The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-11-26

spsvinaw. settled by tho Mormons
in the COS soon 20 be wiped out by
the $4,000. 900 dam.
No. 2. Ten homo ofs1workmen on
tho site OF the dam.
No. ). Water-power mill built 10y
BY RoDERICK DU VAL SHELDON.
How do you feel about the build
Ing OF the big DAM"
"He says he doesn't believe they
will ever put the dam In"
The question was put by tho
writer TO Uncle Nose Ridge. 5o-year-
old full -blood Cherokee, In thu old
town of Spavinaw. In an effort 10
learn the thoughts of the Indians
upon the starting OF tho $4,000, 900
project by the city OF Tulsa TO get It's
water supply from tho clear spark
ling Spavinaw river which runs
through the village The v1ter I'm
pounded by the big dam VIII soon be
inundating the very ground upon
which we were standing
The question was answered by ].
C. Fox. also a full-blood Cherokee.
official interpreter for the govern
ment, after he had put the question
to Uncle Nose'in the Chyotes lam
guage, for Uncle Nose docs not
speak a word OF English.
Flo doesn't believe they will ever
pu: the dam in" That was all Uncle
Nose had 20 say about the dam, ex-
cept to show a quisical interest with
an unbelieving smile. A little to the
south and east OF the spot where we
were standing there was already a
small tent city, probably Is families
with that many tents, the forerun-
ners of small army which will
soon he on the ground to build the
big dam from bluff to bluff, creat-
ing a mammoth reservoir to provide
mountain water for Tulsa, n prairie
city so miles to the west. Men we're
bualy engaged In hewing down
trees, cutting them pup into cord
wood and railroad ties Women were
hanging their clothes on the line
to dry at many of the tents. Tn the
doors OF some tents babies were
crawling and crying. at others
women and girls we're chatting, At
still others there were three genera
| tionS In conversation, grandma and
| grandpa having come along in order
to he with their. children. or because
they had no place else to go, endur-
| Ing camp life with their daughters
babies and dirtyfaced, happy chill
dren
But mis- aid not fare Uncle Nose
Ridge at all. He did not believe
the dam would he built. Uncle Nose
has not permitted himself to be dis.
turbed much with the white mans
burden, anyway, as he has never
taken the trouble to acquire the use
or the white mans language Hs
did. however. when young man
accept the white mans religion and
upon his twenty birthday
April so. 1871. ne was ordained q
missionary BaptiAt preacher, and
has been preaching from that ia,
10 this.
How many people have you bap
uzed in your lifetlme?" he wa
asked.
Fox and Uncle Nose then had n
Interchange OF Cherokee, and Fol
replied. He didn't know exactlJ
but Is sure that he has baptize,
more than five hundred"
Were any OF those white peo
ple2" was the next question.
/ NO" returned the interpreter
they were all Indians"
, Big dam make great place I
baptize," suggested the writer. 4
the hopes OF drawing out Uncl
, Nose on the Tulsa project along hi
, favorite line OF work.
Fox emiled. talked Cherokee wit
, the old preacher, Uncle Nose grunt
ed, smiled knowingly. and the write
had Just the same Information h
had at the heginning.
For the time being Uncle Nose wa
more interesting than the dam.
How long has he lived here {?
Where did he pres ach ?" More Cher
, okee was INDUCED In ana then Fo,
, replied. He was born ir this part o
the Indian Territory. April so, 1872
He preached all over the Chorake
nation after his ordination on Apri
80, 1874. as he was the missionar
among the full-hloods. This wa
the Delaware district then. Ther
. were not any stores here then"
was that house here when he wa
, a hoy7" inquired the writer, point
Ing 10 a house with an old fashiouc