202 
t^OMEST AND STREAM. 
LMaech 13, 1897. 
AMONG THE SEMINOLES. 
TkB Everglades of SGutliern Florida are very well described 
as a trackless waste of saw grasi^and water with an occaKsion- 
al island, scattered through which are a few small villages 
occupied by the Seminole Indians. The most feasible rdute 
to travel to reach the EveTg;lades from the East Coast is 
by the way of the Florida East Coaat Railway to New River, 
which empties into the Atlantic Ocean 841 miles south of 
Jacksonville, New River is a broad, deep stream, and is 
navigable to a point within two mDes of the Everglades, 
which are about fourteen miles from the ocean. The river 
aSords great sport to the angler, as any fish from the shiner 
to a shark can be caught ia its waters. At the liead of nav- 
igation the river forks out into a forest of cypress, live oak 
and a great variety of other trees and slirubbery which bor- 
ders along the edge of the saw grass. 
With one of our Seminole friends we once made a tour of 
about fifty miles of this great unexplored wilderness. Seated 
in the bow of a canoe with our camera, we took a great many 
snap shots at some of the moss-covered cypress, giant live 
oaks and broad spreading rubber trees. The great number 
of narrow channels leading through the saw-grass requires a 
careful eye to follow the right oi^e and not get lost in a saw 
grass pooket, or lake, where there is no visible inlet or outlet. 
There is no part of the United States which could be com- 
pared to the Everglades, except the chain of lakes in northern 
Minnef Ota between Dululh and Brainerd, 
The Seminole Indian, who has held undisputed possession 
of the Everglades, are the only Indians in the United States 
who hold possession of their ancestral homes. They have 
successfully resisted all attempts to remove them. We ven- 
ture the assertion, based on an experience of fifteen years 
among the Western and Southwestern Indians, that the 
Stminole Indian is the only pure-blooded tribe in the United 
Stales, A conservative estimate of their number would be 
the day getting started, we were compelled, after going six 
miles, to camp at Robert Osceola's old camp on the south 
fork of New River. True camper's luck came to us during 
the night, as it rained in torrents and we had to use all 
available canvas for covers for our supplies and roll our- 
selves under the palmettoes for shelter. Daylight found us 
up, and after a hasty breakfast we started out determined to 
reach the island for dinner. The water at this season of the 
year is very high, and io many places small rapids are 
formed which call for more weight on the pole to propel the 
canoe. The saw grass, which grows high and rank, often 
made us change c^ur course, but we arrived at the island at 
about 1 o'clock in the afternoon. 
About 100 men, women and children were at the landing 
to meet us, as they had seen us coming for about a mile; 
After a general all-round handshaking our canoe was un- 
loaded and the contents taken up the Mil to Jackson Charlie's 
house, where the best quarters were placed at our disposal. 
This house is a very elaborate building, and is 75 ft. long by 
25ft. wide. It is built of lightwood posts and peeled cypress 
poles, and roofed with palmetto fans. The house is braced 
in a way which shows good mechanical ideas in its con- 
struction. There are three rows of tables about 3ft. high, 
10ft. long by 5ft. wide, five tables in a row, and one large 
table at the end of the building, where the meals are served. 
The small tables are used for sleeping on, and during the 
day the house is a headquarters for all the village. 
Soon after our arrival the never- failing sofka kettle was 
placed in the center of the large table, surrounded by large 
pots of strong cofah (coffee), baked ah-haJis (potatoes), baked 
cvsM (squash), roast echo (venison), imi-e-im-tik-a-lege (turkey 
pot-pie), boiled sal-o-le-sok-a7i4o se-na (pork and beans), and a 
number of other dishes. A bell which was hung over the 
table was rung by Old Doctor's squaw, which was a signal 
to humbug us-stah.-ojm (eat plenty). We took our seats in the 
circle, and after a few signs and motions by Old Doctor 
were made to know that we had the honor of starting the 
feast, which we did with a vengeance, for there is nothing 
which will create a good, hearty appetite like pushing a 
canoe with a pole for about twenty-five miles. 
After dinner the usual smoking and visiting took place 
DR. JIJIMIE TTJSTANOGEE WITH HIS TWO WIVES AND THE CHILDREN. 
. From, the "-Standard Guide''' to tlie Florida Fast Coast. 
about 700, and they are increasing gradually. Their form 
of government is pure socialism. Collective ownership of 
all the means of production and distributioa is a great 
feature in their government. Honor and virtue are their 
strong traits of character. The council meets once a year at 
Big Cypress City, and all tbe men over thirty five years of 
age are entitled to a seat. There is no head chief of the 
tribe, as the council selects a head man each year to preside 
ov( r the council for the session. When the council adjom-ns 
the head man is just the same as one of the common mem- 
bers of the council, and all are guardians or officers of the 
law. Immorality is punished by death. Dishonesty and 
rascality are punished according to the seriousness of the 
offense. In some cases the tops or bottsms of the offender's 
ears are cut off or a scar like a letter X is cut on the fore- 
head. Indians bearing these marks are not allowed to sit 
in the council. There are but a few which are marked in 
this way. 
