-05-27

l
Down in the Spayanaugh bills. near the
little hamlet Of Murphy. Okla, there burns
an Indian campfire that has not been
Iquenched for 30 years. Il Is the watcafire OF
the Cherokees, fire that is kept burning as
q memento To the Great Spirit that the In
dams remember his goodness to them and
that their hearts are true.
Mo one knows when the fire was kIndIed.
not even Chief Charlie Tee Hee, but b. f.
Apsrnathys q white man who lives in
Murphy says At was burning SO years ago
when he took up his residence there. It
does not always show signs OF life but down
in the cone OF ashes that has accumulated
in the long years It has been going until 1t
is three feet high. are embers that are kept
alive by an insulation Of gum that Is taken
from a tree. Many OF the Indians believe
the IRE can not die On account Of 1t being
a symbol OF q covenant between God and
man.
On special occasions. such as stomp
dances, one OF which is going on now. the
fire is allowed to become a good sized camp
fire and then the braves sit around II and
smoke a peculiar pipe. an act that rehews
the individuaI covenant OF each. hut be it
great or small the fire Is kept alive by an
attendant, the present one being George Po-
tatQ on whose land the ceremonies are held.
The watch fire OF the Cher0kees is To-
Gated near the A.. o. & G. railway. about
one mile from Murphy. and as Che trains
pass by the place the attention Of the pas-
sengers ie called by the failFoad men TO the
curiosity. They have strange ideas as to its
origin, the one most circulated being that
q chieftain went away on a journey during
the civil war, leaving word with his braves
to keep the fire burning till his return.
The village Of Murphy ID reached after a
voyage OF ~ever-changing views, growing
wilder as the train proceeds southwark, UNI
til It would SEEM as one passenger ex-
pressed It, that the DEVILS apron string
broke In that country when he went ont on
one OF his rock sowing expeditions. For
miles the road runs on the high banks of
the Grand river, hanging over the swift run
ming waters, with high bluffs OF solid rock
on the other side. There is never any mud
down here as there is nothing to mix ii.
nothing but rock, brush. rail fences and
water.
Murphy looks like one OF the hanHlets Of
the Ozarks, made famous by Harold Bell
Wrighte novels. There Is only one house
could pose as a modern structure. All
Of the others are Of the most primitive type.
nearly all of them being built OF rough ma
tive boards. There is a hush In the air
is almost oppressive. Strangers make
little headway getting information until they
establish themselves.
When the fire that is never uuenched wis
mentioned every Indian refused To talk and
q look OF blank indifference spread over
countenance. All they seemed to be
to Say was y don't know There was
no jitney TO be secured for the journey to
the stomp ground and II there had been
there WAS no road theirs except the railroad,
but that was not crowded.
Returning to Murphy, a merchant named
Fisher. who IL an Intelligent and weiledu.
Gated Indian. was prevailed on to question
! couple OF Indians he Thought knew about
The fire. After they had refused to say a
word to the visitor. he found through them
hat Charlie Tee Hee: the chief, knew, but
whether he would tell was another question.
Tee Hee lived a mile or SO west OF town.
Hee told the story Of the fire and the
Iaith OF the Cherokee tribe. Tee Hee is a
character He has d full head Of
snowswhite hair d wonderfully intelligent
.ountenance, and is straight as an arrow.
speaks little English and talks through
lis Interpreter, John Dreadfulwatef. who IS
/ fluent talker.
Tee Hee and Draadfsiiwater were easy 70
approach when they learned that the visitor
fromithe land OF the Quapaws and that
1e counted among his friends the chiefs
md breaves Of that tribe. Miarnis. Ottawas,
1eiawarea, Wichitas and 0saSes. and ex-
iiblted photographs 81 several Of them he
rad taken. Then they told him things that
say HhAtH HNh ~ murphy hA&A AAot ndu
.ried for more than q quarter Of a century to
ind out
strhe fire. said Tee Hen. through his in
Herproter, rs the same that Abraham built.
( Is built on stones just like he built e. and
/ shows the Crest Spirit that we have not
crEotten him" Then he exhibited q large
,o0k which showed q number or Indian
o. worship. among others fhak Of
ChexokeeA the diagrams % which
a decided tendency on tha part on
be children toward tire worship mixed with
firm faith IN God.