History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, Part 84

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 1080

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Capt. Rockafellow's first attempt at riding after his injury was in chase and killing of a grizzly bear that came to Powder River to water, in sight of the fort, just at daybreak one morning. Sergt. Croninger, of the guard that night, feeling sympathy for the siege Rockafellow had with his bruised chest and broken rib, quietly informed him, as also Col. Kidd, when, on quick time, they took up the chase, his servant, James Kyle, now of Cañon, accompanying them. Two Pawnees, getting wind of what was up, started into the timbered bottoms above, turning the bear back, and giv- ing Capt. Rockafellow a splendid chance for a shot at short range, shooting the bear through the vitals. He circled in toward the little party and threw himself back on his haunches, with his paws hanging down and gnashing his teeth, and looking as fierce as his bearship could. At this juncture, the Pawnees dashed in and blazed away at the noble game from their ponies, being afraid to dismount. The bear dropped, and yet they would not dis- mount until Rockafellow put a ball into bruin's head, when they dismounted and cau- tiously touched the dead bear, when, finding no signs of life, they became suddenly brave, and, thrusting their hands into the mouth of the bear, smeared their faces with the fresh blood that came gushing out, at the same time grunting, " Ugh ! ugh !" and looking fierce and brave. They claimed the bear, took him on one of their ponies, out of the timber in

the bottoms to the bluffs, where they went to skinning him, when Rockafellow's Spencer carbine ball dropped out from the skin on the opposite side from which it entered, and, themselves being unable to show marks of their shots, they gave up the game, and it was divided through the camp, the Indians get- ting the claws, which they hung on their breasts as charms. This company of Pawnee scouts, under command of Capt. North, were at times quite unmanageable, and under fire wholly so, as they would drop under cover of a knoll and shoot, then dart to some other point for protection, and chance to use their guns or arrows, and thus scatter over a large extent of country, leaving their officers the points of observation in the field. When one refused to obey when in range of the officers, they would welt the Indian over the head with the saber, or, grabbing a club, knock the offender to the earth, when his comrades would jeer at the sufferer.

Their rations were issued to them in small quantities, as, if three or five days' rations were dealt out to them, as issued to either soldiers, they would eat all at once, and the gormands would be as inactive as snakes full of toads. At the main engagement of the ex- pedition, in the latter part of August, 1865, between Tongue and Powder Rivers, they did good service as scouts by their way of discov- ering the location of the hostiles' camp, promptly notifying Gen. Connor, when he kept on in the direction he was going until after nightfall, when he changed to the direc- tion of the camp of the hostiles, and, by a forced march, struck it at daybreak, scatter- ing the warriors in every direction, killing and wounding very many, and capturing 600 ponies, the white soldiers pursuing the sav- ages until many, who skulked behind rocks and bluffs, began to be troublesome, when all fell back to the camp, where the Pawnees had stayed, plundering, and treating the squaw captives in their usual brutal way of treating female prisoners. Gen. Connor was much in- censed toward them for ceasing their efforts toward annihilating the hostiles, and he or- dered them drawn up in line, and all the buf- falo and other skins, and jerked meat, and. promiscuous Indian plunder they had capt-

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ured, placed in a pile and burnt before them. Gen. Connor had ordered pack-saddles and supplies up for a winter campaign among the Indians, calculating to destroy their winter stores of jerked meat, and give them no rest until made peaceable.

Gen. Connor showed quite too much zeal to suit the Eastern sentiment and he was re- called and ordered to Utah. The Mormons took the arrival of troops from the Eastern army, as an aggressive act toward them, and they were not far out of the way, as Gen. Con- nor confidently expected and longed for an order to arrest all the leaders who were prac- ticing polygamy, and bear them safely over their Jordan, to be tried by courts away from Bigamistic and Brighamistic influences. Hav- ing fostered the Gentile element, which is said to have numbered three thousand shrewd, determined people, and having one of the most vigorous newspapers in the West, the Salt Lake Vidette, which daily bearded Brigham and his cohorts in their den. It was published by Rev. Norman McLeod, who was Pastor of the Congregational Church, who, in his Sunday evening lectures, poured hot shot into the Endowment House and its votaries; it was the first evangelical church in Salt Lake Valley. He was also Chaplain of Camp Douglas. Gen. Connor believed these people, after Mormon leaders were removed, would be able, with the aid of Gentile immigration that would come into the mines, to convince the dupes of the manner in which they were being wronged by the tithe-gathering apostles, and that their system would soon waste away. It is to be regretted his theory could not have had a practical test.

