The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-09-23
The Chief Ouray-The Story Of the Ute
Braves Life.

In the death of Ouray one Of the his
torical characters of Colorado passe
away. He has figured for many years a
the greatest Indian of his time, and dur
ing his life has figured quite as promi
nently before the country as has all.
white man in the Rocky Mountains. |
is, therefore, meet and proper that OF
the occasion of his death his life shoult
be remembered. The record of his deed
is one of simple parts, yet he has proven
himself elevated so far above other mel
of his race and time that bis acts stant
out in bold relief. Ouray is in man!
respects-indeed, we may say in all res
pects-a remarkable Indian; man o
pure instinct, of keen perceptions, ane
apparently possesses very proper ideas o.
Justice and right, the friend of the white
man and the protector of the Indian, eve!
boldly asserting the right Of his tribe, ane
as continually doing all in his power tt
create favor for the white man with the
Indians.
Ouray, in telling the story of his life
says that he was born in the Toas Valley
near Mexico, near the Pueblo village o.
that name, in 1889. His tribe of Utei
were in the habit Of spending much oi
their time in the Toas Valley and San
Luis Park, and along the Sangre de
Cristo Mountains. Down in this region
they were accustomed to meet the Apa-
ches, who came from the North. 1t is a
very common thing for the women of a
tribe of Indians to marry out of their
tribe. Ouray's father married an Apache
woman; hence the cpithet which is SO
often sneeringly applied to Ouray by
those of the Indians who disliked him OF
being an "Apache papoose." The In
dians became 80 accustomed to associate
with the Mexicans that some of them
began to adopt the customs of this people,
and when Ouray's father and mother
camc to the conclusion that they wanted
to be married they quietly marched up to
the little adobe church, which stands on
the hill in the village at Red River
Crossing, and had the priest perform the
ceremony.
Ouray has long been chief among the
Utcs, but is more removed for his wisdom
than his bravery. During his young
manhood, however, he wss accustomed
to lead the Utes braves to battle, and was
a very brave rs we'll as successful fighter.
He generally planned we'll and fought
bravely. During these times the Utes
were engaged in deadly encounter with
the Arrapahoes, Cheyennes, and Sioux.
1t was q war between the plains Indians
and the mountain tribes. Ouray entered
into the spirit which characterized his
race with will, and soon became re-.
nowned warrior. He soon was famed for
wisdom, and his counsel was sought by
the Utes far and near. When the white
men first began to settle in what is now
Colorado they found Ouray chief of the
Tabequache or Uncompahgre tribe, the
largest band of the tribe. and in great
favor with the members of other tribes, so
that, while he was not head chief, he was
q man of the greatest inAuenceand power
among his people. He was also disposed
to be friendly toward the white set
tiers, and soon became known as medi-
ator between the two races. He contin-
tinued increasing his authority and in
fuence among his people until, as he
expresses it, 1.-THE year after Lincolu's
death he was recognized as head chief by
the Indians" In 1873 he acted as inter-
prefer, and in recognition of his services
at that time and in the past the govern
ment settled an annuity of $1,000 upon
him, which he has since continued to
draw regularly
The Utes have had five wars with the
Arrapaboes, and Ouray states that during
some of these he led as many as seven
hundred warriors to the battle field. The
second war occurred about 1858, and
some of the battles we're fought just above
where Denver stands. Ouray had but
thirty men with him, while the Arrapa.
hoes numbered seven hundred. They
came upon the Utes in the morning, just
before daylight, aud took the mountain
Indians completely by surprise. How.
ever, Ouray rallied his few warriors, and
they hurriedly formed in square, after
retreating q short distance, and ..fter
a long fight repulsed the Arrapahoes.
1t was during this fight that Ouray lost
his little boy-the only son that has been
born to him. He says that when he saw
the Arrapahoes coming he threw water
in the face of the child, then six years
old, for the purpose of awakening him,
but failing in this he threw covering over
him and left him to go and fight the in-
vaders of the camp. But the entire day
passed before he could extricate himself
from the entanglements involving him,
and when he did get away and have an
opportunity to return to his tepee his
boy had disappeared and has never since
been seen by his father. This incident is
still wildly remembered by Ouray, and
he never refers to it without manifestiug
the greatest sorrow over it. He processes
to believe his boy is dead, though he
knows he is not. He is still with the
Arrapahoes, and as Ouray heartily de.
spises the Arrapahoes be would prefer the
death of his son to the disgrace implied
in being an Arrapahoe.
Ouray lives in good style. He owns q
farm, which is real garden spot, 300
acre. Of this he cultivates about 100
acres, raising all kinds of cereals and
vegetables. He lives in newly.built
and commodious adobe house, built for
him by the government, and neatly fur
nished and carpeted. He owns great
numbers of horses and good many cat
tie and sheep, and when he goes out rides
in carriage which was present from
Ex-Governor McCook. He Hires labor
ers from among the Mexicans and In
dians, and also expects his wife to do her
share of the farm work. Ouray's pres.
ent wife, Chopeta, is kind-hearted and
very much like Ouray in her nature, be-
irg kind and we'll disposed towards the
whites. The chiefhas become very much
attached to his present manner of living
and, it is said, was disposed to remain on
his farm and surrender the reigns ol
government to some young man. Speak,
ing before the commission, of which
he was member, recently in session at
Los Pinos, on the 10th Of November Of
the past year, he said:
UI ,Io not wnrt to he chief 7 proW