The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-02-08
THE GERMAN CHIEF OF THE CO.,
 MANCHES

1 hAINlIlLps
 There is not a man alive to-day who l e more familiar with the history of the Texas frontier than old Baron Kremitz
 of Castell, on the Llano, and at the 1 same time he is an authority in all
 matters that relate to the manners,
 customs and legends of the Comanches
 and other Indian tribes.
 | Baron Kremitz slept in the wigwam
 of Buffalo Hump, a noted chief and fa-
 mous warrior. After distinguishing
 himself in fierce battle with the Mes
 calero Apaches, he married the favorite
 daughter of his royal protector. For
 eighteen years he was a prince, or a sub-chief, with the Comanches, and
 when Buffao Hump fell fighting his
 enemies on bloody field, Baron Kre-
 mitz succeeded him to the position of
 head chief of the most warlike tribe of
 Indians that ever galloped across the | Western plains.
 l "I saved the German colonies of Tex
 ae," says Baron Kremitz. This is doubt
 less true, for 1t is well-known fact l that the Comanches seldom ever more
 than threatened the prosperous German 1 colony of Fredericksburg though these
 people established themselves on the
 frontier in the early forties. New
 Branfels enjoyed singular immunity | from Indian outrages, and bold German farmers cultivated the soil on the head
 of the Llano and the tributaries of the
 Colorado in perfect safety, while the | warwhoop of the merciless Comanches
 echoed through the valleys occupied by Americans a hundred miles further
 away, towards the interior of the state.
 The Baron's influence was probably
 strong enough to save his own people, | but he could not restrain the young
 warriors from their favorite pastime of 1 making war against the Texans, whom | they regarded as enternal foes. He says | that he foresaw that the bold and ad- venturous Germans, who, with more te-
 merity than wisdom, were planting | themselves on the frontier, would cer tainly sooner or later fall beneath the
 scalping-kn unless the Indiane could be made to respect them by some strate-
 gem, and that he deliberately abandon ed all the fine opportunities and advan- tages given to him by rank, education,
 and fortune, and went to remain with the Indians as sort of living hostage for his people,
 Baron Kremitz was student at a German university in 1840 when a great traveller by the name of Spies returned to the fatherland and published the story of his adventures in Texas. This man thought that Texas was the finest country in America, and he said that in
 the new land beyond the seas there were splendid opportunities for young men of the learned professions. About that time Prince Sohme, learned statesman,
 who had for some cause become dis
 satisfied with his surroundings in the old country, began to agitate move
 ment to plant colony in Texas. He
 had, perhaps, been influenced by the
 traveller Spies in selecting the locality,
 Baron Kremitz with several other stu
 dents some of whom have since become very distinguished characters, abandon ed his studies and joined Prince Sohme's colony S.7
 Some of these people settled at San Braunfels and others, who were more adventurous, pushed on into the noun tains of the frontier. Baron Kremttz soon disappeared and his friends were deeply grieved and perplexed as to his fate, fearing that5he had been killed by some wild animal or captured by In- dians After the Germans had formed a little settlement at Fredericksburg in 1S44 the leaders of the colony concluded that they would try to make treaty with the Indiane and buy from them the lands theys had selected. An op portunity presented itself for them to invite the chief of the Comanches to conference at Fredericksburg, and many of them came The Germans prepared a feast, and tried in every way to inn press their red neighbors with their peaceful intentions.
 While several of the chiefs and the leaders of the colony were seated about table an old German noticed that the carriage and manners of one of the young chiefs was siugularly different from the others, and he could not keep from looking al him. The young Indian became restless, and finally slipped the old German a small piece of paper. The astounded colonist hurried from the council house, and when he glanced at the little slip of paper he saw upon it the single word "Kremitz." He im- mediately took others into his confi- dence but not one could be made to be- | Iieve that the painted young warrior, re- splendent in plumes and bright orna- was their scholarly young friend, Baron Kremitz. Their eyes, however, | deceived them, for Baron Kremitz was | already an Indian, politically in high | favor with the great chiefs and bravest | warriors of the tribe.
 After this eventful treaty the Ger mans of the frontier saw very little of | Baron Kremitz, but they felt safer from that he was with their dan gerous and treacherous neighbors. They of Indian outrages in the valleys occu- pied by Texans, and when their women and children became frightened the old | men would say: Be not alarmed, the Baron will not let the Indians harm his people," The Comanches kept the trea- ty that they had made with the Ger mans at fredericksburg in good faith, and they lived neighbors upon terms of the friendliest nature.
 After the Comanches had been driven put of the country, and forced to settle on reservation, Baron Kremitz wash ed the war paint from his body, and returned to his people with as much in- difference as if he had been away a rov,, dave on hear-hI1nt thol1ph pearIv