PERSONAL HISTORY OF CHIEF TAMMANY.

HERE appears to have been two Saints Tammany-a legendary one and an historical one-or, rather, either the attributes of one real person have been magnified into the fabulous, or there had been an earlier Indian, with superior qualifications, living long before the chief known to history bearing the same

name.

The historical Tammany, with whom William Penn had dealings, was chief of the Lenni-Lenape tribe of Indians; a native of Delaware, living. in his old age near the Schuylkill River, and at the time of his death residing some four miles from the present site of Doylestown, in what is now Bucks County, Pennsylvania; his burial place being near a spring in that vicinity. He is believed to have been present at the interview with Penn under the great elmtree at Shakamaxon, as all the chiefs of the Lenni-Lenape lineage were there, and so distinguished a member as Tammany could scarcely have been absent. His name, sometimes written Tammanend, with that of Melamequam, is signed to a contract giving title to a tract of land lying between Pennepack and Neshamony Creeks. This paper is dated April 23, 1683.

Penn's "great treaty," so called, through which he acquired title to nearly the whole of the present State of Pennsylvania, is dated more than two years later, in May, 1685, when Tammany probably was dead. His precise age is unknown, but it is certain that his life extended long past the extreme limit of even extraordinary old age. When spoken of by the people of his own or other Indian tribes, he was usually referred to as "Chief Tammany of many days." William Penn, in speaking of him, said: "I found him an old man, yet vigorous in mind and body, with high notions of liberty; not to be imposed upon, yet easily won by suavity and a peaceable address." At one time his wigwam is said to havestood on the site now occupied by Princeton College.

Chief Tammany was certainly friendly to the whites. He had the sagacity to perceive that the knowledge of the arts, of mechanics, and of a superior agriculture, was a power which gave to the new settlers immense advantages over his own people; thus he was led to favor peace with them, and he used his great influence to preserve the tranquillity of the Delaware nation. Fenimore Cooper, in his popular novel, "The Last of the Mohicans," introduces Chief Tammany in the scene in which he describes the death of Uncas, making Tammany say: "My day has been too long. In the morning I saw the sons of Unamies happy and strong; and yet, before the night has come, have I lived to see the last warrior of the wise race of the Mohicans.”

The Tammany of tradition is a wonderful character; in the folk-lore of his people all good things are attributed to him. Before the time of De Soto or La Salle, or even the still earlier voyage claimed for Boehm, there was a Chief Tammany, whose tribe lived west of the Alleghany Mountains, and extended beyond the northern bank of the Ohio River. In early youth this chief was noted

as a skillful hunter and brave warrior; he was always ingenious in the production of domestic utensils, objects of decoration, and implements for the hunt, for snaring animals, and for use in war. As he grew to manhood his fame extended beyond the Mississippi River to the Great Salt Lake, and his noble deeds were talked of at every council-fire in the land. It was this very superiority which excited the envy and enmity of the Evil Spirit, with whom he had many fearful combats.

When this terrible enemy saw that Tammany was teaching his people how to cultivate corn and other edible vegetables and fruits, he determined to circumvent him and injure his reputation with the tribes over which he ruled with a firm but fatherly hand. So the Evil Spirit put his ingenuity to work and caused the land to produce poison sumach, and stinging nettles, which he hoped the tribes would attribute to Tammany. These plants did, indeed, much annoy and sometimes injure the hunters, but Tammany was wideawake and contemplated long how he could rid his land of these noxious growths. He bided his time; then at the period of drought he set fire to the prairies which they covered, and the fire was so hot and the heat waves chased each other so rapidly that they actually singed and nearly destroyed the Evil Spirit himself, who was spying round, mourning the destruction of his poisonous creations. After he had somewhat recovered from his injuries he plotted more mischief. He made snakes, which he sent among the people; but Tammany sowed the seed of the ash-tree, of the seneca-root and the plantain, which speedily cured those who were bitten.

Next the Evil One sent a great drove of mammoths and other monstrous and destructive creatures from beyond the great lakes, to consume the corn and fruits of the Delawares. Again Tammany was relied upon to rid the land of this plague also. He soon found that their hides were too thick to be penetrated by arrows, and that some other means must be devised to destroy them. Now these animals were in the habit of going down to the "salt licks;" so Tammany caused many great pits to be dug, which he covered over with branches of trees and shrubs, completely concealing them, and so these destructive creatures were all caught and slain in these traps, and there it is said that their bones may still be found.

