The National tribune., 1901-08-01

StSSlOH VI lHtI IeSiOH ultll ihS CIuSe Va
the war, Gen. Maxey succeeding Pike in
charge of affairs, and by their efforts the
wild Indians were encouraged to raid the
settlements in Kansas and Colorado, and
found an open market for their plunder
in the rebel lines.
The figures on the rough map are ex-
planned as follows: a. Fort Sill, located
near the intersection of Medicine Bluff
Creek; % with Cache Creek. The mill
tary reservation of 10000 acres extends
up the former to near Mount Scott, an
isolated knob 100 feet high. The Medi-
cine Bluff, from which the creek takes
its name, is about a mile from the fort,
and is quite i curiosity. 1t seems as if
the isolated hill, 200 feet high, had been
cleft in twain, the northern half being en-
tirely removed, leaving Il perpendicular
cliff of columnar trap, the columns stand
ing like organ pipes 100 feet high on its
face. Here and there a dwarf juniper
projects from the creyices of the rocks,
giving it an aspect of greater weirdness.
At its base is the creek, and on the
plain opposite was a favOrite camping
place when holding medicine meetings and
mgantatiOnS. On the south side n horse
man can ride to the top of the bluff and
look over the cliff, while Il cleft or fault
in its face is called the Medicine Mans
road. The COmanches tell that one of
their celebrated medicine men descended
the face of the cliff by this route, and
after obtaining water from the creek at
It's base returned by the same route. This
water was possessed of great magical vir-
tue, and by its aid the sick men were
healed, rain made in dry weather, and
innumerable NavajOes, Utes, Pawnees and
Osages sent to the happy hunting grounds.
There are dark boulders found in the
creek in this locality, and if put in Il fire
hptl nt Of =
Creek. a. Apache Creek. Along these
streams there are good farming lands, but
only scattering growth of stunted tim
ber. There is a growth of small timber
all down Cache Greek, the largest amount
being near the junction of West Cache.
In 1863 Capt. George Robinson had a
sawmill in operation getting out lumber,
even, to build quarters for the troops.
The lands on Cache Greek are good,
but the bottom soon runs into upland,
which seems to support thin wild grass
with difficulty. There is a good deal Of
woodland near the mouth of Cache
Creek. The absence of timber would
be no great drawback to settlement if the
lanGs were good. Cache Creek and all its
af.iuents have good water from the noun
tain springs, except some small branches
putting into West Cache Greek from the
Der salts.
90 Tar Springs. The highlands be
tween Cache and Beaver Creeks approach
the former very closely at this point, and
ON the bluffs are deposits of bitumen which
oozes from the ground and hardens. Wag-
on loads Of it were gathered to fire the
sawmiil engine when it was in operation
The Wichita women chew this bitumen
as our girls do chewinggum. 1t has no
CT a almost
paraffine. The high lands C6, y are Gov
cred with sparse grass, and cut here and
there into great gullleS.
(S) Red River along from Cache Creek
to North Fork is nearly half a mile wide,
a sandy bed with very little water. Here
and there are quicksands, mostly where
some stream puts in. There is no timber
along it except now and then lonesome
looking cottonwood or thorn. a range Of
sand-hills parallels the northern bank, and
back of them is prairie quickly merging
into highlands. In the prairie the prairie
dog towns are continuous for miles, giving
the Indian name of Kechi a Kanne honOpt
(Irairie dog house river to it. Under the
surface is a substratum of gypsum, and
| have Travelled at nights through the
prairie-dOg towns, my horse being able TO
escape stepping in the dog holes by seeing
the white gypsum they had thrown out.
through this section and the Kcechi Hills,
and the shipment of plaster-Of-paris will
undoubtedly be n feature in the future in
dustry of the country. At 8, near where
the old RadziminSky and Belknap trail
crosses Red River, is DOyle's Spring. the
only fresh water after leaving Cache
Greek, the Red River and North Fork
water being impregnatcd with gypsum.
However, at Gibert's Creek, in Texas
GO) the water is good, and a fine spring
Is under the bluff; 8 is Peasc River, and
II is Big Wichita. There are splendid
springs at Gooch'S old ranch, which was
headquarters Of Garros Texas Cavalry at
the close of the war. on the Big Wichita
directly south of the mouth Of Cache
Creek. The North Fork is strongly i'm
pregnated with gypsum, and there are no
lands upon it that could properly be called
bottom lands, the land SlOping back grad
ually into the high prairie There is hard
~ any timber upon it. On the south side
of Red River above the mouth of Pease
River the sandstone bluffs loom up in fan
tastic forms, like the turTcts and towers
Of old European castles, with occasional
domcs and minarets. No sand hills border
the North Fork.
Figure II marks a high, treeless waste,
the grass being Scanty, and no water, and
it is doubtful if it could be obtained by bOr-
RadZiminsly crosses il. The water Of
West Cahce Creek is good, and scattering
trees grow along the stream. There are
groves OF mesIuit along the headwaters
of West Cache and Otter Creeks, and
also near Rainy Mountain Creek. and in
the lands north of the mountains, II.
This mCSguit bears Il bean resembling the
honcy-lOcust bean, of which horses and
cattle are very fond. The Indians also
eat them in large quantities The mes
quit generally averages about fOur inches
in diameter. and the wood is said to be
superior TO hickory for cooking purposes.
mcsquit grove at a short distance re-
sembies n peach orchard.
Q3D Camp Radzminsky, the terminus
Of the mountain chain, although Mount
Webster and some detached knobs stand
still to the west. I'm this region beautiful
jasper, but | never heard of any indca-
ticns of gold or silver, although members
of the :th Cav, California Joe and Shcr-
dams scouts prOSpected extensively in the
Spring Of 1869. IA is prairie country,
with mesGut and post-oak groves.
A CoMAYCHE TRADITION
The Comanches have in tradition that
many years ago a white man came Ia the
Pena-tech-ka band, campcd near the Wcll-
ita Mountains, and remained with them
several years. He acted very strangely at
times, and would go off into the noun
tainS and remain for days at Il time. At
last he disappeared one night and with
him went the hest horse in tha hand hn-