Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-10-07
GerOnimO's Band.
The CHIEF AND HIS WARRIORS LIVING IN
LUXURY.
{ San Antonio Letter in St. Louis Globe
Democrat.
LIVING IN LUxuRY

any of his band entertain the belief that fate
has anything unpleasant in store for them.
They are quartered in four big tents, and
never lived so we'll in their lives as they
have since their capture. When they arrived
here the squaws were attred in full evening
costume, except as to the legs, upon which
they wore leather leggings, without which
their flesh would have been torn to ribbons
in their fight. The bucks wore bit of
cloth that looked like porous plaster on
their chests, a breech- cloth and leggings
none of them wore head gear. Their luxuri
ant growth of inky- black hair seems quite
sufficient to protect them from the ill effects
of sunshine or storm. Since their arrival
they have been out in most gorgeous style.
Geronimo to-day wore a pair of cowhide
boots, into which his white cotton drawers
were tucked; his copper colored body was
covered with colored calico shirt. He and
his followers always wear their shirts
Chinese fashion, and no matter what else they
NAV wear, they never fail to don the
breech cloth, and in such manner that it will
show beneath the shirt. Around his neck
was horse-hair chain, and suspended to 1t
was silver crescent. In order to show his
visitors that he did not carry all his clothes
on his back he disappeared for a few moments
within his tent: when he emerged he wore a
short sack coat buttoned up to the chin with
three different kinds of buttons, and a broad
brimmed felt hat. He looked prouder than
he had before; he accepted a silver dollar
with yard-wide smile. and showed that he
was not ungratetul by making his visitors a
present at least of equal value. He also
shook hands at short intervals.
THE OLD CHIEF STILL ROBUST.
Geronimo is 81 years of age; he stands
about five feet nine inches, and weighs 1870
pounds. His figure is as straight as the bar
rel of his own Winchester, and were his
face not considerably wrinked he would
show no signs of age. His eyes are small,
black and bright, and his hair long, black
and glossy; it is carefully combed down on
each side of his face, and kept in place by a
handkerchief bourd across his forehead. All
the bucks wear their hair in this fashion. Ia
spite of Geronimo's bad reputation, he has
not a bad ia e. More than that, it
is good natured and he smiled con-
tinually while his visitor was attempting
to make himself understood. He was
not satisfied until he had introduced his en-
tire family to the Globe Democrat cores
pondeht. The family consists of his brother,
son, and latter's wife and her papoose.
Geronimo's brother looks like him, but is
younger and has firmer face. Geronimo is
not the chief, though he is the ruler of the
Chiricahuas The real chief is Natchez, a
tall. powerful looking Indian, though nearly
every buck in the band is something of
Hercules. Natchez is probably several years
younger than Geronimo. His black locks
hang almost half way down his back. He
and Gerinomo IRE not on good terms, they do
not speak as they pass by, and there is
prospect of hostilities Nstchez lives in the
81 id h,,G
Natchez was not in favor of undertaking the
raid which has just ended
BAD GENERALsHIP.
He claimed that it was bad generalshp to
invite conflict with the troops when the lat
ter could easily outnumber them ten to one
Geronimo was strong enough to overrule
Natchez and to compel his presence, but was
unable to make him enter heartily into the
campaign, though the soldiers will testify that
Match z always did his duty by the band.
Natchez wears chain which lie slung around
his neck, and attached to the end is pair of
silver tweezers. These he uses tor pulling
the hairs out of his chin and cheeks. He is
his own barber.
1t is not to be wondered at that Geronimo
and his band seem contented and happy.
They have nothing to do but eat, sleep and
stare at visitors If they do not care to
visitors they have only to remain in their
tents, as sentry marches up and down be-
fore them. and no visitors, unless especially
invited BY the Indians, are allowed to pass
the fire-iine. The fire-line is locatad about
ten feet from the tents, where the squaws
build their fires and do their cooking. When
one of them feels hungry visit is made to
the pot. which hangs on the cross-s stick. The
hungry one picks out piece of meat and
e.
napkin. The squaws are adopts at making
tortiilas. They toss the cornmeal dough
from one pan to another until it is perfectly
circular and then bake. Everything that is
cooked is eaten at one meal. The squaws
and children are the happiest of the party.
There are four children in the band, and
how they managed to travel, sometimes 100
miles in twenty-four hours, through a wild
country, in their bare feet, seems marvellous,
CAPABLE OF GREAT WORK.
Sometimes they were carried part OF the
distance by the squaws, who seem to be cap
able OF doing an amount of work that has
killed a good many government horses. The
people travelled 5000 miles in their cam
paign. During their flight from Crook and
Miles they must have undergone the most ex-
traordinary hardships, vet to-day they are in
splendid physical condition. The bucks are
maguficentlv developed about the legs and
chests Their thighs and calves are bunches
OF muscle; their arms, on the other hand, ARE
thin and soft. Most of them are absolutely
without bceps. Not so with the sQuaws,
however. They work with their arms; their
husbands never do. The beauty of the party
is called the Princess. She is IA years of
age lis so pretty that she attracts great deal
of attention She is far more carefully and
better dressed than her sisters, and wears
quantity of beads around her neck and her
bosom. She is a splendid needle-woman, and
occupies much of her time in sewing When
Geronimo was captured the Princess was on
a mountain peak; she was performing the
duty of a sentinel, and was much surprised
when a scout afterward told her Geronimo
had surrendered. All the Indians seem very
proud of her, but none of them will say any
thing of her origin.
Mrs. Kate Chase Sprsgue is living quietly
in New York with her daughter, but will 90
back to Paris after the body of her father
has been transferred to Spring Grove Gene.
terry at Cincinnati. She and some friends
were to go the other dav for formal call
upon Justice Stanley Matthews and his wife.
when the gentleman sugg ssted that he would
call carriage, the distance being seven or
eight blocks. Mrs. Sprague promptly re-
piled that she preferred to walk, 'both as a
matter of economy and az a matter of pro-
priety."