Evening star., 1898-11-19
CEROVIM0
The Chiefs Autograph.

The Chiefs Autograph.
TO print his name and thu old man sells
ms signature Tor a dollar apiece to Wis
ltoIs' anu together with khe sale of bows
| and arrows made by him secures ;,l, uty ~
cash to provide him with yariol1s things
th2t ar appreciated by an Indian &C.
fcnlfno enjoys having visitors CONF, to sea
him and he likes to be regarded a d. he ter
rlbIe man he really is and 10 know that
the white man appreciates the skill hs
mas SHOWN on many occasions Whan h has
made trouble for the army. Geronimo il
locked upon with supernatural awe by his
trlpe, ana he is regarded as able to make
MS followers immune from th. bullets of
the white men; in fact that belief is re-
S&fded as largely responsible for the dis
position OF braves to follow him or 10 go
az his bidding al any time Not only is ma
belief entertained hy the older Indians b,lt
IL is adopted by the young man and Young
women who have been educated at Carlisle
and sent home, as il was believed To be n
ciIilizing influence among their DeonIs
THESE young men and women returning 10
the tribe take up the ideas of their fa-
theirs as II they had never known thu en-
tightening influence which has been ac-
corded them.
Wanted 10 Fight SPAIN
When the war with Spain was begun Ga,
ronimo and his tribe expected that they
would be enlisted in the United States
army TO fight against The Spaniards They
knew that The Spaniards were their enc
nias OF old and they were all anxious, and.
IN ract, delighted with the prospects of
gong against them. But, being prisoners
OF war, they were not permitted To enlist
Ihere Is a tradition among the Apac hes
that some day they will have a grand bat
lie and eXterminate the white men They
Delleve that the time is coming when they
can do this and for that reason the pos
sibiltty of an uprising among tham is al
ways present. 1t is because of This ira
dition, too, that people who knew the tribe
We're not inclined at once to discrcdft the
rumor that Geronimo had gone ON the
warrath. The Indians tn msylvas seeing
that they are becoming weaker wear nv
year, feel considerable anxiety lest their
grand struggle for liberty and their bat
tie in which they will exterminata fha
white men is put off too long. They would
prefer dying in one day in battle in making
this struggle to living in the comfort which
they now enjoy. 1t is quite a common
thing among them TO hear the expression
that they do not wish to die in bed.
On the Warpath.
After Geronimo went on the warpsth with
a handful Of braves and was captured he
explained the circumstances that led him ,
10 this action. On one occasion, when talk
ing to Mrs. Capron, the wife OF Captain (
Capron, who was then with her husband .
at Fort Sill, Geronimo said he did not in (
tend at that time to go on the warpath, 4
but he had been told that the white man
would hang him to a tree as a retribuuon
for some troubles that had occurred In the 1
tribe, and believing that this step might
be carried out, he went into the hills with
his followers. The greatest influence 10
operate in keeping the Indians on good /
terms with the white man will be found in I,
the compact made between Geronimo and .
General Miles. The Indian is scrupulously
careful to observe his promises of this kind +
unless something occurs to cause him to ;
suspect the good will of the white man.
OF course, 1T appears very absurd to (
those who understand the real position Of /.
the Indian for any one to speak of the pos. /
sbility that they should go on the war-
path The result of such action is so ap-
parent that ii does not seem possible that
the Indians will adopt it. But in order TO
understand the Indians view of this mat
ter the question should be looked upon
with the Indians eyes. To him the love
of his ancient hunting grounds, the love of
his traditions and of liberty are greater
than any consideration of expediency.
These facts make it possible that an up
rising might occur almost any time how
ever quickly it would be suppressed. The
army officers who have charge of the In
dians seek to gain their friendship, and in
the case of Captain Capron this was done
to such an extent that among the Apaches
he was known as their brother These
friendly efforts do more than forcible
means to prevent trouble among the In
dians.
To he mt -