Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-11-18
nnlnnr he rndinns.

Putnam
among the Indians.
The following extracts from letter of Gen.
Howard in the Washington Chronicle, describ-
ing his recen; visit to the Apache country, will
be found interesting;
'In few minutes there came riding rapidly
down ravine a single Indian, who looked very
fierce as he approached, carving a long lance
in his hand. He was short and thick set and
painted in that ugly way where yermilion is
combined with black paint. As soon as he
reached us he dismounted and few 10 Captain
Jehards, standing near by, and embraced him
very warmly. Jetfards said, very quietly, This
is his brother Neither Captain Jgtfards or any
Of the Indians ever speaking the name OF Co.
chise They call him, in Spanish, Mi Her.
mano; in Apache, 'Shi Cache meaning my
BROTHER
81 had hardly been introduced to Cochise's
brother, who calls himself Juan when a
mounted party following came in sight This
consisted Of fine looking Indian, accompanied
by young man and two Indian woman. |
hoped it was Cochise. He dsmounted, and
saluted Captain Jetfards like an old friend. He
then turned TO me, and was introduced in this
phrase; General this is he; this is the man.
As | took his hand l remembered my impress
sion. A man fully six feet in height, well pro-
portloned, large, dark eye, face slightly painted
with yermilOn, Enthusiastically an Indian; hair
straight and black, with a few silver threads,
touching his coat collar behind. He gave me a
warm grasp Of the hand, and said very
pleasantly, Buenas daS,' which means,
How do you do or literally, Good days.
His face was really pleasant TO look upon,
making me say to myself, "How strange it is
that such man can be the robber and murder
er so much complained Of" In nv frequent
interviews aierv ards perceived that when con-
versing upon all ordinary matters he was ex-
ceedngly pleasant, exhibiting a Cmldlike sim
pliclty; but in touching upon the wrongs of the
APaches, in public council or on horseback, in
fact, when he considers himself to be specially
on duty as the Chiricahua chief, he is altogether
another man. We walked together, and sat
down side by side on the blanket seat beneath
tlue spreading oak, which sheltered us from
the scorching rays of the sun. The attendants
OF COchise were his son, Match, lad about
seventeen, wife, about thirty years Of age, and
his sister. As soon as his sister reached Ponce
she sat down by him, and taking his hand,
began to weep aloud. 1t was very sad wall,
and continued until COchise and passed under
the oak tree. 1t was the weeping over a mutual
friend or relative the two had lost.
Just TO my right, twenty or thirty yards dis
tant, was The house of Cochise. It consisted of
sandstone rock, twenty feet high, having one
perpendicular side, and near it large-sized
Scrub-oak One or two boughs had been cut
and laid up against the tree to tbiclen the shade
being the only artificial work about his house.
y piiSN III olSGpluy lltllG lOlGtl ludll lldL,
was followed out in the ground. So much for
the house. The furniture consisted of two or
three buckskinS, tanned with the hair on them;
tive or three blankets, long used; some bows
and arrows, riXe, and two or three saddles
and brides; an "olo" kind of eaIthen lar
Tor water; little waterproof basket two or
three knives, and one small tin pail to make
coffee in. The provisions on hand hung upon a
branch of the oak-sOme fresh deer meat and
and some jerked venison, either deer Or ante
lope. They had some mescal, and a seed re.
sembling that of the pumpkin but smaller, for
which learned no name. ! forgot to mention
pile of Indian horse-shoes. When Cochise
moves he ties on these shoes, made of thick
hide, with the hair down, and when he halls he
lakes them off. They are used for horses with
tender feet, and generally on the fore feet only.
The hrst night they gave MS a dance Of well
come. This dance is very simple, the men
upon one side and the women upon the other,
as in the ordinary contra dance. The move
ment IS very simple. Two women moving to.
getber toward one man, he follows them as they
retire. Sometimes the men cross over and all
form one rank, the men facing one way and
tue women face the other; all 90 forward and
back; suddenly the women face about, the men
do the same, without losing time; occasionally
all the dancers move around 10 a circle. They
use homemade drum, made by stretching a
piece of buckskin over the ollo, having a stick
hooped at one end, with which the leader beats
the time, and all sing.
If two women have paid some special atten-
ton TO some single partner, there is forfeit to
pay, consisting of some little present. One of
our packers whom the Indians called "Pinalid
stone, very tall man, upward Of fifty years
Of age, who had been much with the Indians,
always delighted them when he Joined in the
dance. saw two women approaching him
and asking for the forfeit just after the dance
was over. He said, What can | give them%
Ponce said, you have two shirts on" He re-
piled, "Sure enough" and instantly pulled off
one, leaving only his undershirt, and gave it.
Ponce declared in Spanish that he would never
want for anything, 'for man who gives his
last shirt is sure to prosper" Certainly, 1
thought, that was the style of Ponce, for be
would not keep any present three days.
The women whose husbands were absent, had
their homes under different trees, and in cOnve-
nient camping grounds along the mountain side
TO our rear and LETT. Their behaviour was good
Most of them seemed very industrious. burning
the mescal, tanning the skins of deer, and
taking care of The children. As soon as they
procured little cotton they spent considerable
Of their time in making it up into garments
The women wore a short skirt and sack reach
ng ll.tle below the waist and moccasins, with
tops, almost all having beads, some few and
some many strings
The women appeared modest, and think were
absolutely free from wantonness or unchastity.
did not see one here with the usual mark that
the Apache women generally have as a punish
mtul LOT HuultefY, ttnat marx IS cutting OF
portion Of the nosc.) That is a painful reaec-
ton that chastity almost disappears among some
OF the friendly tribes that are in daily intercourse
with our own people.
took great deal Of interest in the children.
The babes are packed upon a board, sheltered
with basket work. ! noticed the mother would
bathe her child in the stream, wrap IL in piece
Oh cotton cloth, put it in its curious dwelling,
and then bind over 1t piece Of buckskin. The
feet and head were always uncovered. A strap
or val 10 this arrangement enables the mother
TO put the child upon her back facing to the
rear, tue strap passing across her forehead. In
thls way her arms are free, and she carries tue
chlld lor hours. From two years to twelve the
boys have no clothing except the strip of cotton
around the body below the waist 1.-THE breech.
eloth) AT first the children were very much
afraid OF me,and some few remained so to the end
of my visit; but a little bit of cracker, a lump
OF sugar, or O piece Of candy, conquered them
very much, and docs any children.
Day after day / noticed them sporting upon
the rocks in all kinds Of plays, happy and
hearty-having, Of course, the ordinary fallines-
out with the usual alterations OF sunshine and
cloud. Often they would spend much time 10
watching me while writing, and endeaYonUg to
follow copies that 1 set Tor them.
Perhaps the most interesting feature Of this
GYPSY lie is found in the manner in which they
cat. They Often 90 long time without food,