The council meets yearly in the little moon in June. Af- 
ter the council meeting is over, the Green Corn Dance, which 
is one of their annual festivals, takes place. The dance lasts 
from ten to fifteen days, and all the marriage rites are per- 
formed. The men are not allowed to marry under twenty- 
five years of age, and the women must be over twenty years 
old. 
Tbe dress of the Seminole is very picturesque. The men 
wear moccasins and leggings of tanned deer skins, which are 
fringed and beaded. Their coats and shirts are made of 
many colors of calico, frilled and pleated in a way which 
would be a credit to many a white sfamstress. The men's 
hats are made by folding a shawl to about 4in. in width, and 
wrapping it around a framework of palmetto fiber like an 
Arab turbaa. The women as a rule go barefooted, and wear 
long skirt dresses and a waist or jacket similar to the Eton 
jacket which is worn by the white ladies. 
The Hunting Dance is one of their annual festivals which 
takes place during the little moon in September, and lasts 
from four to ten days. We were given an invitation by 
Cypress Tiger, Old Doctor and Tom Ah-list-ah to attend 
theu- dance at Pme Island, which is about twenty-five 
miles from Stranahan's camp on New River, After 
packing a large basket of provisions, and laying in a 
supply of fancy colored calicos, thread, beads and some 
staple groceries, we started from Stranahan'd store in 
true Indian style, J. G. Farrow, who is a guide in 
the tourist season and hunts alligators and otter in the 
hunting season, held the position of honor at the stern of 
the canoe, while I with a paddle of mammoth proportions 
furnished the motive power at the bow. As we were late in 
until about 3 o'clock, when we were given an invitation to 
witness a game of iok-in-ha. In the center of about an acre 
of cleared ground stood a pole about oOft. high; 10ft. from 
IJie top of the pole a black ring was painted around the pole, 
about gf t. from the ground the pole was hewed flat on two 
sides where the score was kept by marking with a piece of 
charred light wood. The game was played with ten men on 
a side and each man had two bats similar to a tennis or la 
crosse bat. The ball, which was about Sin. in diameter, 
was thrown in the air by the scorekeeper and a wild scram- 
ble began, accompanied by yells which would be a credit to 
a national game of football. The players were not allowed 
to touch the ball with either hand or foot, and the point in 
the game was to get possession of the ball and throw it and 
hit the pole above the black ring. Each hit counted a score, 
ten scores counted game The tok-in Jui game lasted about 
two hours and was won by Tom Tiger's team by a score of 
10 to 8. 
After the ball game we went back to the pavilion and 
opened our store and sold and traded our small stock in a 
short time. After supper we made preparations for the 
dance. Arrayed in our best suit of Indian clothes, we were 
escorted by Old Doctor and old John Jumper to a seat 
where we could see and hear what was going on. The 
opening of the da.nce was announced by a series of yells, 
after which Tom Tiger went to the fire and, taking a burn- 
ing brand, held it high over his head and made a short 
speech, which was vigorously applauded by all. A circle 
about 40ft, in. diameter was then formed around the fire and 
the leader began singing and marching in a circle, keeping 
step to the time. There was no music except of a drum 
made by stretching a raw cowhide over a barrel head and 
pounded with two drum sticks. After a few dances we 
were invited to join in the alligator dance. There were 
seven women and seven men in this dance beside the leader. 
We took our places in the circle, and after a few words from 
Tom Ah-lis-tah, our leader, we joined hands with the dusky 
damsels and saluted the fire, I'he leader started the song, 
which reminded us of the first of the chorus in "The Sweet 
By and By," and at times a ttace of harmony could be de- 
tected; but taken all together the singing is like chant 
music. The alligator dance lasted about thirty minutes, and 
we received many compliments for the good steps we made 
in it. The men were dressed in their finest clothing. The 
women, in addition to their fancy colored dresses, wore a 
piece of deer skin about bin. wide which was mounted with 
five box terrapin shells which contained a number of small 
sea shells and sea beans and hard berries. This attachment 
was worn just below the knee and was held by tying or 
lacing it. The sound which comes from these shells while 
the women are dancing is similar to that of the rattle-box 
which is used to beat the time for a sand shufiie. The deer 
dance, the bear dance, the panther dance and several other 
dances were danced before the gray streak in the east came, 
and a short dance to the sun ended the ceremony for the 
night. We retired to our quarters at the pavilion and 
arranged our blankets and mosquito bar and were soon 
sound asleep. 
About 9 A. M. the bell rang and we rolled out to find that 
we were the last ones up. After a refreshing bath in the 
fresh-water lake we ate breakfast and were kept busy the 
rest of the day answering questions and explaining the 
many customs and ways of other Indians of the West. 
We remained at the island three days, and then having 
loaded our canoe with alligator skins and other things we 
had bought and traded for, we shook hands all round and 
started for home. Old Doctor was one of the last to shake 
hands with us, and bestowed the honorable title of Good- 
white-man-doctor on me, while Mr. Farrow received the 
title of White man-good-hunter. 