The Mormons knew well the stuff of which he was made, as on his first advent to their valley, Brigham Young ordered him to halt on the west side of the city and not pass through it with an armed force. The Gene- ral did halt and issue full rounds of ammuni- tion to his men, at the same time sending Brigham word that he came there by the authority of the United States, and he pro- posed to go into and through Salt Lake City, if they all went to h-1 the next minute. It is needless to add that the Mormons, who assembled to resist his advance, went tumbling

over the back-yard fences, with their trailing shot-guns, not a shot, except accidental, being fired. The General then established Camp Douglas, commanding the city, which remains to the present day. Capt. R -- tells an in- cident of James Kyle (colored) before men- tioned, as showing that a dark skin can cover acts of nobleness, while a white one despica- ble acts of ingratitude. Bell Douglas, an actress of the theater there, was the only pas- senger in the four-horse coach for the city, when the team, temporarily left driverless, getting frightened, came tearing down the street like maddened demons set loose, sud- denly turned down between the officers quar- ters, and just about dashing the coach, with its human freight, against a corner of the building, when Jim, at the wood-pile near by, quick as thought, comprehended the situation, and, rushing in front of the leaders, changed their direction and saved a fearful catastrophe, and actually unaided stopped the infuriated team. A crowd soon gathered about, when the heartless actress remarked, she guessed she would have been killed if it had not been for that buck nigger. Jim walked quietly away, saying, she is a sweet-scented thing. Capt. R --- tells an incident of Plains life, when Maj. Egbert Bradley, his brother, B. F. Brad- ley, L. D. Tatman, James Johnson and him- self, crossed the plains, by the Arkansas River route, in the winter of 1867-68, with two teams. January 7, two miles from Au- brey's Station, they saw two men get a buf- falo detached from a large band of them, and actually drove him into the corral at the sta- tion, and shot him right where they wished to dress him. They saw one party of Indians in war-paint, on the opposite side of the river from them, two of their number coming across to their wagons. A few days after, they saw, coming over a bluff parallel with the road, one Indian galloping, then two, then four abreast, and following them in short time, quite a number appeared on the crest of the hill, marching quite regularly as a company of soldiers in line, very unlike Indians. The little band determined to sell their lives dearly, and got their fire-arms within easy reach. On the Indiaas came, until within a short distance of the teams, and halted, when their chief

J. D. Palmer MM. D.

HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.

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advanced, gave the sign of their tribe, which was by partly doubling his right hand and drawing it down the right side of his head backward, meaning Shaved Heads, or Kaws, then galloped to the advance wagon, making a sign to stop. He extended his hand to shake hands, asked for tobacco, in plain En- glish, and said, thank you, for it. Said his name was Henry Davis, and that they were out on a buffalo hunt. Asked about game and the Plains Indians, bade the party good-bye, and let them go on their way rejoicing that their hair was left, as they, like the Indians, had superstition that, where one is scalped, he is of no further account, and that his spirit will never reach the happy hunting grounds. For that reason Indians never bury a scalped man, not even one of their own tribe; they think it is waste of time.

The following are the signs by which the different tribes are known:

The fore-finger rubbed up and down, on the right side of the nose, is the sign of the Arapahoes.

The fore-finger of the right hand drawn across the neck, is the sign for the Sioux.

The fore-tinger of the right hand sawing across the fore-finger of the left, near the hand, is the sign for the Cheyennes.

The palm of the hand under the chin, and stroked outward, means Kiowas.

A stroke of the fore-finger of the right hand, up and down the fore-finger of the left hand, and across, for the Apaches.

Stick the fore-finger of the right hand out- ward, and draw toward you, in zigzag, for Comanches.

Run the fore-finger of the right hand out- ward, in zigzag, for the Snake Indians.

Double the hand partly back and draw it down the right side of the head, backward, for the Kaws or the Shaved Heads.

Osage Indians the same.

Pawnees the same, with the exception that they use but two fingers of the hand, extended, and stroke forward.

The Utes rub two fingers of the right hand on the front side of the back of the left hand. The Crows elevate both hands, extended as high as the face, and motion right and left.

