The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-02
MAY BE CHOSEN N,VAJo oHEF.
Power Of gen. Lew waIIncc's cousin
over an Indian Tribe.

From the Chicago Times.
Doming. n. H., Jan. g.-Wmism Wal
lace cousin of the author of Ben Hur.
and known everywhere Ia Colorado and
New Mexico as Navajo Bill may be the
next chief Of the Navajo Indians. tribe
$1,000 strong.
His is strange story. A dozen years
ago William Wallace was at Portland. ore.
His brother graduate Of jefferson Med
zeal college, was living in the west. and on
hearing that his brother had developed
lung trouble telegraphod him to 80 to
Durango. Col.
Wallace obeyed orders. Durango was
young and wild town then, not the south
ern metropolis of Colorado II has
grown into, SO Wallace determined
after consulting his brother, to
set pony and live out in the
open air for year. Accordingly he
headed for Pennington, N NJ, sixty
miles south. II was a typical cowboy
town and the gateway TO the Navajo
country n reservation ninety miles in
width and l25 miles in length.
After reaching Pennington Wallace de-
termined to go right into the Navajo
country. IL was bold move, for the
tribe did not love the white man particu-
larry, and here was one knowing Moth
ing of their language and little of their
habits. These Indians are almost the only
red men self-supporting, having lived by
their sheep and cattle for thirty years
without assistance from the government.
This pastoral life attracted Wallace.
His early adventures with the Indians
were varied, exciting. and often danger
Gus, but he stuck to his new life and
studied and cared for the people he was
with. His experience as druggist among
the Navajoes won for him a reputation
which soon became tribal and resulted
in his Navajo name. "Ezal Heny" (Big
Medicine Nam. A certain daredevil un-
concern in Bin also won their admiration.
for he wandered unarmed from camp-to-
camp. looking out for the sick and ailine.
and apparently never thought of lurking
danger likely to follow him from the pent-
up rage of a bad Navajo. The record Bll
had made for himself on this first visit
reached the ears of Tab Hanabldapa, the
chief OF 10000 Navajoes but before he
could send for this white medicine man
Wallace had left for Durango.
The surprise Of Durango's inhabitants
was great upon seeing Bill Wallace after
such long absence. for many had been
the prophecies that he would never come
back alive. From that day his name Wal
lace was dropped. and ever after he was
known as Navajo Bill" IL was the be-
ginning of q new life and renewed health
For ten years he has virtually lived among
the NaVa1Oes, acting as their chief phy-
stefan and warm friend interceding at
Washington with the Indian commissioner
as the tribes representative and incident
ally collecting for one of the finest Navajo
museums In the world-his own. The
proceeds he has received during the last
ten years from the sale Of Navajo blank
cts alone would have made him comfor-
tably well off, but the moment he makes
a dollar 1t goes to buy some destitute
Navajo family food or clothing and never
even a selfish thought is spent on himself
His own words on his hobby measureg
his worth: "Well. my dear fellow. per-
haps ] am fool, but when any one loves
you deeply and long enough you're bound
TO love them; and that's my case and the
Nayajos'. IL I've got a crust they can
have it, and they know It,: and, what's
more, II / haven't and they have, l can
share IT,"
1t was just about eight months ago that
navajo Bill" talked with the tribes head
chief AS Bill was leaving, Tah-Hanabl-
dina followed him, and, throwing his
blanket over Navajo Bits" shoulders,
said: From the Navajos to Ezael Heny"
Bill departed, surprised and nervous, for
no such compliment had even been given
a white man by this proud tribe.
il was only q few weeks after that Incl
dent that Tah-Hanabidina died. and the
tribe has been without a. chief ever since
We met a prominent sub-chief and he
told us that the meeting for the selection
of a head would be held In a few weeks
and II Ezael Heny C'Navajo BillD would
take the position he could easily get IT,
a chief counsellor to 10000 people would
not be a sinceure, yet, who knows Navajo
BIZ loves as his life his adopted broth
ers.