The Elk Mountain pilot., 1880-09-09
TIE I'm AND BURIAL OF oURAY,
Tie Aaas,t in Which the rt Chief Was
Assalp.nied 10 the Happy Hunting
Grslnd BY His Horses.
b &k6l d S.pavsla.s IS h Success 81
Of ouray, What is Thought Of Hin. Etc.
Special to the Denver Tribune,

Special to the Denver Tribune,
SOUTHERN UTE AGENCY, Colorado,
August IS, 18So.-As l telegraphed
you yesterday, Ouray, the great Chief
Of the Ute Indians, died. Your cor
respondent and several Others went
Immediately to his tent to tender their
sympathy and services, but upon ap-
preaching they were waved away by
his friends, who would not allow us
even to look upon his remains. In
one hour they had wrapped him in
his blankets, tied them on one of his
ponies, which was led by an Indian
on horseback, and followed by his
wailing and deeply-distressed squaw,
Chipeta, and by four other Indians,
who were driving four of the dead
Chiefs best horses to be killed at his
funeral.
THE PROCESSION
moved quietly away down the Pine
river, to some secret spot, unknown,
and perhaps forever untraceable,
where he was buried. 1t may not be
generally known to your readers that,
upon the death of one of their number.
these Indians kill a portion of their
horses and other stock, burn their
houses or tents, with all their contents.
together with their guns and other
equipments. in order that when he
reaches
THE ''HApPY HUNTING GROUNDS"
he may have the necessary outfit and
supplies for his use and enjoyment
there. 1t is we'll that Ouray died
away from his comfortable home in
the Uncompahgre valley, which was
we'll Furnished, and containing much
silver plate and other valuables, all of
which would have been burned and
sacrificed to this strange superstition
of the race. 1t is even now rumored
that Immediately after his burial his
squaw left for their home, determined
to carry out such purpose.
When Ouray was found to be seri-
ously i'll the Ute commission took
prompt steps to have the best medical
aid for him, sending to AniTDas City
and to the Uncompahgre Agency los
two physicians, who, with the physi-
clan at this Agency, did everything
allowable for his relief, but his wife
and friends preferred to commit his
case to their own
"MEDICINE MEN,"
who for one week watched him and
nursed him in their own peculiar
methods, accompanying them day
and night with the widest meanings
and other strange orgies, which SEEM
ed to be both religious and medicinal,
and, to the lookers-on about the Aeen-
cy, it was wonder that he survived
so long.
thus has passed away, suddenly
and Unexpectedly, the great man of
the Ute nation-great in his influence
among his own people, and potential
and faithful in his efforts to induce
them to accept the provisions of the
pending treaty, which he seemed to
have so much at heart.
Immediately after Ouray's death,
evidently under the influence of some
superstition, the hundreds of Indians
who were samped near the Agency
rapidly but quietly
FOLDED THEIR TENTS
and moved away farther from the
river, and in a few hours not an In
dian was to be seen.
A few hours after the announce
ment Of Ouray's death, Thursday,
about dozen of the Chiefs and head
men held council and proceeded to
the Agency building to see Mr.. Berry.
Their spokesman addressed the Agent,
and asked him whom he thought Ms
tee proper man for their Chief.