Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-09-10
THE CHIEF oURAY
,nE STORY or rHr urr pRAvn,s LIFE.


THE STORY OF THE UTE braves LIFE.
In the death OF Ouray one Of the his
torical characters of Colorado passes
away He has figured for many years as
the greatest Indian of his time, and dur
ing his life has figured quite as prOmin-
emily before the country as has any white
man in the Rocky Mountains. II is there
fore, meet and proper that on the occasion
of his death his life should be remember
ed. The record of his deeds is one of
simple parts, yet he has proven himself
elevateI so far above other men Ofhis race
and time that his acts stand out in bold
relief Ouray is in many respeCts-in-
deed we may say in all respects,-a re-
markable Indian; man of pure instincts,
of keen perception, and apparently posses
ses very proper ideas Of justice and right
the friend of the white man, and the pro
tector of the Indian, ever boldly asserting
the rights of his tribe, and as continually
doing all in his power to create favor for
the white man with the Indians.
Ouray, in telling the story of his life,
says that he was born in Taos Valley,
New Mexico, near the Pueblo village of
that name, in 1889. His tribe of Utes
were in the habit of spending much of
| their time in the Taos valley and San Luis
| Park, and along the Sangre de Cristo
Mountains. Down in this region they
we're accustomed TO meet the Apaches,
who came from the north. II is a very
common thing for the women of tribe
| TO marry out Of their tribe. Ouray's fa-
ther married an Apache woman; hence
| the epithet which is so often seemingly ap-
piled to Ouray by those of the Indians
who disliked him, of being an apache
| Pappoose." The Indians became so ac-
custOmed to associate with the MeXicans
that some Of them began to adopt the Gus
toms of this people, and when Ouray's
! father and mother came to the conclusion
| that they wanted tO be married, they qul-
| etly marched up TO the little adobe church
which stands on the hill in the little viii
| iage at Red River crossing, and had the
| priest perform the ceremony just any good
Catholics would. And when Ouray was
born they took him to the same adobe
building and had him baptized into the
Catholic Church, the only instance on re-
cord of the kind.
.Ouray has long been a chief among the
Utes, but is more renowned for his wisdom
than his bravery. During his young
manhood, however, he was accustomed to
lead the Ute braves to battle, and was a
very brave as well as successful fighter
He generally planned well and fought
bravely. During these times the Utes
were engaged in a deadly encounter with
the Arrapahoes, Cheyennes and Sioux. 1t
was a war between the plains Indians and
the mountain tribes. Ouray entered into
the spirit which characterized his race
with will, and soon became a renowned
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 men,
bers of other bands, so that while he was
not head chief, he was man Of the great.
est influence and power among his people.
He was also disposed to be friendly tow.
ard the white settlers, and soon became
known as mediator between the two
races. He continued increasing his au-
thOrity and influence among his people
until, as he expresses it, "the year after
Lincoln's death, he was recognized as
head chief by the Indians. In 1873 he
acted as interpreter, and, in recognition of
his services at that time and in the past
the Government settled an annuity of
$1,000 upon him, which he has since con-
tinued to draw regularly.
The Utes have had five wars with the
ArrapahOes, and 0uray states that during
some OF these he led as many as 700 war
riors to the battle field. The second war
occurred about 1855, aud some Of the bat
ties were foughtjust above where Denver
stands. Ouray had thirty men with him
while the ArraphOes numbered 700. They
came upon the Utes in the morning, just
before daylight, and took the mountain
indians completely by surprise. However,
Ouray rallied his few warriors, and they
hurriedly formed formed square, after
retreating a short distance, and after a
fight which continued fourteen hours, re-
pulsed the Arrapahoes.
1t was during this fight that 0uray lost
his little boy the only son that has been
born to him. He says that when he saw
the ArraphOes coming, he threw water in
the face Of the child, then years OF age,
for the purpose OF awakening him, but
failing in this, he threw covering over
him, and left him to go and fight the in
yaders Of the camp, but the entire day
passed before he could extricate himself
from the entanglements involving him,
and VIXEN 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
vividly remembered by Ouray, and he new
er refers to it without manifesting 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 0uray heartily despises the Arrapa-
hoes, he would prefer the death of his son
to the disgrace implied In being an Arrapa-
hoe.
Ouray lives in good style. He owns a
farm which is real garden spot, OF 300
acres. OF this he cultivates ab0ut 100
acres, raising all kinds of cereals and
vegetables. He lives in neatly built and
oommodious adobe house, built for him by
the government, and neatly furnished and
carpeted. He owns great numbers Of
horses and a good many cattle and sheep,
and when he goes out, rides in carriage
which was present from Ex-Governor
McCook He hires laborers from among
the Mexioans and Indians, and also ex.
poets his wife TO do her share OF the farm
work. Ouray's present wife, Chopeta, is
kind-hearted, and very much like 0uray in
nature, being kind and we'll disposed tow
ard the whites. The Chief has become
very much attached to his present manner
of living, and II is said was disposed to
remain on his farm and surrender the
reins Of government TO some young man.
| Speaking before the commission, Of which
he was member, recently in session at
Los Pinos, on the 10th Of November of the
present year, he said;
do not want TO be chief / grow old
| and tOttaring pt anma vouu0 man with