The Everglades afford a great field for the naturalist, 
botanist, geologist and historian. We may be able at some 
future day to give you a more definite ide"a of the country 
and its inhabitants. J. W. Stranahan. 
RECOLLECTIONS OF IOWA.— I. 
"IftiLLED in the countless chambers of the hrain, 
Our thoughts are linked by many a hiddea chain. 
Awake but one, and lol what myriads rise ! 
Each stamps its image as the other flies!" 
It IS midnight I wife and baby in an adjacent room are 
enjoying the "honey-heavy dew of slumber, "the south wind 
is sifting Oregon mist against my window, and I sit here 
gazing into the fire and reflecting. 
You must know that our baby Jennie is now twenty-one 
months old, healthy as a wild rose and pretty as— but pshaw ! 
was there ever a baby, white, black, red or yellow, that was 
not pretty? All babies are pretty to me— even a China baby. 
Yes, she is healthy and fine^ but I am on the verge of nerv- 
ous prostration every chilly night (and most of the nights 
seem chilly to me) since she had the croup one night nearly 
a year ago; so I sit up, look after the fires and watch the 
thermometer until the wee sma' hours nearly every night. 
It does beat all how idiotic us old fellows can be over a baby! 
particularly when the baby's mother was teaching it to call 
us papa. 
The neighbor women say that croup never comes after 
midnight. So, when the "iron tongue of midnight hath 
tol'd twelve" a sense of relief comes to me. and generally K 
can go to bed and to sleep. But to-night 1 don't, feel sleepy, 
and so I continue to sit here alone, gazing into the fire and 
reflecting. To-night I am thinking of old Iowa, and for some- 
reason she, like Banquo's ghost, will not down. But while^ 
she has "driven sleep from mine eyes away," she is a good^^ 
natured ghost, and 
"Invites ray steps and points to yonder glade," 
The seventeen years of life in Oregon, with all tiieir ups 
and downs, seem like only a well-greased mental tramway 
for my thoughts to roll back to the scenes and incidents of 
my early life in dear old Iowa, God bless herl 
In the year 1847 a young fellow by the name of Benjamin 
Greene, from Oswego, N. Y., was teaching school at Keokuk, 
la. By the decree of fate or otherwise he made the acquaint- 
ance of aHawkeye girl by the name of Parmelia Sturges 
and married her. In February, 1849, they were blessed 
with a baby girl (wonder if she was sweet and croupy like 
the one next room), and Benjamin began to feel the responsi- 
bilities of a married life. Iowa was young then, Govern- 
ment land was plentiful, and Benjamin concluded to "go 
West and grow up with the country," setting an example 
which even Horace Greeley afterward referred to as the cor- 
rect thing to do. He hitched his yoke of oxen to his prairie 
schooner, loaded his wife, baby girl and rifle into it, started 
up the Des Moines River, followed it until he came to old 
Fort Des Moines (now the capital of the State), at the junc- 
tion of Main Raccoon River with the Des Moines; thence 
traveled due west twenty-one miles to the west bank of North 
Raccoon, where he took up some Government land and 
founded the town of Adel, now a prosperous village and 
county seat of Dallas county, one of the wealthiest and best 
counties of the State. It was a sort of trading post prior to 
his settlement there and known as Penoach (Indian for far 
away, as near as I can determine) ; but at father's suggestion 
the Indian name was dropped and the name of Adel 
adopted. He, witli his wife, four married daughters, and a 
subsequent generation or two still live there. In fact, he is 
now living at the identical spot where he erected his cabin 
nearly half a century ago. 
"And to-night he sits by the fireside 
In a mansion quaint and old, 
With his children's children around him. 
Having reaped a thousandfold. " 
In 1850 they were blessed (?) with a boy, who still lives 
(thank God!), and now growing old in the land of the setting 
sun. 
In the spring of 1853 grandfather Sturges loaded his earthly 
possessions, consisting in the main of wife, five children and 
his rifle, into a wagon and started across the plains, impelled 
probably by the same restless spirit that had led him west- 
ward from the Adirondacks many years before. After six 
months of weary toil, danger and privation, they at last 
settled on the banks of the Molalla in Clackamas county, 
Oregon, where now the ashes of dear old grandfather and 
grandmother are mingling in the dark union of insensate 
dust. 
"In the heart of the grand old forest, 
A thousand miles to the west, 
Where a stream gushed out from the hillside, 
They halted at last for rest. 
And the silence of ages listened 
To the axe-stroke loud and clear, 
Divining a kingly presence 
In the tread of the pioneer " 
Obviously my recollections of what transpired prior to 
and probably for some time after Feb. 13, 1850, are rather 
vague and indistinct. To be exact, possibly I ought to 
reckon from Feb. 14. It has never been definitely deter- 
mined whether I was born ou the 13th or 14th, as our folks 
had no clock or other timepiece then, and fixed upon the 13tfa 
as the auspicious day only for the reason that none of the 
family, except mother, had retired for the oight. However, 
