Edgefield advertiser. (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, February 01, 1922, Page TWO, Image 2
Catawba Indians Serious
Problem.
To the Editor of The State:
Noting that there has been a num
her of recent orticles in regard to
the Catawba Indians, also that there
has been a recommendation to cut
the appropriation that the general as
sembly has been making for them
each year to a small sum which
would be paid only to the aged and
infirm who are not able to provide for
themselves, and knowing that the
most of our citizens are like a certain
prominent senator now in the general
assembly who, when the writer ap
peared before the finance committee
of the senate in order to convey to it
some information in regard to these
Indians, thanked the writer for hav
ing come there and given them the
information and stated that he was
. obliged to admit that while he had
been in the house and in the senate
for years and knew that an appro
priation was made for the Indians, he
haa no idea what it was for or any
. thing about it or them,#I thought I
would write some of the facts as I
know them after seven years' service
as their financial agent.
These Indians are segregated on
562 acres of the poorest, roughest
land in the state, in York' county, on
what is known as the Catawba Indian
reservation,, in the River Bend sec
tion of the county, on the banks of
the Catawba river. This land was set
apart for them many years ago and
they were segregated on this without
any citizenship, right to vote, own
property in their own name, or any
thing of that kind as "wards of the
state of South Carolina" and have re
mained as such since. It is true that
many of them have left the reserva
tion and gone to other places in or
der to be able to live, as it was ut
terly impossible for them to all make
a living on the reservation and in or
der to keep from starving they have
moved away. Some live in Rock Hill,
some in Columbia and other places.
The Indian is generally known as
being indolent, no ambition to do any
thing, and, generally speaking, "no
account." But in the case of the Ca
tawba, while this is true to some de
gree in regard to some of them, we
nevertheless have lots of white peo
pl? in our state that are on par with
the worst of the Indians. And, too,
what incentive would they have to
try to improve themselves when thev
out tnese indians are the same as
minor children and can not legally
do anything except that a state offi
cial act for them.
One commendable thing that I can
' say for the Indians is that while they
intermarry with some very trifling
white people and have become very
badly mixed ip, they will not have
anything to do with the negro and
are very much insulted if any one
compares them in any way to the ne
gro.
Another commendable thing in re
gard to the Catawbas is that during
the Confederate war a number of
them donned the Confederate uni
form and-fought bravely throughout
the war for the South, so much so
that a monument stands erected on
the "public square at Fort Mill to their
honor, erected there by the late Cap
tain White of that place. In the
World War a number of the young >
Catawba's went into the service and
did fin?, work. One of them, who went
to France, is now sick, I HM afraid
with tuberculosis, which he contract
ed while in the service. Still these
people are not allowed citizenship.
After having-been their financial
agent for seven years and looking in
to their situation, in fact, after find
ing their condition shortly after being
made their agent I have recommend
ed each year to the governor '.nd
general assembly that some perma
nent businesslike settlement be made
with these Indians. If the state owes
them anything, settle with them, rive
them their citizenship and let them
go out and make their own way, as
they have demonstrated that they
have plenty of ability to do if they
were given the proper chance. 5 do
believe that when I took charge as
agent I could have settled with them
for a much less amount than I have
paid them during the seven years,
which amount is around $60,000, and
still they are on our hands. Governor
Cooper and others did last year suc
ceed in getting a committee to look
into the matter of a permanent set
tlement, but their report went in just
before the adjournment and nothing
was done. It may possibly be taken
up at this year's session. If the state
does not owe them anything, then
they, should discontinue the appro
priation, give them citizenship and
let them get out with the balance of
the people and work for their living
as they see fit and wherever they see
fit.
With those vwho live at other
places, their children are refused ad
mittance to the schools because their
parents have no citizenship and, too,
because a great many do not want
their children to mingle with them.
The state provides a school at .the
reservation, but on account of noth
ing there for them to do to make a
living'and the land so poor that they
can not farm and live on it they have
to go elsewhere.
The writer for some time has been
in correspondence with Senator Dial
and others in regard to trying to get
the national government to take these
Indians over and relieve the taxpay
ers of South Carolina of them and so
far. has met with little success, and
if the following letter from Congress
man Stevenson is correct, then there
is nothing left for the general assem
bly of this state to do but to get busy
and try to get a final settlement
with these people and either provide
for them. Mr. Stevenson, under date
of January 12, writes as follows:
"My Dear Williams:
"Referring to your letter in regard
to the Catawba Indians, will say that
I noticed he activities you mention
of Senator' Dial artd Congressman
Fulmer about this, and I was of ?the
opinion that they would find out that
there was nothing in the claim. I took
the matter up immediately when I
came to congress, but felt sure that
there must be some explanation, or
our congressmen would have long
since had the government take charge
of these Indians. It was gone into
very fully years ago, I think in
HeniphiU's day, and the findings were
very clearly set forth, and the follow
ing is the explanation: All other In
dians, at least in the South, dealt di
rectly with the national government,
surrendered their lands to the na
tional government, in consequence of
the promise of support, hence the
national government takes care of
them. The Catawbas, on the other
hand, made their treaty with the
state of South Carolina and surrend
ered all land which they claimed, ex
cept the present reservation' which
they have in consideration of South
Carolina's contract to take care of
them. Hence the liability is the state's
and not the national government's,
and your Uncle Sam has steadfastly
and finally put his foot down that
I 1 a Pdf lii'Knf I. "" ? " 1 " .* --!
