, 1891-01-04
AN EARLY DAY REmINIsCENcE.
Indian scares Before the Building of
Fort Sanders.

Ahulhu ocdfes beIoTe the butlulng OF
Fort Sanders.
To the Editor OF the Leader.
CHEYENNE, Wyo., Jan. 3.-While
listening to the pleasant and entertain
ing address of Gen. Miner, at the recent
session of the mining convention, a DOR
ton of his address-that relating to the
building of Fort Sanders brought to
mind a thrilling incident, that occurred
the very day the troops under his com.
mand wound their way down the western
slope of the Black Hills. A few days
previous to the advent of Gen. Miner
into the Laramie plains. a little band OF
adventurous souls had already found their
way into hat land of promise, and among
the number was Senator f. .. Williams
of Carbon county. These men were busy
hauling poles and building timber from
the Black Hills along the Pole creek road
one day, when suddenly there appeared
on either hand a band of ~maraudinR
Arapahoe Indians, shouting aud waving
buffalo robes with the hope of stamped
ing the four mule team. A man by the
name of Smith, who had charge OF the
outfit, had in his possession one of the
earliest make of breech-loadiog Spring
field rifles. Reaching for this he quietly
instructed Williams, who was a mere boy
at the time, scarcely l6 years of age, to
bestride the near wheeler. and for your
life" said he to Williams, don't allow
them to trot. Our lives depend upon
keeping the team at a walk. l will stand
them off with this rife as long as pos
sible." Williams did as hidden, and by
gentle talk and firm rein, he held the
team on in the even tenor of Its way.
but" said he, st was all l could do.
When those devils would swoop down
upon MS as near as they dared, yelling
like iends, | could feel the great, strong
frame of the mule 1 rode culver and
tremble like an aspen. 1 used my most
persuasive language, and by a firm rein
held them down to a walk and we reached
camp in safety. The Indians finding they
could not stampede the team. finally de-
sisted aud went into camp about a mile
above us. A few days after this, one of
our mules straYed away and | was sent
out to aunt for it. Returning unsuccess-
fully, and while on rising ground near
camp, 1 beheld the chief OF the Arapa-
hoe band engaged in earnest conversation
with Smith. while near camp and u Of
sight Of Smith, the Indians were slowly
driving way our stock. The ~rascals were
lying fat upon their horses backs and
urging the horses and mules forward by
p~roddiug them with their bows. 1 took
in the situation at u glance and lost no
time in informing Smith of what was be-
ing done. Smith was enraged at the trick.
Selling the willy old chief by the throat,
he showed a six shooter into his face and
ordered him to have his men bring the
stock back and corral them. The cid
scoundrel yelled to his band to bring in
the stock and in a few minutes everything
was safe in the corral. Just at that moment
something bright and shining on the
western slope of the Black Hills caught
my eye, and every one looked in that di-
r%ection. A bright thread of molten sill
yer, long aud %sinuous, quietly trickled
down the slope, followed BY a spot of
pure white, then another and another
came into sight until a hundred and fifty
oould be counted. 1t was Gen. Miner
and his troop of l,4O0 men and their
wagon train coming to build Fort San
6ers. To my boyish eyes it was q most
welcome sight, for l knew it meant Sc
curity to us men who had been in hourly
danger of having THEN scalps taken for
many days. The Indians saw and com
pretended that the plains were longer a
safe place for them. In five minutes
time there was not an Indian to be seen.
The ground seemed to have opened and
swallowed them"
And SO after twenty five years these
two pioneers meet again. One a veteran
army officer, the other the peoples rep
resentative in the first legislature in the
state of Wyoming. J. F. CRAWFORD,