Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-09-14
THE DEATH OF ouRAY.
white Mans Luxuries No Coed for
Indiaa-He Dies from IN Aristo.
cratic Disease.


ANNA. City (Col.) Southeast, Sept. 2.
oursy. chief Of the confederate Ute
nation, died at the Southern Ute Agency,
on Pine river. twenty one miles from
Auimas City, at II O'Clock A. NJ. last
Tuesday, from Bright's disease Of the
kidneys. Ouray came down from the
Los Piuos Agency to influence the
Southern Utes. IL possible. and to In
duce them to sign the pending treaty.
His arrival at the Agency was unherald.
ed and sven unknown for several hours.
until Mr.. Will Burns. n OF the inter-
prefers, accidentally obtained the In.
formation from an Indian. Mr.. Burns
immediately started in quest Of Ouray's
tepee, and after Q few minutes search
discovered It q few hundred yards north
Of the agency buildings. Entering the
tepse Mr.. Burns found Ouray lying upon
some blankets, and dressed in the usual
Indian costume Of breeoh.clout and leg
ginRs.
Noticing that Ouray seemed 10 rest
uneasy, "a II suffering from some mala-
DIV, Mr.. Burns made inquiries. Ouray
replying that he was sick. and had been
feeling unwell since leaving the Uncom-
pabgrs Agency. Mr.. Burns then asked
him II he wanted q doctor, but received
NO reply. Mr.. Burns, however, went to
the Agency aud reported the facts to
Col. Page, the agent, who in company
with DIR. Smith, the Agency physician,
paid q visit to Ouray. who seemed to DO
growing rapidly worse. Upon consulta-
ton it was deemed advisable to send for
DR.. Hopson. Of Animas City, q courier
being Immediately dispatched for that
purpose. DR.. Hopson paid two visits to
the sick man. the last one being on Sun.
day the Cad. Sunday evening DR.. Lacy,
Of the Uncompahgre Agency, arrived.
While Drs. Smith. Hopson and Lacy
were trying to alleviate 0uray's distress.
his medicine men were holding incanta.
tons and pounding his abdomen with
their fsts. alternating this heroic treat
ment by buckipg his breast with their
heads.
From Saturday until Tuesday. when
he died. Ouray fingered In q oomatose
state, from which he was aroused only
at long Intervals. Late Monday evening
1t became evident that Oursy conld not
live many hours, aud Dr.. Hopson left
for Auimas City. Tuesday morning wore
along, and Ouray still lived but In q
dying condition. Eleven o'clock came
and an Indian arrived at the Agency
building and asked for DR.. Lacy. who
accompanied him back toward Ouray's
tepes. When nearly there another In.
dian stepped from the tepee and silently
motioned them back with his hand.
Ouray was dead. At this time nearly q
thousand Indians were camped In the
vicinity. Within ten minutes every 10.
pee was down and the Indians had
moved their camps more than q mile
awsy-such was their superstition In
regard to the place OF death. -.
No sooner had Ouray died than his
attendants sowed the body in q buffalo
robe, slung It across the saddle animal
he usually rode. and the cavalcsde
started for the place OF burial. Only Q
few Indians were In the procession, and
those Uncompahgrss. None Of the In
dian Commission Or Agency employees
were allowed to be present, and what
took place at the burial remains un'
known, as the body was taken across
the hills in q southsrly direction for sew
eral miles. The body may have been
buried beneath q pile OF stone, or hung
M TO sway In q tree, either custom being
in vogue among the Utss. Five horses
were killed that the departed might ride
to the happy hunting grounds OF bis
fathers. Every attention possible wal
paid to Ouray during his sickness. and
every effort made to save his lie, but oil
no avail. 0uray left the Uncompahgre
Agency on the l4th, and arrived ut the
Southern Ute Agency on the 18th. BE
was accompanied by Chipets, his squaw:
Ouray was about forty-seven years OLD
at the time OF his death.
Mono OF the Southern Utes visited
Ouray during his sickness. and after bis
death they kept aloof. The Southern
Utes have always dsridsd Ouray's title
az head chief, and scoifed at his pre-
tended dominion. II was . stroke OF ILL
advised policy which brought Ouray
down to the Southern Ute Agency at an
inopportuue moment. Strange as II
may seem, the death OF this Indian was
FASTENED by the exposure OF the trip.
although q violent and incurabls disease
was slowly but surely ~sItinguishing the
vital spark.
Ouray tried to pattern after the man.
ners and customs Of the whites and this
assimilation was the primary cause oil
death. Rich food and sIhilarating
champagnss were too much for him. Al
his home near the U~ncompahgre Agency.
he lived in an adobe house. richly car
peted and furnished. including q piano.
Mexican servants answered the tinkling
Of q silver bell. and horses and carriages
were at his command. He dispensed
hospitality In q princely way. and was
generous even to prodigality. He had
all the instincts Of an Indian. but fol.
lowed the customs Of the whites. In
standing upon the verge OF civilization
and reckoning to his primitive barbar.
ism. he produced and presented q strik-
ing aud unique figure. He was the
hope Of the humanitarian, and his
death left them only the breechclout and
paint.
As a diplomat he was equal to Otto
Mears and surpassed Carl Schurz. He
had a very intelligent conception OF the
working Of our civil government. and
displayed considerable legal acumsn In
asserting that Q writ OF habess corpus
would take Duglass from out the hands
Of the military at Fort Leavenworth.
Born OF Apache and Ute parents. his
chisitancy was the gift OF the govern
msnt and not the birthright OF success.
sion. He was q remarkable Indian.