176 CHEROKEE COUNTY. 



spelling-book which he had in his possession. After connmenc- 

 ing upon the last-mentioned plan, I believe he completed his 

 system in about a month. During the time he was occupied 

 inventing the alphabet, he was strenuously opposed by all his 

 friends and neighbours. He was frequently told that he was 

 throwing away his time and labour, and that none but a de- 

 lirious person, or idiot, would do as he did. But this did not 

 discourage him. He would listen to the expostulations of his 

 friends, and then deliberately light his pipe, pull his spectacles 

 over his eyes, and sit down to his work, without attempting to 

 vindicate his conduct. After completing his system, he found 

 much difficulty in persuading the people to learn it : nor could 

 he succeed, until he went to the Arkansas and taught a few 

 persons there, one of whom wrote a letter to some friends in 

 this nation, and sent it by Mr. Guess, who read it to the peo- 

 ple. This letter excited much curiosity. Here was a talk in 

 the Cherokee language, which had come all the way from the 

 Arkansas sealed up in a paper, yet it was very plain. This 

 convinced many that Mr. Guess's mode of writing would be 

 of some use. {Several persons immediately determined to try 

 to learn. They succeeded in a few days, and from this it 

 quickly spread all over the nation, and the Cherokees (who, as 

 a people, had always been illiterate) were, in the course of a 

 few months, without school or expense of time or money, able 

 to read and write in their own language. 



Name. — This county derives its name from its principal 

 river, Chattooga. 



CHEROKEE. 



Boundaries. — Bounded north by Gilmer, east by Lumpkin 

 and Forsyth, south by Cobb, and west by Cass. Organized in 

 1832. 



Post Offices. — Canton, Boardtree, Ball Ground, Harnage- 

 ville, Hickory Flat, Orange, Social Hill, Troy, Woodstock, 

 and Varenees. 



Population, Taxes, Representation. — In 1845, the pop- 