The Blackfeet rub the fingers of the right

hand on the right foot. For sign of riding on pony, straddle the first two fingers of the right hand across the fore-fingers of the left hand.

Dog soldiers from the Cheyennes are known by drawing the two fingers of the right across the breast.

If you have nothing to give Indians, when asked, shake a finger of the right hand back and forth, before you, and then, with the right hand, stroke the palm of the left hand, outward. For a good Indian, point straight to the front with the fore-finger of the right hand, saying at the same time, "pow-wow." It means good, and the pointing, truth.

For American, rub the fore-finger of the right hand across the forehead.

There are times each month when squaws are not allowed in the tents with the Indians.

THE FIRST GRIST-MILL.

The first grist-mill in Fremont County was built by Lewis Conley, in 1860, on his ranch, now owned by John Palmer, Esq., on Beaver Creek, above Messrs. Toof's place. It ground about six bushels of wheat a day, and took one-fourth for toll. Wheat was then 10 to 12g cents per pound.

The second post office in the county was established in Beaver, in 1864, with Lewis Conley as Postmaster. When ex-Gov. A. C. Hunt was United States Marshal, the Indians stopped all transit of mails across the plains for a time. Lieut. Albert Walter, of Canon, then of Company B, First Veteran Battalion, Colorado Cavalry, was sent with forty men of the Second Colorado Cavalry, to escort the United States Marshal, with a lot of United States prisoners and a large train, with three Weeks' mail, and teams that had gathered to cross the plains; in all, 250 civilians. When about fifty miles out, they were attacked by Sioux Indians, who were handsomely repulsed. The following night, the Indians made another attempt, but being repulsed by Lieut. Walter and his men, did not molest the train again during the entire journey. There was great consternation among the women and children during the attacks, and they showed their gratitude to the Lieutenant in command, by sending him, from the States, a handsome gold

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watch chain, which, he still wears. United States Marshal A. C. Hunt presented him with his splendid field-glass that cost $80.

On his return, the Sioux Indians had at- tacked Moore's ranch, near Valley Station, and captured 500 head of stock. Lieut. Wal- ter promptly pursued them, by a forced march, killing twelve of them, and re-capturing 250 head of the stock. He lost but three of his command, wounded. On his arrival at Denver, he was appointed Provost Mar- shal of the District of the Plains for three months, at the expiration of which time he was appointed Quartermaster and Commissary of Fort Garland, Capt. Kirber being in com- mand. At that time, the Utes and Mexicans were having constant trouble, which resulted often in loss of life on either side. The mil- itary having instructions to adjust the diffi- culties, in April, 1865, summoned the aggrieved parties to the post, when a general rehearsal was had. A debtor and credit balance was struck over the lives lost on either side, and the difference made square by payments of ponies and cattle, after which matters went along peacefully. After Lieut. Walter was mustered out, Capt. Kirber (from whom Kir- ber Creek takes its name) and he, with twen- ty-five men, started the settlement in the northern end of San Luis Valley, on Kirber and San Luis Creeks. Kirber Creek was be- fore then called Rio de los Abequisoños, mean- ing, men from Abique. Lieut. Walter was appointed First Warden in charge of the Col- orado Penitentiary, being then under the con- trol of the United States as a Territorial institution in direct charge of the United States Marshal.

The old gentleman Wetmore seems to have been rather frisky in his younger days, ac- cording to the annals of Canon, in 1860 and 1863. When he came from the mountains, he claimed to have been a mighty discoverer of mining claims, and nearly all the settle- ment at Canon took stock in it, and furnished him bountifully that winter. In fact, it is said he was the best-fed man in the county. In the spring, he marshalled his command to go and show them their wealth, but on ap- proaching the locality described, a big storm came up, and he got lost, so effectively that

