C)


J5&e-


Veronica E.
LaBelle, Fl


Hues


.orida.


LIFE


AMONG


THE


SEMINOLES


Thro


who le


South


Florida,


are


many


white


natives


who,


some


time


or other,


have


lived


among


the


Seminole


Indians


the


Big


Cypress


and


Everglades.


Among


these


same


natives,


you


also


find


that


many


them


can


either


speak


language,


or understand


what


they


hear


language,


and


using


bits


English,


carry


on a


conversation


with


an Indian.


Mr.


and


Mrs.


Curry


tell


things


they


saw


them


Big


Cypress


and


Everglades,


from


about


year


1884


until


1900.


These


days


were


spent


and


around


present


site


Immokalee,


which


now


Collier


County,


the


county


just


below


Hendry .


They


live


on what


known


as a "squatter's"


claim.


Their


business


Big


Cypress


and


Everglades


time


that


they


made


their


home,


was


cattle


business


and


trading


with


Indians.


those


t--
c1


days,


cattle


business


was


main


industry


this


unsettled


country.


0*


,wild











vast


Everglades


came


a direct


landing,


nhile


the


Indians


who

this


came


from Miami


as a landing


place


and

for


other

their


places

canoes


further

* Thus


south,

they


used

traveled


through


then


almost


impassable


swamp.


the


few


places


that


were


too


shallow


float


the


canoes,


they


were


obliged


drag


them


next


deep


hole


continue


water


The


Landing.


The


old


government


trail,


which


ran


from


Fort Myers


east,


also


made


fmmokalee


and


the


Old


Sam


Jones


Ruins


its


destination o


All


supplies


for


this


district


were


brought


from


Fort


Myers


oxen


over


this


trail.


The


trip


way


was


between


and


miles,


and


four


days


were


needed


for


the


round


trip.


. The


Indians


during


this


time


were


constant


terror


that


government


was


going


catch


them


all


and


send


them


the


Reservation


Oklahoma.


Their


fright


this


respect


never


abated.


They


trusted


very


few


white


people.


Yet


from


those


few


white


people


whom


they


did


trust,


they


hoped


find


protection.


Thus


the


Curry.


were


often


sought,


when

came


some


strange


unasked


among


person

the I


entered


ndians.
S \


the d

Mrs. (


ark,

Curry


silent

tells,


woods

for


and

she


* \ -


I


I












home,


inquiring who


such


and


such


g person


was,


and


why


was


there.


She


said


the


Indian


would


believe


her


when


she


told


him


who


the


strangers,


were


and


that


they


were


not


Govern-


ment


officials.


trading


those


times


the


great


woods


were


overflowing


with


wild


game


every


description


and


e arn-


ing


a living


was


not


difficult.


addition


trading


with


the


Indians


for


furs


and


alligator


hides,


there


were


numerous


hogs


sell.


This


brought


ready


money.


The


Indians


bought


groceries


and


ammunition


which


the


cases


CurryWB


had


Indians


brought


would


never


from


make


Fort


Myers


straight


sell.


trades,


but


many


had


have


money,


even


when


they


would


re turn


immediately


for


groceries.


such


matters


they


still


show


ever


present


fear


being


cheated.


They


trust


no one,


not


even


their


so-called


friends.


The


Curry6.


told


how


Indians


would


spend


weeks


a time


the i r


home,


especially


those


who


were


some


distance


from


their


camps.


They


permitted


Indians


their


table


and


use


their


floors


sleep


on at


a


i*












also,


before


paying


a visit,


managed


wash


themselves,


both


body


and


clothing.


their


.omw


camps,


they


are


pretty


dirty


but


knowing


that


the


white


man


does


not


live


that


way


they


are


considerate


enough


clean


themselves


before.


coming.


They


hot


love


and


white


sweetened


folks '


cooking,


coffee.


especially


Curryb.-


had


plenty


little


black,


trouble


with


them


matter


stealing,


many


being


proud


such


things.


Speaking


their


eating,


camps,


meal


time


gayest


all


hours.


The


food,


cooked


big


three-legged,


black


iron


pots,


removed


from


pots


wooden


ben


hes,


where


whole


family


encircles


same,


tin


spoons


hand.


Sometimes,


not


having


enough


spoons


around,


the


few


spoons


are


passed


from


hand


hand,


every-


body


taking


a bite,


then


passing


the


spoon


on.


this


time,


everyone


laughs


and


jokes,


especially


children.


lMrs.


Curry


relates


fac t


that


even


during


those


time


when


the


woods


were


filled


with


plenty,


Indian


and


his


family


went


hungry


.most


time.


couldn't


seem


learn


ways


which


plenty might


had.


She


also


tells


their


thin,


emaciated


bodies


and


their


suffering


cold




-c


their cold


bodies.


How


that


the


great


woods


can


no longer


even


begin


produce


game


that


used


haye,


wonders


how


these


people


live.


They


proud


people,


reluctant


-ask


help


anyone ,


especially from


those


who


are


strangers


ny make


their
I


living


making


home-made


trinkets


which


they


sell


winter


visitors


along


the


Tamiami


Trail


during


the


winter


season.


Then


during


winter


also


chance


trap


lines,


while


occasionally


they


obtain


the


chance


earn


a little


parading


before


the


tourists.


S/


Almost


constant


sickness


'among


them


has


debilitated


the


tribe.


Krm.


Curry


stated


that


when


their


own


cures


will


not


work,


they


are


great


trying


white


manrs


medicine..


These


they


seem


trust.


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