The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-21
THE OLD SANTA FE TRAIL.
AS IT WAS IN THE DAYS
THE RAILROADS CAME.
story or santana. the Orator or the Kieuas,
ana - Proposition 60 Assnssinate hs'tn'
aa Teid ny n Former Army Omccr-ttis
idea or Fair Trade with the Hndinnn'

ana . Proposition 60 Assnssinate HHn'
aa Toid by n Former Army Omcer-fis
Idea OF Fair Trade with the nndinn''
The story OF tho "old Santa F6 Trail" the
famous frontier route from the Missouri River
to the capital Of New Mexico, beginning In the
early days when even the prairie schooner was
In that wild region, and only the
Mexican mules were used for transportation,
has been written at last. The author is Mr..
Henry lnman. a man whose experience
in the region traversed by tho route abundantly
fitted him for the task, and tho Macmillan Com
pany will publish it in a few days, with a num-
Der Of characteristic illustrations BY Roming'
ton. 1t Is safe to say that every one who reads
1t will find IL one Of the most interesting and, in
one respect, one OF the most remarkable books
that ever came from the pen Of an American
army officer. And to no class of readers will
it aeem moro remarkable than to those whom
tho author calls the sentimentalists in the
Eastern Statcs.''
To show the life on this frontier trail-in
the days hcforo the railroads ended. its romance
and adventure, in the days when such ia
nous frontiersmen as Kit Carson, Jim Bridger,
James p. Beckwith, Uncle Dick Wooten,
Jim Baker, Lucien Il. Maxwell, and Old Bill
Williams were making history "a few stories
will be printed here from advance sheets.
AS the reader will remember, the trail left the
Missouri River at three different starting
points, at one time or another, Fort Leaven.
worth being the principal point, however.
Running thence to the south until II crossed tho
Kansas River, it struck away westerly, cross.
ing the upper waters of the Neosho, the Little
Arkansas, and Cow creeks to reach the Arkan-
sas River at 1.-THE Bend" just east OF Walnut
Creek. From thisp point 1t ran on, passing Paw
nee Rock. with its record of innumerable
fights; Fort Larned, the Caches, &C., until the
Cimarron Crossing fort Dodge was reached,
where it divided. One fork led away to the
southwest among the sand hills to the Cimar-
ron River and past Round Mound and the Point
of Rocks to Las Vegas. The other followed the
river to Bent's For. before turning to the south.
The watershed of the Arkansas was the home
of the bison, that roamed there in herds of such
numbers that no one can fully appreciate the
stories of them; of the elk, the deer and the an
telope; of the beaver. the otter and the mink;
of the grizzly bear, the panther and the lynx.
1t was also the hunting ground of the Co.
manche, the Kiowa, the Cheyenne and the
Arapahoe on the one hand, and of the Pawnee,
the Sioux and the Ute Indians on the other,
but the home of neither. For while the Kiowas
and Comanches were commonly in alliance,
the powerful Pawnees were the enemies of
both, and the Utes of all three. and, in fact, from
the time that horses were introduced by the
Spaniards there was one unending war through
out the vast pasture Of the Arkansas Valley.
To this region, that was wet daily by the
blood of man and beast, came first of all the
.rappers, and they were followed by the trad ers,
who found such profits in selling whiskey at
from 81 to IS per pint, and N selling gewgaws
to the people of Santa Fe and other New Next
can towns, that no danger Of the elements or
tho beasts or the aborigines could deter them.
Added to tho adventures of these men came
those incident to the war between Texas and
Mexico. the war between Mexico and the United
States and the civil war, when troops OF vari.
Gus kinds and conditions of efficiency traversed
the region. And then last.of all, came the six
Here were scenes and incidents in life TO stir
the blood-the blood Of the participators was
cases, for some of 1t was spilled on the ash
green buffalo. grass in the majority of incidents,
the stories Of which VIII have been preserved d: NJ.
Inman none will better illustrate the life of the
region than what he tells about Santana. the
ever been at the head Of the Kiowa Nation"
the Orator Of the plains riva'ling the renown
THE Indians were not at all hostile in 1861.
60" writes MIR. lnInan in his first reference to
I'VE could drive into their villages where
there were tens Of thousands of them, and they
dance. and set before us the choicest Of their
venison or buffalo. In July of the last men,
toned year Col. Leavenworth. Jr. was crossing
the trail in my coach. He desired to see Santana,
the great Kiowa chief. The Colonel's father
was among the Indians a good deal AS an army
officer while the young Colonel was n small
boy. The Colonel said he didn't believe that
old Santana would know him.
region of the Indian village the Comanches
and the Pawnees had been having u battle.
The Comanchesh had taken some scalps, and they
were camping on the bank Of the Arkansas
River where Dodge City is now located. The
Pawnees had killed five of their warriors, and
war dance. / think there We're from 2o,oo66
to 10000 Indians gathered there, men, wo-
men. and children OF the several tribcs-Co.
mRnches, kiowas, Cheyenncs, Arapahocs, and
Others, m :, ,;rh+ 30 ,bo,r ~, .,o
Colonel knew by tho terrible noise they were
making that q war dance was going OH, but we
did not know then whether it was on account
OF a fight with the whites. but we were deter:
mined TO find out. If he could get to the old
chief all would be right, SO he and | started
savage, and the Colonel asked him whether
Santana was there. and what was going on.
THE Indian took us in and the situation. too,
and conducted us into the presence of Santana,
WIG stood in the middle of the great circle.
erect, and eyed us closely for a few seconds.
then the Colonel told his own name that the
indian had known him by when no was a boy.
Colonel's hand, and c~xcitedly kissed him, then
ond squeeze, offered his hand TO me. which !.
Of course, shook heartily; then he gazed at the
man ne nhu KNOWN tS II 10Y, 80 Iluuy years
ago, with IL countcnance beaming with delight.
! never saw any one, oven among the white
race, manifest SO much joy as the old chief did
! over the visit of the Colonel TO his camp"
Not to go into the details OF the visit, it
may he said that all the passengers, as well rs
the Colonel and tho driver. were entertained
royalty. To this statement must be added the
explanation of Mr.. Inman:
Col. A. g. Boone had made a treaty with
these same Indians in 1860, and IT was agreed
that he should DC their agent. The entire saw
age nations were restfnl and kindly disposed
| fnygnrh tho lyhifna during his administration .
any one could then cross the plains without fear
OF molcstation.'
Col. Boone was removed to mako room for a
man whom the Indians charged with stealing
their goods and selling them back to them.'
The Indians offered to sell their horses in order
to raise money TO pay tho expenses of
reInstated, but without avail. The thief
iting a caravan Of ten wagons and asking
for some food. was not only rudcly refused and
ordered OFT. hut they shot an inotlcnsive war
rior, after which the train moved. into its camp
and trouble began" This foolish act by, the
war, causing hundreds of atrocious murders"
NEt ISnA