Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-03-15

SEMINOLES.

kindness and tolerance but with
out enthusiasm. The Seninoles re-
gard all white men as great liars,
| and have little respect for them.
The Indians in return come to
the towns occasionally, and it is
not unusual to see them on the
streets of West Palm Beach. They
bring various articles for trade,
some legitimate and some contra
band. One of the contraband arti-
cles is swamp mutton" or venison,
which, it is said, can be obtained
! from the Indians at almost any
time by those who know how. An
other article of secret trade is
whisky. The Seminoles make a
clear, white corn whisky, which is
| much praised by those who have
tasted it. 1t is said to be vastly
superior to the moonshine made by
white men. Some bootleggers are
said to do a regular business in
this liquor, generally adulterated
! by them after they get it from the
Indians. But the Seminoles keep
most of what they make for them
selves.
At West Palm Beach there is
held in March a carnival known as
the Sun Dance. A number of Sem
mole Indians are then brought to
town and persuaded by liberal re-
ward to perform some kind OF a
war dance. AS a matter of fact,
the Seminoles have no dance OF
their own known as the sun dance,
and this dancing they do in town
is purely a commercial operation
on their part. Their real cere-
monial dances are held in the
depths of the Everglades, and nd
white man is allowed to see them
although probably few daring in
dividuals have done SO. The great
occasion of the year is the corn
dance. At this it is customary for
all of the Indians to get drunk, ii
is said, except those who are on
guard. 1t should not be supposed
however, that the Seminoles are a
dissolute lot. Their drinking is ar
occasional and ceremonial pro
ceeding. somewhat like the Satur'
day night spree so generally OBJ
served by our own tribe before
prohibition went into effect.
! Mr.. Simpson has some interest
ing facts and ideas about the Sem
mole war. He says it was really
an unjustified attack upon the In
dams by our government. A great
many runaway slaves went to the
Everglades in those days. and {
large part of these fell into the
hands of the Seminoles. The Sem
inoles have always been farmers
and they put the slaves to worf
cultivating the rich hammock lands
of the glades. 1t is said that some
, of the Indians really made them
selves quite rich by this slave la
Dor, which they got without max
, ing an investment. The white
, planters in the surrounding terri
tory, who were losing slaves il
, this way. were the ones who reall!
instigated the Seminole war, &C
cording to Mr.. Simpson, and caused
General Jackson to start on hi
i. famous campaign against them
The slaves were recovered to
great extent, and then began tht
, war of determination in which thu
: Indians were SO ably led by Osce
; ola. 1t was the hardest. bloodies
and most unmerciful of all oul
. later Indian wars. When the In
, dams had been worn down ant
scattered, they we're hunted will
hounds, like wild animals. Thu
war ended only when the create
part of them had been taken pris
:, oners and placed on reservation
leaving only a little remnant from
which the present tribe is descend
ed.
For a while these Indians wer'
mere fugitives who dared not SHOW
themselves, but after time the,
made a sort of informal treat.
with the whites by which each par
ty agreed to let the other alone
To this treaty the Seminoles rig
idly adhered. They still regard tn
white men as murdererS and liars
but there is no case on record o
Seminole having injured whit
man. But there are several case
: of white men having injured Sem
] inoles, and this has naturally don
l nothing to improve the Indians