The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-26
ROMANCE OF THE STRIP.
HOW 4 5QUAw MAN WON AID saw
ED HIS WIFE.

She Was n Cherokee and He Receiv-
ed a Biz strip of Rich Land With
His Bride-started as "A sheep
herder, Became a Millionaire and
His Indian Wife Founded a Col
Iege to Educate Her People.
From the san Francisco Examiner.
He was a squaw-man, and. naturally. I
took a great interest in him. Everybody
else on the train did. for that matter.
for 1t isn't every day that you meet such
a looking squaw-rnan so far from his te-
4 pees and his ponies. Besides he told such
wonderful stories Of himself and the In
/ dian Territory.
The tran was carrying our party toward
the Cherokee nation strip at the time.
and right on the train our surprising adj
ventures with the squaw-man cOmmenc-
4 ed. Somehow my eager attention was first
/ attracted by curious couple on the OPP
/ posite of the aisle We found them seated
there when we entered the car at St.
Louis.
man-servant was slowing away gun
cases and fishing tackle, and a gorgeous
turbaned black nanny, holding a dark.
elfish baby. had taken possession of the
| compartment in front of them. They
!
like, how startling by contrast in every
essential point. 1t was easy to classify
the man. His athletic, well-groomed fig
ure and clean-cut refined features; his
| blue-gray eyes, full of concentrated alert
| ness; his air of culture and intelligence,
| marked him polished product of that
/ class which has had for generations, all
| the advantages of education and luxuries
OF surroundings that wealth can secure.
But the wife-she puzzled me. AS she
2 he laaa Il Of ka .far~f uaa~
| with her baby, her garments were as ir-
reprOacnable in cut and finish as her huS-
oand' 5. A great knot Of blue,black hair,
| coarse and lusterless, showed beneath her
| small hat. But her tight-fitting gray gown
| seemed TO impede and restrain the natural
| grace of her small, straight form, and an
| occasional impatient movement of her
| head betrayed the annoyance and unusual
ness of that tucked-up weight of hair. She
| turned about suddenly and l could see
| nothing for moment but her long, mar
| row, rather small eyes, set widely apart
under thick, straight lashes. They were
black-absolutely; childish and half-wild,
yet stoltd and with no trace of softness in
their gaze. Catching my curious glance,
they became at once inscrutable and
naughty. AS she passed out Of Inc car al
Fort Smith she walked with a peculiar
stealthy tread, placing one slender foot
straight before the other, with the toes
ever so slightly turned in, and a light
broke on my puzzle even before the por-
ter said she was a descendant of the noted
Chief Bushyhead, and that her husband
was a prominent St Louis lawyer
"A fin-de-siecle squaw-man," exclaimed
you better corral at word young fell
Ter; you amt likely to need 1t on this
range" broke in tall man with weather
beaten face and huge gray mustache, as
he dropped into the next seat. Adopted
citizens is what we air and what we
reckins bein' called"
Seeing my dismayed countenance, he
burst into a good-natured laugh and ex-
claimed; Don't you be skeery, Missis,
amt loogin' fun fight; sides l never
! Gull nrtre, in IQrrf vrrhar
hearn him usin' 'squaw-man' so kinder
promiscus like, l jest dropped a pointer,
fort he rode up ginst citizen with a
Our NJ. d. bravely smothered his, re-
sentiment at the term "Yearlin',"' and re-
sponded with good grace.
covered that we had spent a week or
old Frank Lyons cattle ranch in Idaho
he simply overlooked with delight.
why, Frank Lyons Wuz the fust man
1 ever rode fuhl He don't pritty much
but, he's as square a man as ever las
seed a steer; course ne wqz zo a :. squ Jaw,
ago, and there wuzn't nobody but Nez
Perces closter an Lewiston"
Then he told us many of his queer eX-
periences among the northern Indians.
| Later on when we had finished our bust
ness at Vinitas we discovered that our
new acquaintance was Bill Halstead, the
famous millionaire cowboy, and squaw-
man of high standing among the Chero-
KEGS He met us one day and nothing
|
pay him visit. That visit lasted seven
days, and it was nothing but a series OF
jolly surprises. -
"Our squaw-man," as we at once called
him. was very rich in lands and cattle.
His wife was dead, leaving him with two
children. In her last days she endowed
a large co-educat.onal college, providing
free instruction in music and languages IN
addition to the usual curriculum.
Halstead's home place is built on the
edge of his largest ranch, and is only
three miles from town. AS we drove ur
the long avenue of pecan trees, the large
red brick house with its stone facings
distinctly modern architecture and i'm
mense ornamental grounds looked alto
gether too conventional a setting for our
unique acquaintance.
around the corner, their master close al
their heels. "Clar out, Fanny! Down Pc
dro, yo' no 'cout houn' dog! an he laid
about him with a whip till they skulked
In the really elegant house evidently fur
nished by an artist we found his two little
daughters. One, a wee shy thing with hel
fathers brown hair and blue eyes, nestled
into his arms at once and hid her little
bashfu face on his shoulder. The elder
with long pig-tails of straight black haiI
hanging down her fat Indian back, re-
garded us with bold black eyes, but stood
apart with the proud alootness OF heI
sssThis is her paws honin. calfie," said
Bill stroking the Mttle ones hair with a
tender awkard hand but Chesqua over
| yander gena,ly plays her own man. Kun
along, honey, an tell Aunt Lidy to set the
table on the side poarch. She kin oubplay
me; l can't bluff her.
s'Why, one time" he continued. with a
proud half-worried glance after her
when she wuz no morn years old, she
wuz cuttin' up didoes an her may couldn't
do nothin' with her. so L says to her-very
stern-like-1f yo' uz to die tonight yod
go to the bad place shore. The devils down
that putin all the wicked folks in a
big lake NV fab an birthstone, an it's q
blazin' up over EN-, an him a-pokin' 'em
with his pitchfork, an then squirmin' an
sizzlin' Yo'll be sorry you amt bin
good girl when you gifts thar Do 20
reckon skeered her? No, Stree. she jes
KEEP on her meanness, an says she, cam
as May mornin'; Me say daddy. debbil
me little debbil, too, femme hep 20 punch
up the fab We Amt never held no dis
course on tn Old Harry sence."
At this he rose with a little sigh and lee
the way to the side porch" and a lus
cfous southern supper. Here was genu.
inc corn pone and lye-slaked homIny, fried
chicken and beat biscuit. And oh, the
righteousness of the golden brown waf-
nes piping hot from the irons and melt
ing in peach preserves and honey. Aunt
Lidy's black face shone with gratifed
vanity at the kitchen door.