The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-02-02


would fall out and scratch each 9th.
err if kept together. The children
were fairly idolized among the more
advanced tribes. The parents seem
ed to live for their children, more
particularly when the children were
boys. An Indians wealth was known
by the number of his horses. There
were both rich and poor Indians but
the later were never allowed to want
when there was anything to be had
After a great hunt the poor man was
granted the privilege of taking the
first carcasses nearest the camp
Some Indians kept their lodges nice
ly painted and beyond criticism as to
cleanliness. The lodges were renew
ed every year, as the frequent NOV
ing and exposure to weather made
the skins leaky. The Indians range
extended anywhere that game and
food for their animals could be found
1t was a rare occurrence for them to
remain a month in a single vicinity.
The monotony of hunting and NOV
ing was varied by occasional forays
upon an unfriendly tribe, stealing
their horses and carrying off scalps
and prisoners"
"What was done with the pris-
oners?"
"Unless they were children they
were put to death. The children
were usually adopted and treated
with great kindness. The older pris-
oners, both men and women, were
dispatched with little ceremony. The
killing was usually deferred for sew
eral days after the prisoners were
brought into camp. / shall never
forget young Pawnee Indian who
was killed before my eyes by party
of Comanches. He was taken into
the open air, his hands were tied to
his legs, and he was shot through
the heart. He uttered not word or
groan. After the killing a warrior
stepped forward and raised the dead
Pawnee's scalp; then the war dance
Was uCiu. diOCi w dlu5 pdW u SlOW
Indian dispatched more expeditions
ly. l called on the captive in the
lodge where he was confined, and we
talked together by signs. He said
he knew he must die, but felt per-
fectly resigned to his fate, as he
would infict the same fate on his
enemies if he had the chance, While
we were talking warrior appeared
at the door and made motion. The
Grow stepped toward and was shot
within few feet Of the spot he had
occupied moment before. After
the scalping and war dance he was
tied up in a standing position, with
his hands stretched as far apart over
his head as possible, making a ghast-
ly spectacle, and left as d terrible
warning to all tho enemies of his ex-
ecutioners."
Turning to more cheerful sub
ject, Mr.. Ward continued
1.-THE winter of 1888 and 1889 is
wildly impressed upon my mind, be-
ing my first experience as trapper
After a journey of six hundred miles
from Independence l arrived at Fort
Bent, and early in the fall the differ
ent hunting and camping parties
started out for long sojourn in the
mountains. l was fortunate in being
one of a party of twelve of which Kit
Carson was member. We made
our headquarters in Browns Hole
on the Colorado river, where it enters
the mountains from the east Trap
ping proved hard work, but | never
enjoyed life more, and we knew nc
such thing as sickness. Our clothes
were made by our own hands of buck
skin. Our food was nothing but meat.
1t was cooked on a stick or on the
Goals, as we had no kettles. Ante
lope, deer, elk, bear, beaver and, in
case of necessity, even the Wolf furn-
ished variety that was always ac-
ceptable. At night we gathered
round roaring fire, in comfortable
quarters, to listen to the stories which
such men as Kit Carson could tell. y
"How was the beaver trapped?"
each man was provided with 6
horse, and was expected to look after
six traps, sometimes having beat
twenty miles long, which it was nee
essary to traverse every day. The
traps weighed three or four pounds
and were like those used in catching
muskrats, nowadays. The traps were
placed under the water in the cross
ings of the streams. In order to at
tract the beaver powerful odor was
used, such as the oil of roses, berga
mot, or the castoreum of the beaver
itself. The bait was placed oh {
stick, which was set in the bank an6
connected with the trap by rope
In it's effort to reach the stick the
beaver stepped into the trap, ant
while struggling to free itself was
usually drowned The traps were
provided with floats, so as to be east
ly located the next day. The beav
er never goes abroad except at night
and it was necessary to observe thu
utmost precaution in order not tt
arouse his suspicious, as his powel
of scent are beyond those ofany 9th
er animal. We were obliged to wad,
to the spot, where the trap was to b,
set, being careful that the hant
should not come into contact will
any part of the apparatus exposed
above water. Many successful hunt
ers were failures in their efforts tt
catch beaver The game often es
capped after being shared by gnawine
off one of its hind legs. At the clos,
of three months successful trappel
was often able to show pack of ont
hundred and twenty beaver skins
weighing about one hundred pounds
AS he made two trapping expeditions
during the year, in the spring anC
fall, he would show two hundred
pounds, worth six dollars a pound
as his years work. In addition tt
this the musk stones of the beaver
were worth as much as the skins, sc
that some men made $4,000 veal
as trappers. 1t was a poor trappel
that didn't earn half as much.''
"They must have become rich?"
''But few of them ever saved an,
money. The traders from the States
charged enormously for supplies, ant
Western men were inveterate gam
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