the victims searched in terrible earnest for him, as all who know Uncle Benjamin Griffin knows well he knows how to do. "Wet," as they called him, waited for many a storm to cool their passions before resuming his official duties. When he did come back, he swapped claims to pilgrims for flour, but made no more sales to Barnacles, except a $5 sale to Will Burdette. He set up claim for surveying cer- tain club claims, including Uncle Jesse Fra- zer's, which Mr. Frazer claimed was done unbidden, and that he did not propose to pay volunteers for services. He finally sued, claiming $5 of Uncle Jesse, who every man in the country knew rendered at all times to all men that which was justly their due. Suit was brought before young Justice Gid B. Frazier, and was one of his first trials, being afterward twice elected Judge of Probate. Thomas Macon and D. P. Wilson volunteered as counsel for Uncle Jesse, while Reuben Frazier appeared for plaintiff. Benjamin Griffin, smarting under the disappointment of the mining joke of the previous year, came down to swear he would not believe "Wet" under oath, and all the neighborhood turned out. D. P. Wilson, who, it is said, never was too young, and never will be too old for fun, propounded with an expressive "Squire," to the young Justice, questions in law never be- fore or since heard of. Finally, after consid- erable sparring, the counsel for the defense brought matters to a standstill by insisting on the plaintiff giving security for the costs, which he could not do, and which caused a deal of merriment, as great stories had been told about his possessions in the East, upon which he paid annually many thousand dol- lars taxes. Notwithstanding the barrenness of the day in results to plaintiff, it was a very profitable one to the pioneers, who relied upon such events to give spice to the routine of labor, isolated from all news. This was said to be Thomas Macon's first law case in the county. "Wet," when visiting this neighbor- hood later, had a narrow escape from the ven- geance of I. W. Chatfield, who was a Lieu- tenant in the service, and disabled and honor- ably discharged, but had been called by " Wet," a deserter, for which indiscretion, Mr. Chatfield determined to chastise him, and so

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closely followed his tracks, that the old gen- tleman had to flee to the Provost Marshal for protection.

In 1863, J. A. Draper was appointed Post- master, over Mr. Wetmore and other aspirants for the office, who, like office-seekers in later days, fought him without mercy. Mr. Wet- more set up claim to having newspaper mail containing tax lists of his Eastern property, and of great value to him, tampered with, and entered complaint before the United States authorities, caused Mr Draper's arrest, and being cited to Pueblo to answer. Mr. Draper fortified himself with a document, signed by about forty of the patrons of the office, in which, among other damaging things, stated that they would not believe "Wet" under oath; also a document signed by a great majority of the people, setting forth that Mr. Draper managed the office impartially and honestly. Sam Brown, who was United States District Attorney, at once threw the case out of court, though Mr. Draper was subjected to cruel, because causeless, expense. Of late years, Mr. Wetmore has been quite successful in mining pursuits, and, fortunately, is not worried in his later years by continuation of the hard struggles of pioneer life.

FIRST SAW-MILL.

In the fall of 1860, an " original share" in the town was offered to the first men who would establish a saw-mill in the vicinity of Canon City. The lucky parties were J. B. Cooper, J. C. Moore - Harkins (afterward murdered by the Espanosias) and A. C. Chand- ler. The mill was located above the Soda Springs, near the mouth of Sand Creek. R. R. Kirkpatrick ran a shingle machine in con- nection with the saw-mill. Cooper is now operating in mining stocks, in San Francisco, after having been engaged in an Arizona dia- mond enterprise.

OIL SPRINGS.

Gabriel Bowen was the discoverer of the Oil Springs, six miles above Canon City, on Oil Creek, and he also brought to town the first argentiferous galena, from the vicinity of or in the Wet Mountain Valley. The precise place at which it was discovered is not now known. He melted it, thinking it

pure lead, with which he intended to make bullets for his rifle, but found it too hard for practical use, owing, no doubt, to the large amount of silver contained in it. This was in the fall of 1860. He claimed to have discov- ered large quantities of it, but no one thought it of sufficient importance to look after it. This was before the dawning of the "Silver Age," of Colorado.

THE FIRST CHILD.

The first child (still living) born in Canon City was Anson Spencer Rudd; he was born on the 23d day of June, 1861. Mr. M. D. Swisher, now of Colorado Springs, had a child born about the same time; there was a lot donated to the little fellow, by the town authorities, but he did not live to enjoy the honor. Mr. Rudd's child has now grown al- most to manhood, and is of splendid physical organism. Although not yet grown, he weighs about 160 pounds, and we, with pleas- ure, say that he is noted for his industry, cor- rect habits and courteous demeanor. He has inherited good principles and honesty, with an intellect above the "common herd," and with the proper application to mental im- provement, and a strict adherence to princi- ples of honor, taught by his father, he will doubtless become an honor to his parents and to the town that gave him birth.

