Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1889-06-15
FACTS ABOUT SCOUTS.
Not as Portrayed In Dime Novels, But u
They Arc Found in Reality

Not as Portrayed In Dime Novels, But as
They Arc Found in Reality
The scout of the novel and the show,
writes Con. A. Mahony, in the Philadel-
phia Press, is a very picturesque, kind fell
low, thoroughly reckless, a dead shot, the
proprietor of varied selection of scalps
and showing in his moral character that
combination of "half angel and half Luci-
fer" of which Joaquin Miller delights to
sing. Like Samson of old, his strength is
in his hair, and his long-hOwing locks are
the admiration of frontier women and the
envy of frontier men. He is always clad
in buckskin, frin ged and stamped with gro
tcsque designs, while his flowing locks are
surmountcd with a sombrero that it would
take three days to walk round the brim.
Such is the Eastern conception; now for
Southwestern reality.
The United States scout in active service
wears his hair cut short, in soldier fashion,
because he has to sleep on the ground for
weeks at a time, and if he wore long and
flowing locks they would give him consid
cradle trouble by affording choice variet,Tr
of insects refuge and a s1..rTeliiiing- place.
Then again, outsidIee'o Of some town in which
tney ye1fsea with pardonable vanity to
.ssts5W off, Inever saw one of them in buck
skin suit 1t is too warm in summer and
not warm enough in winter. The scout is q
good shot, but that is virtue he shares in
common with nearly every man and boy on
the frontier.
There is very little romance, but plenty
of hardship about the life of a scout. He is
not selected for his dashing airs and reck-
less bravery, but for the only quality in de-
mand with army officers, his thorough
knowledge of the country in which the
troops arc to operate, and especially of the
best camping grounds, the distance from
water to water "a point on which the lives
of the command often depend) and his
power to shorten marches by his acquaint-
ance with short cuts through mountains
and over morasses. If he knows the Span
ish language so much the better and if he
can speak little Apache better still, but
these latter accomplishments are Of minor
Importance to q thorough knowledge of the
country.
United States army scouts may be di-
Vided into two classes-whlte men, who
rank as chief of scouts, and Indian scouts,
who are organized as military COM
panies. The white scouts are usually
men who have been employees Of the
San Carlos and Mescalero Apache Reserva-
ton or Indian agencies. They are, from
constant association with the Indians, well
acquainted with their character and habits
and frequently speak q little Apache. The
ApachcS, with few exceptions, speak Span
ish, and it is usually the language they use
in communicating with the Indian agent
and the employees of the agency. A white
man who makes himself useful to the In
dams by doing them little favOrs is, in time,
taught 'tO read sign"
A scout who can read ''sign" can tell you by
examining a trail over which horses have
passed if they were ridden or led, and if
both, the number ridden and the number
led. Even when shod he can tell whether
the horses were American or Mexican. If
the trail be made by men on foot he can tell
if it be an Indian trail or simply the trail Of
Mexicans wearing moccasins. In hostile
party he can tell by the trail how many are
bucks and how many are squaws and chill
dren, and so on over field Of observation
as extensive as interesting.
The scout thus qualified finds no difficulty
in obtaining employment in the Southwest,
where Apache outbreaks are OF almost
yearly occurrence. He is engaged, subject
to the approval of the commander of the dis
tr.ct or department-New Mexico is a mill
tary district, while Arizona is a military de-
partment-at salary of S120 month and
ration for his horse He provides his own
arms and ammunition, and ignores the Gov
ernment Springfield rife for the improved
winchester, 45 caliber repeating rife. From
his pay he has to provide for his rations,
and he messes with the officers when in
post, or when outside with the command.
The Indian scout companies are enlisted
from the "good" Indians on the reservations.
About thirty men form company which is
placed under the command of Lieutenant
OF the regular army with whom is associated
a chief Ct scouts who acts as the medium OF
communication between the officer and his
command. About six soldiers, as measure
OF precaution against mutiny, are attached
TO each company Of scouts. The period OF
service OF an Indian scout is only six months,
'unless sooner discharged" and he IS paid
thirty dollars q month. His rifle generally
provides his ration, as the Apache detests
army bacon, preferring even the abandoned
carcass of an army mule.
The Indian scout companies are not popu-
lar on the frontier. They are considered to
% only training schools for the hostiles, and
10 some Of the most desperate OF the
Apaches have been scouts, such as Bonita
and Chatto, the antipathy OF the frontiers
men IS not altogether without reason. The
TACT that the Indian scouts of the Govern
ment are without uniform adds to the an
noYancc of the people of the frontier who,
except they see the Indians accompanied by
white man, can not tell them from hostiles
The only thing distlnctively worn by the
Indian scout outside the Government belt
that carries his ammunition to distinguish
him, IS a red handkerchief bound around his
head, The frontiersmen argue that red
handkerchiefs are so common that no In
dian, hostile or otherwise. need be without
one. 1t is we'll known that the lack of uni
form OF the Indian scout is source OF per-
petual danger on the border to Americans
and Mexicans alike, and has cost the sacri-
Gee of many lives. -sps.s.