The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1878-05-25

VI sIriiSEta ilMA ipssibie 10 cut n path
over be had reached the spur when
he heard rushing noise behind. him,
and saw great avalanche ma,ing to-
ward him. He used his gold-shovel as
q brace, and, as the mass reached him.
threw himself Hat upon il, expecting to
DE iinpaled upon the needdle>pointed
rocks IN the canon below. Fortunately
the middle Of his right foot caught a
projecting rock on the point of the prec.
lpice. The weight of the ayRlancns
whirled him around ike an indicator
and shot him down the dry water course
head first. wrapped ia feathery sleui,
leaving him buried in a bank mar his
comrades us feet alone appeared
above the surface The government
party dug him OUT He was seriously
injured in the left bip, aud was lame for
more than swoyearz.. During that time
he drew small pension from the gov
eminent. His wound was so painful
that he finally went to Melbourne TO
consult physician. Finding no relief,
he sailed back TO England, and, after
much suffering, his leg got well.
Graham parests were overioyed 10
see him, and had strong hopes that he
Fbe.s oNtttt GoN IL lie Was Ol age. NAlA,
well built. bad . good education, and
ought TO have been tempered by eIpe-
rlenee. lie had a remarkable voice
and coul call birds and animals ntheir
own language. tie was a great mimic.
and iancied that he mighG become an
actor He had scared m engagement,
and WAS about taking to the stage for
profession when his parents objected
Tie protested, but his father was firm
and would listen 20 nothing bst the
study of the law. In this dilemma ne
met a friend, who said he was going
TO Texas on buffalo hunt. lie
was well oil, and offered TO paw
James expenses il he would aocom-
pany him. The offer was gladly accepts
ed, but the friend got into trouble, and
went TO Canada and joined the Cana
dian volunteers. His proposal how
ever, set Graham to thinking. About
this time he read The Texan Ranger. a
wellknown work written 10y Captain
Fllte,, an Englishman, who had spen,
twenty years on the western plains.
This book created an impression so pro-
found that Graham resolved to 90 TO
Texas, with the view of Joining the
ComInanche Indians and becoming a
chiei.--ls left England about six years
ago, taking passase4sn the ship Charles
Marshall. He arrived in this city with
but little money, and made his way 10
Steubenvllle, Ohio. A large ran was
coming down the river. He got two
boys 10 put him aboard. and applied for
passage. He worked his way to Louis.
vile by cooking for the crew of nine
men. On landing at Louisville they
ran foul OF the painter Of Hat boat,
AMI Graham WAS SO fortunate as to
fsecure berth for New Orleans. receive
ing twenty-five dollars for the trim.
This money paid his passage to Jefier-
son, Texas. the head of Red river navi-
CATION Here he told his story TO one
Bateman, merchant, who laughed at
els haIrbrained ideas, and said. well
young fellow, you must mind aud not
get killed. You see that man with a
wagon over yonder. He is going I'D 10
a place called Black Jack Grove, one
hundred and fifty miles from here. IN
get him to take you as far as be goes. -
He did so, and they started on the
following morning. Graham's compan~
ion was one Finley, who WAS selling
portable pumps. The terminus OF civ
ilization at that time was Fort Richards
son, about one hundred and. fifty miles
from Black Jack Grove. Fort Griffin
was eighty miles beyond, but the coun-
try between WAS known as "the dead
hne." IL was filed with hostile In.
oians, and had been the scene of nu-
merous massscres. The savsges were
crossing and recrossing the Red river.
watching the great trail between Forts
Sill and Richardson, raidng the FROM
tier settlements, and scalping settlers
and travellers generally. Graham walk
ed to Fort Richardson. He found there
Satanic and Big Tree, the Kiowa chiefs.
who had just been tried for the murder
OF seven teamsters on the Salt Creek
Pralrie- They were the first Indians
he had ever seen. Basking in the hot
sun, loaded with shackles, they crouch
ed against the guardnouse, while n
sentry with loaded musket paced to
and fro in front of them. The sight
was not resssuring one, but Graham
says that, strange as it may appear, all
his sympathies were with the prisoners
They were natives of the country. and
the whites were interlopers They
talked IN low tones, and looked induir.
ingly at the Englishman he stared at
them SO long and earnestly that the
sentinel drove him away Every day he
went over and gazed at them. His
feelings were so thoroughly aroused
that he believes he would have
gwen years of his life If ne could
have talked to them. But sym>
pathy with the savages would not fiji
his stomach nor put money in his
pocket. For three weeks he slept in
a wagon. lie could get no employ
ment. His personal appearance was
against him. In imitation of the In,
dams, he had not cut his hair for three
years. and it was nearly two feet long.
he shaved himself regularly, so as to
look as much like an Indian as posi-.
Bile. He was fearfully tanned. The
soldiers and teamsters took him for a
halt-breed spy from Fort Sill, and he
was told that he must cut his hair if
he wanted TO get anything to do.
He wanted to go to Fort Sill, the
great kiowa and Comanehe reservation.
but was afraid TO walk the distance.
tor his friends, the Comanches, were
killing and plundering in every direc.
ton. As he could not speak their
language. he thought it would not be
safe. Meanwhile, he heard that a
school teacher was wanted near the
town of Weatherford, forty miles south
of Fort Richardson. He made appli-
cation and got the school. His certifi-
cate, which tGe writer has seen, is da-
ted March .. 1872. and is signed by A.
j. Reid, the principal lie taught
school four months. but it WAS extreme
ly distas.eful. and he could not drive
from his mind the idea of becoming a
Comanche chief. He heard that some
men from Washington were in Fort
Richardson,in search of copper mines re-
ported to have been discovered at Kiowa
Peak, seventy miles west of Fort Griffin
Having bought needle,gun, he went
UP to Fort Richardson and offered his
services. Among the copper hunters
were Judge Chandler, one Peters, said
10 be a nephew of Tom Scott. Mr.. Kei-
ings, an artist, and Professor Rossier
state geologist of Texas. As there were
numerous reports Of Indian depreda>
tons, they gladly accepted Graham 5
services. and paid him forty dollars per
month They went right through on
the buffalo range. At Fort Griffin they
hired as guides six Tonkway Indians.
Graham was overjoyed. He ~as realiz-
ing the Eden of his notwithstanding
ing with Indians and killing buffalo.
The party spent two months in the
search. They found plenty of blossom
rock. but no real conner leads and 70.