Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-12-31
SAM HOUSTON'S WIFE.
The Romantic Story That Wa. Told by o
Venerable Squaw.

A correspondent Of the St. Louis
Globe D'ns0crdt who has been making
II tour of the reservations of the
KiowaS. Comanches and Wichitas in
that part of the Indian Territory adj
jacent TO the Pan Handle. made the
acquaintance Of Granny Houston" a
venerable Indian woman who claims
to be the widow of General Sam
Houston. the Texas patriot.
1--WE were ushered," saws the cores
pendent, Into small wigwam, in the
center of which sat the oldest living
representative of the southwestern
tribes, small, shriveed creature.
whose skin resembled bag of leather
but whose eyes contained surprising
luster, considering that she had reach
ed her 1O9th wear. She extended her
hand when we entered. but did not at
tempt to rise from the well-worn
panther hide upon which she rested
GRANNY Houston is influential among
the Wichitas. and makes heap good
medicine although it is pretty gen
orally believed that she is Cherokee
by birth. and was adopted in her youth
by the hostile Wichitas who carried
her OFF on one of their raids"
"At my desire, Cora Caruth, full
bloodei Wichita maiden who had been
educated in the East, piled the old lady
with questions aud interpreted the an
swers for our benefit. From Cora's
Interpretation we framed the following
story. commencing from the time that
White Moon. as she was then called,
says she met the Texas patriot. when
camped with the tribe on the Cana dian
river, close to the present site Of Web
ber's Falls.
The braves we're over in Texas on
big hnut, and White Moon was in
front Of the old chiefs wi@wam stretch
ing and otherwise curing a various as
sortment of hides and furs for her fa-
Their The head chief was great
hunter, and kept his only daughter in
constant employment. One forenoon,
when thus engaged, large white boat,
containing one white man and three
Cherokees. landed within few PAGES
of White Moon. The former was dress
ed in buckskin. and had long hair and
bright eyes. When he observed the
Girl he left his companions, and smi-
ing upon her, addressed her in Che ro-
kee.
"The other squaws then came for
ward TO greet the strange Indians. and
soon cooked large meal of turtle and
deer meat which the visitors appeared
to thoroughly enjoy. After eating
White Canoe, rs he was called by his
Cherokee comrades, placed a gold
chain around the White Moons neck
and called her his little wife. Two
days afterward the white man took the
and fishing trip.
But there was rival to White
Moons baud in the person of Little
Wolf, an INSCRIPTIONS savage. The
Old chief, to settle the dispute i'll Il
peaceabie manner, and anxious to keep
on friendly terms with the young war
rior who had great influence in his tribe,
made the following proposition. which
was in every respect unfavorable to
White Canoe.
Each contestant was to 90 to war
alone against the Cheyennes, with
whom the Wichitas were at variance
and the first who returned with the
enemy's scalp and arrows would then
and there we'd the chleftain's daughter.
Little Wolf yielded with triumph; he
knew that White Canoe would not be
likely to take scalp even under the
circumstances. White Canoe remem-
bered to have passed through settle
ment of Chorokees some weeks pre-
vious, among whom he had observed
various trophies captured from the
Cheyennes and Arapahoes He rode
directly to the point and purchased a
! full paraphernalia. including what he
represented to the old chief as Il dead
Indians war horse. Before the return
of Little Wolf. White Moon and White
Canoe danced on the buil-hide and
were united.
Granny Houston then told the story
of their welded bliss, how they passed
many moons ogether-White Canoe
| hunting and fishing. while she made a
| home for him in their wig-wam But
this Eden was suddenly broken into by
white strangers, who came to tell
Houston of the outrages of the Mexi-
cans on his people, and leaving his
cattle and skins in her possession. he
rode south to fight in the war of Texas