Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-03-01
ohio Arizona Boys---Apache Indians.

4
The Ohio Silver Mining Company bound to
the Santa Rita Mines in Arizona, were some
five months in reaching their destination. and
met with numerous adventures and some hair
breadth escapes. A private letter dated Santa
Rita, Feb. Sd, published in the Columbus Fact,
shows that the boys encountered numerous In
dians The latter part of their journey, and they
sometimes had to sleep in full dress with revol-
yer in hand. Near the MILESTONE Springs,
some 40 miles from Fort Buchanan, they came
across party consisting ofthree soldiers whose
time had expired, and who with their wives and
children had left the Fort intending to return to
the States, their outfit consisting of wagon,
six mules, two horses, etc. A small party of
Indians had followed them, had shot Sergeant
Berry dead, mortally wounded Sergeant Kelly,
and Sergeant Ryan alone had escaped. The
women and children were in the wagon and
were unhurt. One of the Ohio Company rode
express through great peril to the Fort, and OBJ
tanned succor for the distressed party.
The Apache Indians were plenty, thievish
and troublesome, but had not attacked the Ohio
Company The letter closes thus /.
And now let me tell you about Hacienda de
Santa Rita We have comfortable adobe
house with six xrooms-comfortable but rather
crowded. Near the house are the Poems huts,
corral for animals, and fine spring. of water /
On three sides of the valley are high mountains
with beautiful rocks of every color, sloped like
the Palisades of the Hudson. On the fourth
al 10 a haoufff1l
tent. The mountains are covered with pines,
and in the valley are live oak, ash, cottonwood,
DC. The grass is green, the weather warm,
and all seems pleasant. If the whole country
was like our little valley would say come here
and live, but as we are shut out from all the
world by double range of mountains, fifteen
miles from Tubac, and as outside these noun
taiDs it is cold and cheerless, viii not advise
you to come.
A letter from member of the same Compa-
ny to the Cincinnati Times, describes the Apa-
ches, as a race, as physically inferior to the
Northern or Western Indians, being shorter
and lighter built. There are some fine speci-
mems, and the principal chief of party that |
was on the point of attacking the Ohio Boys,
had a head like Daniel Webster and the eye of |
The women were intensely ugly, and their
fiat countenances, rendered still more hideous
by great daubs of mud-colored paintor coloring
matter obtained from the miscal plant. OF cloth
ing there was; serious need. They were all !
half naked, although the snow lay nearly foot
deep, and the north wind cut to the very bone.
Yet they did not seem to mind it. asked one
if his shoulders and arms were not cold In
reply he inquired if my face was cold4 Being
answered in the negative he said ''Well, Apa-
che all face he no cold :" The ease with
which they endure cold weather shows what
the human system is capable of sustaining. It
being the meseat season they are all fat and
healthy. never saw such plump children, per
feet maryels of robust health, well formed and
perfectly developed; their keen blue eyes glis-
iening as they gazed in amazement upon the
white strangers. lssas.15
The men carried two sorts of arrows in their
quiyers, one variety for game, and one for war,
the latter poisoned with preparation of buzz
Yards liver and certain roots, known only to
themselves. If such an arrow remains in q
wound over ten minutes it causes very danger
Gus and painful sore, generally resulting in the
death of the victim. Some of the quivers and
bows were ornamented very tastefully with 4
beads and bits of colored cloth, and now and
then you would notice a warrior clothed in q
very handsome buekskin suit with square teed
boots of the same material. Ker-G-chis wore
splendid red silk sash, once the property of
Mexican captain, and a fine head dress of featha
ers, which set off his powerful form to advan-
AGE, and gave him the look of a real Indian
kfn0 fF rul