a better shape than it now is or has
been for many years. The Indians
have been criticized for their religion
-the majority of them at least
they being Mormons. But they state
absolutely that no other religious
sect paid them any attention until the
Mormons came among them and es
tablished a church, which has been
the case in regard to their welfare
from the standpoint of an existence
until recently. As I see the matter, re
gardless of how indolent they are or
anything else, they are human be
ings, wards of our state and should
at least be put on par with the ne
gro.
O. K. Williams.
Rock Hill.
Time to Plant
and the best varieties of vegetable
and field seeds to plant for each
purpose is told in the
1922 Catalog of
WOODS
SEEDS
Now ready to be mailed,, free
on request.
Reduced prices are quoted on
Seeds, Poultry Supplies, and
Feeds, Garden Tools and Spray
Materials.
Write for vour copy today.
' T. W. WOOD & SONS,
Seedsmen,
17 S. 14th St., Richmond, Va.
NOTICE !
All persons holding claims against
the estate of Mrs. Belle Jones Gallo-j
way, deceased, should present them
properly attested to the undersigned
for payment, and all persons indebt
ed to the said estate should make
payment to the undersigned at once.
J. W. PITTS,
Administrator.
Saluda, S. C.
TOWN
MELPS^
IN FIGHT FOR CIVIC BEAUTY
Commercial interests of Kansas City
Unite for War on Billboards
on Boulevards.
The commercial interests o? Kansas
City hove prone on recor*d as enemies
of the "uglies."
The city planning and public build
ings committee of the chamber of com
merce adopted a resolution, taking a
definite stand against "the encroach
ment of either filling stations or bill
boards on the city's boulevards and
homes."
The resolution stated that the cham
ber members are heartily In accord
with and desire to lend their moral
support to the joint resolution of the
two houses of the council, to the effect
that filling siatwms and billboards
should not be permitted to destroy the
effect of Kansas City's boulevard sys
tem.
After a protracted discussion the
committee declared In favor of a "lo
cal option" on the uglies. By that
was meant that each neighborhood he
permitted to decide whether billboards
or filling stations should be allowed to
locate in that vicinity. The residents
whose homes are within view, or with
in close proximity of the ugly, should
have a voice In denying or permitting
Its location, the committee members
believed.
Billboards In certain localities are
not objectionable If properly con
structed and lighted, In the opinion of
the committeemen. But their place Is
not In residence neighborhoods or on
boulevards, they agreed,
WAR ON INDUSTRIAL UNREST
"Community Service" Idea ls Spread
ing, for Many Good and Sub
stantial Reasons.
..Community Service, Incorporated"
shortly will take its place as a definite
factor In the industrial life of Illinois.
This announcement comes through
Maj. A. A. Sprague, chairman of the
executive-financial committee for Illi
nois. Organization has been completed
for Illinois and the plans for the es
tablishment of the work are under
way.
The aim of Community Service Is so
.- ii-.:-.. ..^A inteiira *?nndl
stahtlal success In tne big Industrial ?
communities of Bethlehem and Ches
ter, Pa. The main work of Commun- '
Ity Service Is the solution of the leis
ure hour problem. A trained organ-* 1
izer will be sent to various communl- 1
ties to study conditions and make a :
survey of the social and recreational :
life, determining' what ls most needed ,
ano* most desirable for the occupation
of the leisure hours of the community, .
and then assisting them to provide .
and build up a service system for
themselves.
House Palming.
When the home owner's thoughts
turn to house painting, problems Cal
ifornians, particularly, begin to won
der what color will be best for the
movies. A location director for mo- :
tlon pictures in Hollywood, Cal., says '
that white houses are almost Impos
sible for use In motion pictures and
he hopes the people within the area '.
of the picture industry will use neu
tral or dark shades when they do their
house painting. '
"Darker shades,are more agreeable
to the eye than those of dazzling white
ness," so this movie director says, "and .
they photograph better, in addition to
blending with the natural colors of
the landscape."
All-white houses are also hard on
the eyes.
Beauty Not Matter of Expense.
