The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-01-18
ONE USE FOR APACHEs.
Nature Seems to Have Designed That The,
should Become Government Scouts.

ONE OSE tCh RfaSnGS
Nature Seems to Have Designed That They
should Become Government Scouts
The Apache reservation, in the east
ern part of Arizona contains the first
successful showing of disciplined ID-
jians employed as body of fighting
men by the United States government,
the White Mountain Apache scouts.
The United States has called into
requisition the services of some 900
trained Indians, who have within the
last five years proved Invaluable in sub
DUNG uprisihgs in different Indian res
ervations. AT various times the govern
rnent has employed special Indian po-
lice, and individual Indians have SERVED
in the army on important scouting
duty, but the utilization of good part
of whole tribe, trained to modern
arms and tactics, is comparatively
modern departure. Aside from the
Apaches, the only other instance on
record is that of the two companies of
Sioux Indians attached to the United
States army post at Salt Lake City,
Utah.
The Apaches are one of the most bar
| barous and warlike Indian tribes in
North America, and until recently
have not been amenable to the in1iu-
ence of civilization. They are related
to the great Shoshone, CT Pacific coast
Indians, branch whose treachery and
cruelty are additionally famous
among all western Indians. The
Apaches are at present divided into the
White Mountain Apaches and the Mes
| caleros. The latter tribe, now headed
nv the treacherous old San Juan, was
formerly a band of desperadoes, led by
the well-known Geronimo and the
Apache kid" The Apaches are natur-
ally vicious people, and, while they
ure capable of receiving moderate de-
gree of education, are totally unfit
afterward for any other pursuit than
wandering over the plains in armed
bands. Even under thorough mill
tary education they are unable to fight
other than in their own methods of
| warfare. They learn the manual Of
arms and field manoeuvres without any
difficulty, and are drilled to fire by
| platoons, but when it comes to actual
fighting they can operate to better adj
vantage if left to their own devices aud
inherent trickery.
Their usual dress is native woven
| cotton cloth shirt and turban to match,
close-fitting pants and buckskin boots.
In fighting trim they discard every
| thing but the turban, boots, and n loin
cloth. Thus costumed and equipped.
with repeating rifle and cartridge
belt, they make desperate and dam
gerous antagonist. The territory of
| Arizona contains stretches of the most
uuproductive soil in the country, but
| the Apaches, muscular of limb and
hardy by nature, thrive under its semi
tropical sun. An Apache's powers OF
endurance are phenomenal. He has
been known to go two whole days,
running, fighting, and retreating, with
out tasting a mouthful of food or a
| drop of water. A band of 1000
| Apaches could wear the life out of an
ordinary army in month. They
| fight in squads of 20 or 80, scattered out
1
selves behind a small stone or clump
| of sage brush that would scarcely hide
a child. They can shoot right or left
handed, either in a crouching attitude,
rolled up into ball, or stretched fiat
in shallow 'arroya," ditch washed
out of the soil during the rainy season.
From this ambuscade they make for
the foothills, where they ensconce
themselves in gulches and fire on their
pursuers with deadly effect. They are
as feet of foot as bronco, being able
to outwind horse over the parched
plains. Apache messengers between
| government stations frequently cover
| a distance of 25 miles in less than three
hours, and know how to elude the ter
rife sand storms that sweep the deser'
tracts in the vicinity of the ella noun.
| tains. In mountain climbing they are
like chamois, jumping from ledge to
ledge with the greatest ease and agility
and scaling precipitous walls on the
most delicate footing. When riding
horseback they almost become part OF
the animal, crawling around its body
end firing while they hang on one side
in true Indian fashion. The Apache
scouts are especially dreaded by the
Navaioes, Yumas, and the Maricopas
whose outbreaks they are occasionally
called on to subdue, and who know
them of old from the pilfering expedi
lions for which the Apaches are ia
NOUS.
The Apache reservation is about 25'
miles from the Mexican boundary line
AS they are continually at war will
their neighbors or among themselves
IL is difficult to estimate their mum
bcrs, but it is between 5000 and 1000
They speak the Spanish language al
most universally, and display all tn
undesirable qualities of the Nortl
American Shoshone in close admixtur'
with the blood of the Mexican Indian
San Francisco Chronicle.
Women as Spoilers.
Women have the reputation of being
better spoilers than men, though Their
have been some notable exceptions