The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1879-01-09
INDIAN JOE I!
A TEbEGRAPHER's STORY.

In the summer and autumn ui 1865
was the operator in charge Of the OY'
erland Telegraph Company's Office ai
Plum Greek Station. Neb., about fifty
miles west of Fort Kearney.
Before / took charge at Plum Creek
a company of soldiers had been sta.
toned there to keep the unfrlendly In
dians in subjectiOn and to suOdue any
outbreak on the part Of those who pre-
tended TO be on good terms with the
government. But affairs on the plains
being quiet, the presence Of the troops
was considered no longer necessary
and they were ordered into Omaha.
Every one else out there being 81
confident that no danger threatened
them, l went to work without any ap-
prehensiOn myself Of coming troubles
The company furnished me with q
good horse, two navy reyOlYOrs, and q
caTbine, and my quarters were in an
adobe building, called in the paTialce
of the plains q "dObey." The walls
were built Of sod. and the roof was
built of strong cottonwood logs III the
place of rafters, and covered with the
same material that the walls were COM
posed of. In the summer time grass
and flowers grew up on the sides and
top Of the "dObey." and made il very
pleasant place Of abode.
Ny communication with the people
of the world was rather limited, the
only persons 1 eYer saw being travellers
i'll the overland stage, movers IN OK
wagons bound for the Pacific SlOpe,and
IN occasional visit from 4 ranchman
of the plains.
For awhile the novelty Of being al
most entirely alone and free from the
restraints that civilized life imposed
upon US was very pleasant, but when 1
became accustomed TO this, the silence
of the desert during the daytime was
almost overpOwering, and there were
times when | sometimes sighed for a
sight at even a hostile Indian. The
shipwTecked sailor who is cast away in
mid-Ocean alone in a boat. finds some
escape from the lonesome stiffness in
the soft splashing of the waves, but a
man alone on the plains has not even
that much noise TO break the dread
mOnOtOny. There were no birds there
to charm the ear and lend an air of
life to the scene, except now anl then
the screech of the desert hawk could
llEaAAAAs lAlI 44JANn Va " AA-A--A " ~ AAAa
musical and far apart. Sitting in my
little office some days everything was
80 hushed and still | could almost inn
aTine that everybody else IN the world
was dead, and that l had been left be
hind as 4 sentinel guarding their tOmbS
| often found myself wondering what
the feelings of 4 man would be II he
knew there was not living being In
the world besides himself, and he WAS
destined TO live through all ages to
come surrounded by an everlasting 81
lence. ~ night the scene from the
Office window was weird and ghOstlike,
but the raycnouS cay0tes broke the
stiffness that reigneG throughout the
day by swapping and sGarling at each
other until the morning dawned.
For the sake Cf passing the time, /
got to firing at the creatures with my
carbine and revOlyerS, and ii was as
tOnishing TO note how quick they would
deyOuT one when lie fell, pierced by a
bullet. Some nights / would kill four
or five, and in the morning when l
went out ont to see what remained of
their carcaSSes. not a bone would be
found left behind. In time I discover
ed that they would tear the flesh from
the bones and then carry them to their
lairS to pick during the day. l killed
buffalo, anteiOpes and jack-Tabbits I'M
til wearied Of even that kind Of sport,
and so glad was TO see anything hui
man. the ugiiest aud most ignorant
man on the globe would have been an
hOnOred and welcome guest. After
remaining a month in that vast SOii-
tude, l resolved to throw up my posi-
tiOn-althOUgh it was 4 lucrative one
and 90 where l could have the com
pany of at least one human being, but
an incident occurred Just at that time
which caused me 70 alter my de-
termination.
Sitting one day in the door OF my
"dObey," peeling some potatoes for din
ner, / was startled by the appearance
of a shadow but a little distance from
me. Glanclng up suddenly, LOT the
poor Indian was standing a few feet
from the door with lOrdly mien and al
air which thought denoted an inten-
tiOn TO possess himself of my scalp.
Not desiring. however, to part with II,
| Sprang from my seat and had him
covered with my caTbine before he had
time to "get the drop" on me.
Pale face ne shoot Heap good
friend" said he. "NIe good lnjuH, and
do heap work for pale faces. COOky
and wash gooI Pdwnee brave
ugh
At first / WIS under tbs impression
that there was more than one present,
but when | discovered my mistake /
put down my cITbine and felt no fur
theT fear.
He told me he had been captured By
the Sioux from the Pawnee tribe, but
had escaped from his captOTs, and if l
would let him stay he would work for
me, and be "heap big clever Injun."
L hailed his coming with delight; in
the lirst place because I wanted some
kind OF a companion. and in the second
because l was fond of STUDYING the In
dian character, and here was a Snlendid
opportunity Of gratifying the whim. |
made him wash himself thoroughly.
put on a suit of my own clothes. and
found when he was decentlv rirged
ont, sans war-piint, feathers, and 9th
er gewgdvys that he was tOleraIlv fair
specimen Of the genus homo.
lie had long Indian name I could
not spell or pronounce. 50 l proposed
to him 10 change il to Joe" This suit
ed him greatly. and all during the day
while he was washing the pots and do
ing the "houSewOrk' generally, could
hear him saving to himself:
''Pale-faced chief call Inc Joe. Joe
Joe. Pale-face heap clever and good e
Joe. Joe will tell Pawnee chief about
pale-faced chief, and make him give
| pale-faced chief heap slUaWS,"
l mistrusted him at first. fearing
that he would run of with my horse
and firearms. but in time l learned Il
trust him implicitly and became very
fond of him. The sequel to my story
will prove how worthy he was of ms
confidence.