The Evil Spirit was now nearly at his wit's end how to devise some mischief which the great chief would be unable to overcome. At last he bethought himself to raise the waters of Lakes Huron and Michigan, and so flood all the southern land where the Delawares dwelt, but Tammany was not to be outdone in ingenuity. He set to work inmediately and opened a way for the flooding waters, by turning them into the Miami, Wabash and Allegheny Rivers, and, in addition, cut new openings into the Ohio. The waters of the lakes receded, but formed on their exit the Detroit Rapids and the Falls of Niagara-which still remains as proof of the truth of this legend. Tammany was hailed as the savior of his people, as well he might be.

Finding that no natural objects could be successfully used against this noble chieftain, the Evil One next conceived the idea of raising up enemies against him by instilling enmity toward him among the tribes, his neighbors, dwelling to the cast and north. A long war, indeed, followed, but Tammany took many prisoners, each one of whom expected death as a matter of course, this being the usual fate of prisoners of war, but Tammany was endowed with a superior spirit, and

when he heard his vanquished foes singing their sad "death-song," and saw them cutting themselves, according to the custom of their fathers, and thrusting splinters into their flesh, to show that they could bear pain bravely, he called them before him, addressed them kindly, spared their lives, and thus sent them back to their own tribes, devoted friends, instead of enemies.

The Wicked Spirit, perceiving all his labors lost, finally came to the conclusion that there was no other way to overcome this wonderful chief than by a personal encounter-never dreaming for a moment that any mortal being could successfully contend with the immortal enemy of the human race.

In pursuance of this intent he hid among the bushes in a certain place where he knew that the chief would pass by. But Tammany perceived this movement, and, pulling up a hickory sapling, commenced the struggle by attacking his skulking enemy, giving him a powerful blow on the head. Such a yell as burst from the surprised traitor not even a whole tribe of Indians could equal. Then the devil and Tammany clinched, and dreadful was the crashing of timber, which they trod down, as if it had been mere weeds. Never was such a fight on the earth since the war of the Old World giants, who piled mountains on one another in their quarrels in ancient Greece. For many square leagues not a tree was left standing, and some narrators affirm that it was through this encounter that the prairies were originally formed, by the trampling of these strange Western gladiators—the Mortal Good and the Immortal Evil-striving for supremacy.

The fight is reported to have continued for fifty days, when Tammany, by a hip-back action, succeeded in throwing his antagonist to the ground, trying at the same time to roll him into the Ohio River, but a great rock in the way prevented this; then he tried to strangle his nearly vanquished enemy, but his right wrist and thumb had been so strained with the long struggle that force sufficient failed him to accomplish this; and at last the great warrior grew faint and exhausted, which the Evil One, perceiving, managed to slip away-having no mind to renew the fight.

But Tammany was not quite through with him yet. He banished him from the country to Labrador and the Hudson Bay region; threatening him with instant death if he returned to the south of the Great Lakes. So at last Tammany had conquered a permanent peace, and he was now able to devote himself to the development of agriculture and such arts as were useful to his people. Then the tribe rejoiced in plenty, they felt strong, and their cry was always, "Tammany and Liberty," for he had won for them freedom from all kinds of injury and enmity.

About this time Manco Capac, the great Inca of Peru, the famous descendant of the Sun, heard of Tammany, and was naturally desirous of meeting such a wise chief and brave warrior; so he sent a messenger to ask for an interview, suggesting, as a suitable place, a certain location in Mexico, which was about equidistant from the home of each. The precise object which the Inca desired to consult Tammany about was the best form of government for Peru. The interview took place, and passed over very happily; and, with many mutual compliments, each returned to his own country, well pleased to have met.

As the Inca Manco Capac is considered by historians as the founder of the Peruvian nation, and lived about the year 1250 A. D., it is obvious that this legend of Chief Tammany's journey must have had a very ancient origin.

CHAPTER III.

TAMMANY'S GIFT OF SYMBOLS TO THE TRIBES.

FTER the chief's return from this long journey, which consumed several months, Tammany learned that the Evil Spirit had taken advantage of his absence and had entered among his people, and had made them idle and dissipated, and, with these faults, disease had broken out in the tribe. He began at once to reform this condition of things, and in great measure succeeded. In order to stimulate his people and arouse their flickering ambition, he summoned them all before him; and, feeling that his end was approaching, and that he could not much longer remain with them, he conceived the following plan for keeping them united, at the same time placing upon all special responsibilities. He divided the whole of his people into thirteen tribes, assigning separate duties to each, and giving also to each tribe a model, or symbol, to remind them of these duties as follows:

Ist. With the symbol of the Eagle he gave to the first division this advice: “Children of the First Tribe, the Eagle should be your model. He soars above the clouds, loves the mountain tops, takes a broad survey of the country round, and his watchfulness in the day-time lets nothing escape him. From him learn to direct your thoughts to elevated objects, to rise superior to the fogs of prejudice and passion, to behold in the clear atmosphere of reason all things in their true light and posture, and never expose yourself to be surprised, while the sun shines, in a fit of drowsiness or slumber.

