Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-11-30
FEATs OF A GREAT TRAILER.

FEATs OF A GREAT TRAILER.
What an Ordinary Trail on the
Plains Revealed to Frank Gou-
rard.
The passing Of the Indian scout will
be another page Of the romantic torn
from the worlds history which Is ever
becoming more prosaic. Buffalo Bill
Is an able man and true as steel. But
for a detective ability that Sherlock
Holmes himself might envy Frank
Gourard, a Hawaiian, brought up
among the Indians, stands probably
without a peer. Gourard is tall and
very muscular, with huge shoulders
and chest. He gives evidence of his
nativity in his thick sensuous lips. flat
tened nose and dusky complexion. un-
like that of an Indian. He says him
self that he merely remembers the
fact, that, as a baby, he was brought
from across the water. By long liv-
ing with the Indians, he acquired a
perfect knowledge Of their habits, ira
ditions and even methods Of thought.
Hence he was invaluable to the army
when 1t was called upon to march
against the hostile red men.
Lieutenant Jordan Of the metropoli-
tan police force was with General
Crooks command in its memorable
campaign against the Sioux. Gourard
rendered yeoman's service during this
trying period when the horror Of the
Custer massacre was very fresh, espe-
c!ally in the minds of the devoted
band which hurried after his slayers.
Lieutenant Jordan is, It is believed, the
only man in this city who can recall
from personal experience the terrors
Of that memorable chase. Speaking
Of Gourard, he said:
II never met a man with the faculty
Of Gourard. He could tell footprint
in the grass, where the ordinary obser-
yer would notice nothing. Moreover,
he would tell whether the footprint
was that Of a white man or an Indian,
and If the latter, to what tribe he be-
longed. To be sure, he explained the
matter by saying that each tribe wore
a certain style Of moccasin; but the dis
tinction was sometimes so trivial as to
render Gourard's feat very remark
able one. The Indians, as you doubt
less know, when on the warpath march
in single file, those behind treading in
the footprints Of the leader, so as to
leave q single pair Of marks. The car
riages used for carrying the squaws
and children and supplies were formed
Of two poles lashed together, one at
each side Of the horse with the ends
trailing along the ground.
"These were Of the same width and
one was driven In the path Of the
other. But in spite Of these precau-
tions Gourard could tell, with practical
exactness, the number Of warriors.
squaws and papooses that had passed
along a trail, in addition to the tribe
they belonged to and other particu-
lars which were hidden from the ordi-
nary observer and the determining
of which, to those who did not know
the extraordinary capabilities Of the
scout, seemed wholly impossible. He
would notice two sticks laid upon the
ground and they would tell him Of
sign or warning left by the Indians for
their people. There are very many OF
this latter kind Of marks by which the
Indians counsel each other.
"In short, Gourard had reduced the
faculty Of observation, which most CIV
ilized people use so earelessly, to an ex-
act science The Indians, also, as you
probably know, are keen observers.
You will never be able to catch their
eye, perhaps, or to know just where
they are looking, but they will see
much more than the average white
man. The only occasion when an In
dams gaze is fixed is when he des-
cries some object at a great distance.
They have a way on the plains of
sweeping the horizon, shading their
eyes with one hand the while. wash
ington Times.