Jesse Frazer, or "Uncle Jesse," as he is familiarly called, settled in this county in the spring of 1860, on a piece of land on the Arkansas River, about eight miles below Canon City. To him is conceded the honor of having plowed the first furrow in the county toward making him a farm. His plow was as primitive as that of the Mexicans'. He says: " I used a cottonwood plow, cutting a forked tree, using one prong for the plow beam, the other for the plow share. We managed to raise considerable vegetables and some Mexi- can corn. Some five or six ranches succeeded in raising some produce," etc. They found a ready market for all they raised at enormous prices.

In common with nearly all the early set- tlers, he was subjected to exposures, privations and hardships incident to a border life. But he belonged to a family of pioneers who were

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not easily intimidated, and no ordinary events could turn them aside from their purpose. His grandfather was one who accompanied Daniel Boone in his migration from Kentucky to Missouri. He has a gun in his possession which belonged to his grandfather. On one occasion, when Boone's settlement was attacked by the Indians, this gun, in the hands of his grandfather, brought down two of them at one shot. It is a wonder for its length, though Uncle Jesse says that a considerable portion of it has been cut off.

Such men as Uncle Jesse Frazer are the salt of the earth, and it is with pleasure that we chronicle the fact, that, after years of toil, privations and sometimes danger, he is now the possessor of a good home and farm, with an orchard of over 2,000 bearing apple trees, and a great variety of other fruits, the product of which alone will give him a comfortable support, without mentioning the various other products of a good farm.

That season he wounded a grizzly bear, in the road between his house and the river, and finished him up with a shot gun. The rather long, large, frank face of Uncle Jesse is pleas- urably brightened whenever the subject of old times is brought up, and the large dimple observable in his cheeks, as seen in the pic- ture in this volume, is the plain reflex of joy or sadness throbbing in a warm, generous heart.

Mrs. Frazer was the first white woman known to have settled in the county, outside of Canon City. The twain are, indeed and truth, truly one.

SOME OF UNCLE JESSE'S BEAR STORIES.

The bears were very thick in the early set- tlement of the country; came down from the mountains to the valleys as early as July, after the wild currants, and staying until after the wild plums were gone. In July, 1860, Uncle Jesse shot a cinnamon bear within thirty rods of the house. He hitched his oxen onto the bear, and drew it to the house. That night bears were growling about all the time, and they counted, in the morning, half a dozen different-sized tracks in the trail where he dragged his game.

Uncle Jesse, I W. Chatfield, Clark Har-

rington and Henry Phelps, went on a hunt to Willow Springs region. On going along by a small creek with wooded banks, they started an immense grizzly, that Uncle Jesse seid made him think of the body of a roan steer. He hissed his dog on, and tried to drive the bear out of the underbrush. Uncle Jesse ran to point above, expecting to get a better view, while the bear, seeming to want to under- stand what the hissing noise was, came out in the direction it came from. The dog, understanding his business well, barked, and tried to attract the bear's attention from his master. Finally, Uncle Jesse stepped on a little point to look further, as the bear emerged from the brush directly in front of him, and only fifteen feet away, and stood up directly facing and grinning defiance at him. Uncle Jesse gave him a shot that took effect in the neck, fearing to risk one in the head, least the ball might glance. The bear dropped, but, rallying, Uncle Jesse being in too close quar- ters to reload, was forced to drop his gun and take to a pine tree near by, to keep out of the bear's way. The old grizzly, finding himself thwarted, dragged himself a little ways, and finally, got away on all fours. They shot an elk, and saw quite a large herd of them, which they pursued to the higher Greenhorn Mount- ains. The dog started up a black bear and partly treed him, but by grabbing his tail, he worried the bear so that he fell back and Uncle Jesse dispatched him.

On another occasion, Grandpa Smith, Flem Oldrum, Uncle Jesse and Samuel Callen, were hunting on the John Smith Island, watching on foot, while Reuben Frazier and John Witcher, on horseback, were to drive the bear out of the brush. At a prong of the river where they usually crossed, a bear appeared, when all but Uncle Jesse shot. The bear jumped straight up in the river, when Uncle Jesse gave him his reserved shot and finished him. Each one thought it his bear, Oldrum being sure he hit it in the hip, Callen in the neck and the others in the breast.

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History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, Part 84

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 1080

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 1080