Beautiful grounds need not be ex
pensive. The loveliest flowers and
plants that ever grew are found In
the woods and along the banks of
streams, In fence corners, and In fields
and shady nooks. They are yours for
the digging. What is"rarer or prettier
than a bed of wild violets and ferns
In a shady spot near the house? Plant
generously of perennials; so that they
will bloom and grow year after year
with little time and attention and give
stability to your landscape effects.
Willie Had a Reason.
Willie Hopkins ls only ten years old,
but, strange to tell, he brushes his own
hair and wnshes his ears without
parental coercion. It must be admit
ted that Willie just started this most
uncommon practice within the last few
days. The young man's mother was
dumfounded when she walked Into his
room and found him plastering down
his hair with a brnsh.
"You're a very good boy," she said
"How did you come to think of brush
ing your hair and washing your face?"
Willie looked sheepish and then re-,
plied: "Mary Brown told me I wu*
good lookln'."-New York Sun.
t^n't Keep Auto in Barn.
The barn ls a bad place for ?he an*
tomoblle. Build a garage.
Norfolk, Va
Tarboro, N. C
Columbia, S.
Macon, Ga
Birmingham,
._m un uuuuat JllLlCL'tiil
sible cave in the mountains near
Bristol, Va.-Tenn., may afford arch
aeologists and geologists an'opportu
nity to throw some light upon our
early American ancestry. Experi
ments show some of the bones to be
more than a thousand years old, how
ever, which is a comparatively early
life as measured by the records re
vealed by other human skeletons.
Early life in America ( that is life for
thousands of years before the discov
ery of Indians by white men, has
long been a subject of much doubt by
archaeologists, because as we are told
by tlje Greenville News, comparative
ly few records have been found. In
fact, nothing has been found to prove
that any race existed here prior to
the Indians. Whether they were the
product of a special development or
were akin to any of the men of Eu
rope before the separation of the
continents by Bering Strait is un
known.
Europe, we are told by some au
thority, is'able to trace the develop
ment of mankind by two discoveries
of human skulls between whose ex
istence there were handreds of thou
sands of years. The oldest human
skull was unearthed near Heldleburg,
Germany, and was estimated to have
lived about 200,000 years ago, though
that can not, of course, be certain
The skull was that of a "sub-man,"
having a cavity for a brain, though
it differed in other respects from man
of today, especially as to the jaw
and cheek bone. The second discov
ery, that of the "Creomangan," was
of a more developed "sub-man" who
lived thousands of years later These
are the only two contributions that
throw any light whatever upon the
development of mankind prior to the
"stone age" which was not so long
ago when measured by the infinite.
But nothing has been found in
America to justify belief that any
race existed here prior to the Indians.
The News suggests that there may be
beneath the surface of the earth dis
coveries that would revolutionize our
history and conception of ,the origin
and habitation of North America.
Perhaps that was what Shakespeare
meant when he said "There are more
things in heaven and earth than are
dreamt of in philosophy."-Augusta
Chronicle.
'?FL?CTS
TRADE MARK
REGISTERED
TER GUANO <
Richmond, Va. Ly
\. Charlotte, N. C. W
C. Spartanburg, S.C. At
Columbus,Ga. M(
Ala. Baltimore, Md. To
We invite our Edgefiel?
when in Augusta, We
DIAMONDS
WATCHES
CLOCKS
JEWELRY
CUT I
of all kinds that we have ever she
you through our stock. Every de
with the newest designs.
We call especial attention to 01
every improvement. Your watcl
Work ready for delivery in a shor
A. J. I
S 980 Broad St
S _m
ARRINGTON
Wholesale Groce
Corn, Oats,
Kinds <
Gloria Flour and Da
Our L
Corner Cumming a
On Georgia
Angus
YOUR PATR?N
XV" See our repr?sentatif
no tax now
LUDEN'S
menthol
cough drops
price ?*f
%Jr straight
GIVE QUICK RELIEF,
Tortoni YtUott Po*titi
53 Soli l?* ? mid or tr
JOMPANY
nchburg, Va,
'ashington,N.C.
lanta^ Ga.
Dntgomery, Ala
ledo, Ohio
?OOOOOOOOOOOPMOOPOOOOOO
zk of I
jr- - I
ct tr cm
i friends to visit oiir store |
have the largest stock of P
S
GLASS
AND SILVERWARE . ?
wn. It will be a pleasure to show S
partment is constantly replenished :
I
ur repairing department, which has 5
ti or clock made as good as new. S
t time. g
RENKL j
Augusta, Ga. 3
BROS. & CO.
rs and Dealers in
Hay and all
)f Feeds
in Patch HorseJFeed
eaders
nd Fenwick Streets
R. R. Tracks
ta, Ga.
AGE SOLICITED
re, C. E. May.
Hemstreet & Alexander
647 Broad Street
Augusta, Ga.
Dealers in Guns, Revolvers and
Pishing Tackle.
Repairing of FireJArms, Bicycles,
Safes, etc..
* Key Fitting a Specialty.
' Telephone 679