The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-04-16
4 STRANGE LIFE.
The History Of BENJAMIN Car0ahess,
Wh0, ~ 4 Sioux IndBaa, TFaverseA
the 8lack 1lills Thirty Years Age.

The History Of BENJAMIN Caraahers,
the 8laek Htlls Thirty Years Age.
Especial Correspondents of the Inter-O Ocean, ]
Sr. LOUIS, Mo-, March 81, 1875.
The Biography Of the old man has no
necessary connection with his useful
knowledge OF the Black Hills, but the
moving incidents Of his life have direct
bearing on his entry into and his wander.
ings over that famons region, and are,
moreover, so
STARTLING AND ROMANTIC
in their nature AS to excuse their narra-
ton at this place. present lengthy
interview. IN narrative form, and re-
corded substantiallyas uttered, the Ian
guage being changed only for the sake Of
brcvity and perspicuity.
My name is Benjamin Caruthers; and I
am now 50 years Of age, though I look
much older. In 1929 my father with his
entire family, consisting Of my mother,
four sons, one daughter, and negro nan,
moved from Copiah county, Mississippi,
to the then Mexican territory OF Texas.
He settled west of all other white neigh.
borhoods, near the confluence of the
Brazos and Nevasota Rivers, in what is
now, am informed, Grimes county. The
county was then an unbroken wilderness,
and no white family lived nearer than
fo:ty miles Of us. My father established
a small rancho there in the fall of 1929,
and we lived without any trouble for near.
ly year. In the fall OF 1880, band of
Comanches suddenly came upon US, in
the day time, and
| MURDERED MY FATHER AND MOTHER,
my three older brothers and the negro
imam. was then fourteen years of age
and had sister one year older. For
some cause they spared her and myself
and after burning our house and killing
all the stock in sight, took US with them
in q north-westerly direction. The band
that had us captive gradually pursued
their way to the northwest and that
winter we spent near the boundary line
in the Ell Paso district. had naturally
\ wild nature, and did not have much
hesitancy in adopting their ways and cos.
tune. They required me to dress, ride,
and paint as they did.
NY SISTER JANE
was taken for a wife by chief whose
name was Tc.wah-mich-na, or the Flying
Bear. For nearly four years we roame d
along the frontier of Texas, sometimes
making incursions down into Texas or 20.
ing on long buffalo hunts in New Mexico
learned to speak the language thor
oughly, as did my sister. She grieved a
long time over her fate, but finally, civ.
ing up all hopes of seeing the whites
again, became reconciled and somewhat
attached to Indian life. When I last saw
her was in or about 1884, in the spring
She was then mother of two children by
Flying Bear. About that time I had .
personal difficulty with young brave
about the possession Of pony, and in q
moment of rage
KILLED HIM WITH MY TOMAHAWK.
mounted the pony and few away for
my life. I went northward into the
boundless sea of prairie, going at the tor
Of my horses speed until darkness over.
took me, and my beast fell exhausted.
knew l would be pursued, and my only
hope was to distance my pursuers. The
Indian had killed was great favorite
and son Of one Of our principal chiefs.
slept all night on the prairie, and woke up
next morning and found my pony per-
fectly fresh, grazing in the tall mosquito
grass. You may ride an Indian pony
down to-day, and tomorrow he will pitch
with you. Fearing l might be overtaken
I mounted in haste, and hungry and
thirsty, hurried away in a northerly
course. My hope was to strike some
other tribe Of Indians with whom might
affiliate. knew if l succeeded in reach.
ing the country above what is now Arizo
ma I would fall in with the Apaches, who
then roamed through that district. l
had no thought nor desire of reaching
white settlements. I would have evadcd
them even if had had the chance, sc
Thorough h an Indian had I become.
travelled nearly six days without hating
except to sleep, subsisting upon the eggs
Of prairie hens, which found by diligcnt
search, together with the heavy top seed
of peculiar kind of grass which grew
over that whole country, and which the
Comanches called choppa.
After had been out six days I was
SIGHTED BY A BAND OF APAcnEs,
who came upon rue and made me prisoner
had smattering of their language, and
many Of them spoke Comanchc we'll. anc
did not have much difficulty in finding
protection with them. I spent thai
spring and summer with the Apaches
thoug h was treated something like F.
slave. The next fall some Of tn,
Apaches made q long trip into the fa1
north, taking me with them. 1t was OF
this trip that they met band of Sioux
and
| TWAS TRADED OFF
to the latter tribe for buffalo robes.
spoke but little Sioux, but soon acquired
it. They, in short time, put me on a,
equal footing with their braves, and be
came for all practical purposes regula,
Sioux savage. From this began my
knowledge Of the Sioux, and subsequent
ly of the Black Hills country.
grew to be successful buffalo hunt
er, and was favorite upon all such ex
cursions. was known among them b,
an Indian name, which signifies 9TH,
Jumper About 1887 married Siou,
Igirl, daughter Of one of eur principa
chiefs. The winter of 1888 (about--w,
lonly measured time by moons and I hat
lost the course Of the months and years
We spent ut the mouth Of the Whit,
Earth River, $50 miles from the Blacl
Hills. In the following summer made
MY FIRST VISIT TO THE HILLS.
learned then that around the base o
the hills and in the vicinity o
the valleys of The various rivers tha
flowed through them were famous buffal,