The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-07-23
THE LIFE STORY OF ONE INDIAN.

T am real American" declares pr. Carlos Montezuma proudly, wishing to thereby declare his origin clearly and unmistakably. AS matter of fact he Is ull-blooded Apache Indian and an instructor in the Chicago Medical Post Graduate school as we'll And the way In which he has attained to his present position reads like fairy tale.
 Twenty-Five years ago, when pr. Montezuma was an Arizona baby of five, and immediately before his tribe, always the fiercest and least managea- ble of the Indian peoples, capitulated to the government, they knew nothing of white men or reservations. Their in- itial experience in this line came simui- taneously with the Indian physicians first distinct memory of anything, band of friendly Indians, visiting the camp in which the Apaches were so- journing while gathering the annual crop of wild sunflower seed which served them largely for winter food, showed to the wilder braves the won- derful articles given them by the offl- cers at the nearest fort, and promised them a similar bounty if they would make a treaty of peace with the govern- ment. A tribal consultation followed, and at its close the Apache braves de- parted for the fort, promising to return in ten days and leaving the women, the children and the aged in camp. Several nights later a band of Pimo or Pama Indians swept down upon them, leaving devastation and death in their wake, and when they went away, after burn ing up the grass huts and killing many of the inmates, they carried all the Apache children with them to sell as slaves.
 pr. Montezuma, or, to give him his original name, "Wassajah," was among those, captured, and he well remembers even now the terror inspired within him by these strange people, looking like his own tribe, but speaking in a different language, as well as his first experience with horse, a mirror and a white man. His two sisters were taken into captivi- ty with him, but he lost sight of them after the first days journey, and never saw any member of his family again.
 Wassajah was finally sold for the sum of thirty dollars to Carlos Gentle, a photographer travelling in Mexico, who soon afterward came to Chicago, bring ing the little Indian with him, and who was for many years before his death a member of the Chicago Press club. Mr. Gentle cared tenderly for the child, naming him Carlos MonteZuma after himself and an old Aztec fort near which he purchased the boy. Young Carlos, who entered the public schools of Chicago attended the Tilden, Oak land and several other schools of the city,, and was afterwards sent, at the age of eleven, to Boston, to receive the balance of the the education planned by his foster father.
 Soon after this time MT. Gentle failed in business and became no longer able to care for his Indian charge. From that time the boy looked after himself, with ccasional assistances from kindly disposed friends. Assistance of this na- ture sent him back on his way to Chica- go, but he got no further than Urbana the seat of the State university of Illi- nois. Here, by the kindness of Rev. w. H. Steadnan and others, he remained until he had worked his way through the public school and four years course at the university. Finishing this course, which gave him the degree of bachelor of science, he returned to Chi cago, bringing with him letters of in- troduction to prominent men, and these letters, together with the friendly inter- est of William Fuller, John Hollister, and others who had known him during his childhood in Chicago, procured for him a scholarship in the Chicago Medi- cal college
 Here, working and studying upon all ternate half days, he completed the re- quired course in five years and became properly qualified physician in 1889, and immediately took up his practice in this city
 Up to this time, he proudly states, he had had no assistance from or dealings with the government. Shortly after his graduation, however, he was offered the appointment of physician and surgeon to the Carlyle Indian Industrial school, and served the government in this and other capacities for five years. Disap- proving of the reservation idea, and thinking to do more for his people by living like white man, he returned to Chicago at the end of this period, and has since devoted himself exclusively to his practice, which Is large and absorb ing, and lies entirely among white peo- pie. The main distress of his life at the present time is the frequency with which he is mistaken for a Chinaman. In all other respects he has found the life of a Chicago physician exceedingly pleasant.
 In person Dr. Montezuma is attractive and handsome, with fine, although rather heavy features of,the purely h. dian type, a short but well-made figure. and wonderfully fine, dark eyes. He is an entertaining conversationalist, and numbers his friends by the score, al though he makes no efforts to push himself into the society of white people,
 "It Is my belief that it is better to stay in the place which one has found, D he says quaintly, when speaking on the subject, "and if one is needed out of it he will be sought for. My sole interest in life, outside of my profession, is in the welfare of my people, and I shall do what I can for them''
 In pursuance of this idea, Dr. Monte zuma writes much and often, and aI- ways upon the Indian question. His views in regard to the future of his people are strong and unique
 T would abolish the reservation schools" he says earnestly, his dark eyes glowing and lighting with the in- terest in the subject. and I would re- place them with the ordinary public schools. As long as the Indians are sh11t m on the reservations they will