2d. "Children of the Second Tribe: The Tiger affords a useful lesson for you. The exceeding agility of this creature, the extraordinary quickness of his sight, and, above all, his discriminating power in the dark, teach you to be stirring and active in your respective callings, to look sharp to every engagement you enter into, and to iet neither misty days nor stormy nights make you lose sight of the worthy object of your pursuit.

3d. "Children of the Third Tribe: You are to pay good attention to the qualities of the Deer. He possesses uncommon readiness of hearing; can judge of sounds at a great distance. In like manner, open ye your ears to whatever is passing; collect the substance of distant rumors, and learn, before dangers surround your cornfields and wigwams, what is going on at a distance.

4th. "Children of the Fourth Tribe: There is one quality of the Wolf to which I would call your attention. His wide extent of nostrils catches the atoms floating in the air, and gives him notice of the approach of his prey or his foe. Thus, when power grows rank, and, like a contagion, sends abroad its pestilent streams, I see, the wolf, like the myrmidons* of Tammany, the first to rouse, turn his head, and snuff oppression in every breeze.

th. "Children of the Fifth Tribe: You, my children, are to take useful hints of the Buffalo. He is one of the strongest animals in the wilderness; but,

Myrmidons were originally soldiers of Achilles.

strong as he is, he loves the company of his kind, and is not fond of venturing upon distant excursions alone. This is wise in the buffalo, and wise it will be in you to imitate him. Operate in concert, stand together, support one another, and you will be a mountain that nobody can move; fritter down your strength in divisions, become the sport of parties, let wigwam be divided against wigwam, and you will be an ant-hill which a small pappoose can kick over.

6th. "Children of the Sixth Tribe: That social and valuable creature the Dog offers something for you to profit by. The warmth of his attachment, the disinterestedness of his friendship, and the unchangefulness of his fidelity, mark him as the object of your kindness and imitation. Do but love each other with half the warmth, sincerity and steadiness with which these, your constant hunting companions, love you all, and happiness, comfort and joy will make your land their dwelling place, and ye shall experience all the pleasure that human nature can bear.

7th. "Children of the Seventh Tribe: You are to take pattern after the Beaver. His industry merits your regard. Forests must be cleared, hills leveled, rivers turned to accomplish your plans. Labor and perseverance overcome all things; for I have heard old people say that their ancestors assisted in making the sun, immense as he appears, by collecting into a heap all the fire-flies and glow-worms they could find, and the moon, whose light is fainter and size smaller, was in like manner formed by gathering into a pile all the fox-fire, or phosphoric decayed wood they could procure.

8th. "Children of the Eighth Tribe: The Squirrel, my children, offers something profitable to you. It is his practice as he has a foresight of winter. to collect acorns, chestnuts and walnuts, and to carry them in large quantities to his hole. In like manner it becomes you to look forward to the winter of life. and have some provision necessary for yourselves at that needy time. This you may enjoy at your firesides, while all around you frost rends the trees asunder. and the white powder lies so thick upon the ground that you cannot venture out without your snow-shoes.

9th. "Children of the Ninth Tribe: You are to learn a lesson from the Fox. He looks well before him as he travels, examines carefully the ground he treads upon, and takes good care that his enemies do not come upon him by surprise. Such keen examination will guard you from difficulties; and if, in the course of nature, you shall be, in spite of all this, beset by them, nothing will more effectually enable you to extricate yourselves.

10th. "Children of the Tenth Tribe: The Tortoise, who supports on his back the world we inhabit, offers a world of instruction to you. Were it not for his benevolence in keeping afloat on the immense ocean in which he swims, this land we inhabit would soon go to the bottom; and the displeasure he feels when men lead lives of idleness and vice, when they quarrel and injure their neighbors and families, has induced him more than once to dip a part of his shell under the water and drown a set of wretches no longer fit to live. If, then, you wish to attain a long life, be honest, upright and industrious.

11th. "Children of the Eleventh Tribe: I recommend to your attention the wholesome counsel derived by man from the Eel. He was never known to make a noise or disturbance in the world, nor to speak an ungentle sentence to a living