The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-06-03
AN INDIAN ALPHABET.
George Guess, Cherokee Indian of
Georgia Invented One 1922.

Among the archives Of Georgia
history there are few more interest
ing chapters than the story OF the
illiterate Georgia Indian by whose
genius the celebrated Cherokee alpha
bet was invented. His alphabet was
said to be the most perfect ever de-
vised for any language" The varied
career of this eccentric Cherokee,
George Guess, has won for him an
unique position among distinguished
Georgians.
The Cherokee Indians lived on a
fertile tract within the state Of Geor-
gia, and it so happened that many
white men settled amongs them as
traders. Some of these pioneers in
ter-married with the Indians, George
Guess, or Sequoyah, was the son OF
white man named Gist, and a Chero-
kee woman of mixed blood. Young
Sequoyah, it seems, was peacefully
DISPOSED: he did not join in the rough
sports of his companions. Instead,
he would 60 out into the woods, and
make play houses with sticks, and IN
other ways showed a natural mechan-
ical ingenuity. His mother owned a
large herd of cattle which he took
charge of when a small boy, and in a
short time became an expert dairy
man. Sequoyah planted his mothers S
eight acre farm with corn, and was
so industrious for young boy that
the other Indians began to regard
him as a sort of phenomenon. An
early love for hard work is VIOLA
tion of the universal laws of boy
hood, and it was no wonder that Sc
uuovah's propensity for labor attract
ed attention. Perhaps his mother
became alarmed, and sent for the
medicine man. At any rate, he con-
tinued to grow and thrive, and be-:
came a skilled hunter and an invalu-
able aid to his mother in many ca
pacities. The wise old chief and
suuaws shook their heads, and called
him a youth of uncommon capability
and steadiness.
Sequoyah's tribe had a custom
(Which is still prevalent among our
own race) of wearing silver orna-
ments, such as bracelets, arm-bands,
and brooches. With a commendable
spirit of enterprise, Sequoyah decided
to become a silver-smith, and manu-
factured and sold articles of JeWelry.
Being an observing youngster, he re-
membered that the white-men stamp
ed names on their articles. "Why not
put my own name on the articles l
make?" thought Sequoyah. 1t was
surely an excellent idea, and he i'm
mediately sought his friend, Charles
Hicks. who afterward became a
Cherokee chief. SequoBah could not
write, so he asked his friend to write
his name for him. George Guess, -
wrote the Indian, exactly as it was
pronounced. Sequoyah was after
ward known by the name of George
Guess. Sequoyah was his Indian
name, given him by his mother or his
tribe. Guess made a die of his name,
and impressed the facsimile on
every piece of silverware which he
made. He also drew pictures of
horses, cattle, deer, houses, and other
common objects. Much to the delight
of his companions, he soon became
an ADEPT at art work and enjoyed
great popularity in his neighborhood.
He was much admired by the young
people of his tribe, and his circle OF
friends vas soon enlarged to surpris-
ing proportions. According to the
practice of the Cherokees, and of
many so-called enlightened people,
friendships had to be sealed with a
drink of whiskey or brandy ''for thy
stomach's sake.'' One glass spoke
up for another, and before so very
long George Guess could gulp down
liquor with a swiftness which would
have smote with envy many of our
champion ''moonshiners. For
tunately Georges 1re-water had a
calm effect upon him. Instead of
turning into a wild fiend bent on a
scalp hunt, he would laugh and cry
and joke, and sing. They called him
''the best natured of sots." You have
seen those good natured sots. Well
George Guess was one of them. He
would buy keg of whiskey and with
a few choice friends, he would retire
to a secluded spot in the woods and