The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1897-12-04

tEeEMNEAHAf I#IENN lei, where rail-
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES road is now, built.
A wilder country than that was at
that time it would be difficult to i'm
agine. Far apart there were a few
wretched United States posts called by
courtesy '*forts," but the Navajoes
and the Apaches-the latter under the
famed Chief Cochise-made it unpleas-
ant travelling through the lofty noun
,tains and across the sterile mesas that
distinguish that land.
Every man in our party. walked
with his rifle at his back and his pis-
tolls in his belt, and when we, lay down
on our blankets at night our weapons
We're within easy reach, and our pick
cts were as carefully posted as if we
were in the presence of an enemy, as
indeed we might be said to be at all
times, for, though we did not often
catch sight of the willy savages we had
every reason to believe that they never
lost sight of US.
La Sierra Madre. or the Mother
mountain, as the early Spanish ex-
pforers very properly called the great
continental divide, or watershed, is
crossed by several trails near the lati-
tude mentioned, the most noted being
Campbell's Pass, fifty miles to the west
OF Fort Wingate
IL had ridden ahead in this pass
with two troopers to make some topo-
graphical examinations, and was about
nYe miles in the advance of the main
party, when an exclamation from one
of the soldiers caused me to rein in
my horse and to ask the cause of the
alarm.
Il saw an Injun, sir, up there in the
woods said the soldier, indicating the
direction with his carbine.
|. In an instant we were dismounted
and watching, with our brides over
our arms and OUR carbines ready.
After waiting some minutes began
to- think the man was mistaken, and
was about to give the order to re-
mount, when a horse plunged down
tha steep mountainside, and a. glance
|, told me that the remarkable looking
person on the creatures back was
neither Apache nor Navajo, but a
white man like ourselves.
This riders long hair and beard
looked to be as white as the snow
on the distant mountain peaks, and his
costume was a fantastic though de-
cidedly picturesque cross between the
dress of Mexican and that of a
Northwest hunter.
The pommel of his saddle, the butt
tons on his leggins, the stock of his
long rifle and the hilts of his pistols
and knife fairly flashed with silver.
He was we'll mounted, and rode in a
way that showed that the years that
had frosted his hair had not lessened
his wonderful skill as a horseman.
He came 'fearlessly toward us and
shook hands, saying as he did so, with
the manner of an educated man: my
name is Levi Bronson; did you ever
hear of me before?"
l 1.told Mr.. Bronson I never had heard
of him before, but to save his pride,
for the confession seemed to give him
pain, added: II am a civil engineer
and have not been long in this re-
gion."
"A civil engineer?" he repeated.
What do you want in these noun
tains?" and he waved his hands about
him and looked as if. he thought me
an intruder. l told him that if he rode
back toward our party with me /
would explain our object; at the same
time I expressed my surprise that any
man should venture into such danger
GUS territory alone.
Il know the Indians and the Indians
know me. "-said this remarkable man.
II am to them the Silver Chief,
great medicine man, who lived with
them and nursed them back to health
when they sickened before the men of
my race came to slay and starve them.
,Ah, I sometimes blush for the white
blood in my veins!"
There was a strange gleam in his
eyes as he spoke, and concluded that
the stranger was not we'll balanced. I
told him the object of our survey,
which had the Pacific Ocean for it's OBJ
jective point and railroad for it's con-
cluslon, but :: the information did mt
please him. 49,. :,
""It is folly to build a railroad
through a Wilderness he said. :"WIat:
is there to support railroad heiT,e??.,s
and again he waved his long arms at
the forest-covered hills. ~.
I told him that railroads hadsbecaoome
the pioneers Of civilization, and that
, along their tracks. farms and villages
and cities :sprang up -, = : :
THAT may be in other. Places" he
said, 'sbut it is impossible that a rail-
road should exist so close to .Madre
d'Oro.'''5. Z. O.. 2"
.''Madre d'Oro?' I repeated. =
T.; :. Yes; Madre. .d'Oro means the moth
er of gold: Did you never, hear Of it?''
(: I confessed that I never had, and
expressed a desire to be enlightened.
I The old man eyed me for few sec
onds g IN zsil silence, nee as if Judging whether