The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-07-14
A DISCIPLE or SCIENCE.

lection in the Comanche reservation,
Indian Territory, for the Academy o.
Science, at Philadelphia. The accoqSlN
his investigations is given as - ~
told by him to the repJ ter:
|. nave recently been making geological
examination of that part ct Tue Indian Ter
ritory situated south of the wichita Noun
tains and west of Fort Arouckle. Ihe
Wichita Mountains are nllrely withln the
Comanche reservation h'S reservation
belongs to the Chickasaw Indians, but was
leased few years ago by the unlled States
as reservation for the Comanche, kiowaand
Apache Indians. The eastern line OF this
reservation is parallel with the west line
of Montague county. The Wichita Noun
tains rise to the height of 800 feet above the
surrounding plain, and are composed OF
G parse, soft flesh-colored granite. The
n oaks conical, occasionally terminating IN
sharp points, standing at intervals OF from
quarter to one mile apart. The
direction of this mountain cham
is about south GO degrees west and from five
TO fifteen miles in breadth. From the fact
that the ground occupying the space be-
tween the mountain peaks is level smooth
surface aud exhibits no evidence OF up
heayal or distortion, indicates that the
upheaval of these mountains was oil PRIOR
date to the deposition OF the valleys. The
granite of the mountains exhil a very
imperfect qualification, with the seams dip
ping about twenty degrees with the horl-
ION. Immediately in contact with the
granite, and conformably in qualification
Herewith, is a strata OF sllurlhn limestone
and sandstone, making the foothills In
contact with the silurian strata comes the
permian formation, whose stratlication
here is horizontal and forms the extensive
plains to the south and cast OF this range of
mountains 1t is evident, therefore, that
the upheayal of these mountains was after
the silurian period and prior to the per
milan. From the tact that the mountains
are composed almost entirely of granite
and other silicious rocks that usually ac-
company metallic veins, ana from
the fact that in many places they bear
evident marks OF great local disturbance,
and from the fact that small particles OF
gold and other metal can be washed out of
the sand in the beds of the streams flowing
out of the mountains, ] have no doubt
but that this will be found upon eXamina-
ton to be a very productive mineral dis
trCt. The Indians are Camped upon the
very ground where the precious metals are
supposed to occur most abundantly and are
there for the expressed purpose of prevent
ing anyone from making an examination
of the minerals. The commander of the
United States troops at Fort Sill, situated
at the foot of the mountains, has positive
instructions to arrest and prevent anyone
from making any examination for minerals
on the reservation and one sees, nailed up
on trees, notice to that effect. ! had per-
nit from the secretary of the interior to go
into the Indian territory for the purpose
of making scientific examination and
collection. As soon as got across Red Riv-
er, the Indian police met me and required
that report within four days to the COM
mander Of the United States troops at Fort
Sill. This did, and was informed that so
long as ! confined myself strictly to scien-
tifio researches would be permitted to re-
main, and the Indians watched me to see
that | followed instructions.
The valleys of the streams flowing out Of
the mountains are very fertile. An analysis
of the soil from Cache creek shows that ii
possesses strong and enduring constituents
and is admirably adapted to the production
of grain. Along the margins of the streams
is II thick growth of black walnut, slippery
elms, wild China, overcup, blackberry, and
ash. The overcup (quercus macrOcarpa)
especially is here seen OF very large size,
often from three to four feet in diameter
and with twenty to thirty feet of stock, and
having u very straight grain. There is also
along Cache and Beaver creeks at short in.
rior in quality to any nave seen in the
'cross timbers" in Texas. The country
lying back from the streams is quite level
apl all prairie. The country is quite SINH
lar to the country in Texs, west
of the ''cross timbers, and ~
of the same geological age. The Comanchc
Indians are camped along the creeks and
spend their time in hunting and going to
the agency for supplies. The United States
government issues them rations every two
weeks, for which they have to go to the
Wichita agency. A few of the Indians have
small patches of corn cultivated by the
squaws, and u few have small herds OF cat
tie and horses but the most Of them live in
perfect idleneSs. Nearly all the men can
talk enough English to make themselves
understood, when they desire to do so, but
would often stay in our camp for hours with.
out saying word that we could understand.
Nearly all of the young men nave been to
school one or two years. An Indian is al.
ways hungry, and is sure TO beg for chuck
before he leaves you, and is delighted be-
You'd measure If you give him cigar,
which he will smoke with great delight, in
haling the smoke into his lungs and blow.
ing 1t out at his nose, They are much
more clearly in their habits aud person
than expected to find them. They live
in lodges and carry the poles for the frame
work OF the lodges from place To place by
attaching them to each side of the pack.
horses, with one end trailing upon the
ground. There is very little game in the
tomanchc reservation, except turkeys,
which We found in great abundance; for
some reason the tOmnnChCs will not kill
or eat a turkey. They delight in skunk,
and consider IL SO great u luxury that they
will not talk about sellngonc; but turkey
they do moi consider fiji to eat
There are plenty of fish in the mountain
streams, cot which we took great many
with hook and line, mostly sunlish, and
near the mouth OF the streams we got
plenty of catfish. We saw numerous
tracks of cougar, panthers, wildcats and
foxes. We caught some wildcats
with our dogs, but were so
unfortunate rs to lose all
our hounds before we had been in the Ter.
rltory u week. our last dog was killed by
cougar within two hundred feet of our wa.
gon one day while we had stopped to make
u crossing on Cache creek, about twenty
miles below Fort Sill. The cougar seems
to have leapcd on the dog from a tree, aud
before we could get to him, although not
more than two hundred ieet away, had 81
laccrated him that he had to be killed. We
considered ourselves fortunate in gettinu
oil so easily, when we discovered the kind
of an animal that was making our old
hound yell so terribly. The Indians told
us that II was u common thing TO have
their dogs killed by the cougars, nut tina,
they were never known to attack an In,
dian,
The country pnsI of Tho rn,noo.',, r,vor