Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-12-11
ON A VISIT TO UTAH.
G oVeTnor Drake Of Iowa Seeing The
Sights Of Salt Lake.
ARRIVED BRRE At NOON TODAY
His Mission a Non. Political 0ne--tirows
Reminiscent In an nt,rvlew
with q News Man.

governor DRAKE OF Iowa, one OF the
most sffsble anu apr oachsble state
executives of the couutry arrived In
Salt Lake over the RIO Grsnde West.
ern at 1890 this afternoon. A
couple of hours later he was
met on the street by a NEWS
representative and readily yielded
to an interview. During the
conversation the Governor proved
himseli TO be versatile and Interest.
ing character. He 10 an old-timer,
stockily built, gray haired and well
preserved. This is not his Hrst visit to
Utah as will be seen from the follow
ing statement;
ri passed through this section OF
country when 1t was a barren wilder.
n ess in 1852. / drove two yoke Of
cattle and wac acc mpanied by i've
men. Our destination was the gold
nelds OF California. In 1854 l again
passed through Utah trsrersing the
old Bear River route. That time was
driving one hundred COWS. five yoke
OF oxen and five head OF horses to
Sacramento from Iowa. 1 got through
with the lose OF only three COWS and
made money by the venture.
BATTLE WITH INDIANS.
"rhere was one very interesting and
exciting feature about this trip. At
Shell Creek, Nebraska, we hau a hot
engagement with the Pawnee
Indians and killed nine OF them.
Mono OF our men were killed
but some were wounded. reosived
an arrow through one OF my sh builders
hut / had the satisfaction Of killing the
chief who led the onslaught against
US. As he sprsng towards me with
the Intention OF taking my scalp l
ielled him to tho ground with
the butt Of my rifle. There
were about finy Indians who came
out Of the brush. We numbered but
fifteen but we were much better
armed than they.
"rhe tr0u bic arose over them de.
manding our horses rs toll for psrmi..
sion to cross bridge over
the Platte which they claimed
to have built. Well, We needed our
4
built the bridge. This conclusion l
proved to be true, whereupon per.
enptorily refused. A moment later
the fight was on. The Pawnees were
very desperate and hungry at that
time. They were having DIM.
culties with the Sioux anu
had been driven from their
hunting grounds by the latter and
followed us as long as they dared, At
tempting constantly to get In deadly
work on our Hanks. But we we're Tor
tunate In falling in with about 800 i'm.
migrants and then We kept them otf
more easily, although by this time the
Pawnees had their numbers swelled TO
about ], 200.
TOOK THE sCALPs ALONG.
IA man .nsmed Smith soalped the
old chief for me. In TACT he scslped all
nine OF the dead Indians anu we took
the trophies alon with Us. When We got
on to Sioux territory we exhibited
them to the Sioux anu they were very
much dslig ted and offered US q pony
or each scalp. A bau Il 0f them Travelled
with US for more than one hundred
miles and every night they put the
scalps on high pole and had a regular
war dance. Finslly We gave tncm
the scslps and parted company. This
old chief whom killed was n noted
man 10 his tribe. He had often bsen
to Washington ami his breast was
covered with medals when he died.
VISIT is NoN.PoLITIcAL.
AS 1t was getting dangerously close
to press time the NEWS man sought t.
lead the distinguished executive of
In answsr to the question:
"Isi II true as reported that you are
here as a representative OF the Re-
publican national COMMITTEES to watch
the trend OF certain political event.?"
replied:
at is not. am not member Of
the Republican national committee
and am hero simply tor rest snd will
go back to Colorado where my daugh.
ter 10 staying, tomorrow night. am
very much IN need OF recreation. /
worked hard during the campaign
making thirty-seven speeches for Nc.
kinley. which OF course would not par.
tlcuisriy please your people out
here" AT this point the Governor
laughed and continued, ~ am very
muoh gratifieu with the result. Iowa,
AZ you will remember, gave the Re-
publican candidate for President u
majority of So ,000."
GOVERNOR BoIE's SUCCESSOR.
Speaking OF himself Governor Drake
sbid: 81 have one mo- Q year to serve.
I daA