The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-04-19
A FIGHT WITH
COLD TYPE.
HOW THE METAL SERVED
FOR AMMUNITION.
S~-.-.1~.-o'>%..-s.%%.-.~%..-"%~..-.s

S%-.-sA~.-o.A$.~s.~%.~sA%,-s@%.s-"a$
My first acquaintance with the Apache
came about in the most unexpected man
ner and at time when | was wholly un-
prepared to receive such distinguished
visitors.
1t was in the fall of 1889. | had been
in Las Vegas. New Mexico, about six
months, working in the jobroom of The
Daily Optic, then leading daily in the ter
ritOry. | had not accumulated much
money. About the only thing | had ne
qured was a desire to get back to civil-
zatiUn and the ambition to become the
proprietor of newspaper. 1t happened
about that time that big excitement
broke out over the discovery of gold at
Kingston, near Lake Valley. Then
Russ kistler, reporter for The Optic,
came to me and said:
There is a fine opening for paper
down at Kingston. Why can't we go
down there and start one? 1t won't cost
much and will be a paying Investment"
told him was willing il | could see
any way to get the press and material to
work with.
That is easy enough" he answered.
"Therc is an old Champion press in the
junkroom of this Office which they offer
to sell to us cheap on the installment plan,
and if you are willing we'll so in together
and give the thing trial"
readily accepted this offer, and hasty
preparations were made to move our
traps to the new El Dorado.
We took the evening train on the Santa
Fe read and went to Mutt station, $50
miles from Las Vegas From there we
had to make our journey by wagon, a dis
tance of 10 miles. We hired a wagon
and team at Mutt station, and loading in
our press and other materials we set out
for the new town with light hearts and
| bright expectations
We soon fell in with half dozen other
wagons on their way to the new mines.
and though there had been some trouble
| with the Indians in that vicinity short
/ time before, we thought that our number
would ward off any attack. but in this we
were mistaken. | had never met any Of
| the Apaches before. but it was wild,
! picturesque place they selected for our
first meetng-far from the influence Of
civilization and the United States army.
| We had camped on little knoll. on ev-
/
monotony of the sagebrush and the dark
/ Mexican thistle. 1t was Il grand sight
we witnessed the next morning when the
| sun rose out the sea of prairie desert and
revealed the cloudike peaks of the
mighty Rockies looming through the gray
| mist of earnCss.
Here, ere the stars sang together. ma
! ture, in her first rapture of existence,
"tlung aloft her giant arms and froze the
| mountain in eternal snowsn'
But that was before my day, and
| don't know what she done next, but sup
pose she turned the country over to the
Apaches. If | had been there at the
time. | would have got nature to throw
| aloft her arms once more and rake in a
few of the Apaches. should like TO see
a few Apaches ''froze into eternal snow"
that is, think | would. though might
not have any use for them for some time
to come, yet they would keep long
while in that condition.
But to return to the scene. 1t was q
grand sight that met our gaze that morn
ing. But there was one thing that marred
its loveiness and sent gloom over the
party. In the background, coming slow
ly toward our camp, was a gang of
Apache Indians. This went a great way
toward destroying the beauty of the wild,
picturesque scene.
The Optic reporter. who had brought
along an opera glass. climbed upon
wagon and surveyed the advancing host
Then he quit surveying and climbed down
from the wagon and commenced to put
a bride on our heetest horse.
D., coil th a. p;r
who had come to forcgone conclusion.
81 am man of few words Those In.
dians may he friendly and they may not
be. If they are friendly. I'll see you back
at the station, and if not, III get the de
tails of the hatchery in the daily papers"
Then he mounted the animal and was
in the act Of riding away when another
gang of ArachcS was discovered coming
from the opposite direction from the first.
This gave matters another aspect to the
man on the horse. and be- turned about
and dismountcd could see that he was
disappointed about something, though he
said nothing
| though; il strange al the time that two
separate gangs of Apachcs should happen
:" meet al that particular spot, but my
Acquaintance with them since has given
me reasons to believe that the meeting
was not altogether accidental on their
part We held hurried consultation to
decide whether we should meet them as
'friendly" or hostile Indians
The Optic man remarked that If he had
his way about it he would rather not
meet them at all but us we could nnl
avoid II BE- was in favor of showing fight
from the first
Another member of the party said ne
was afraid hat would not do They
might be friendly" and any attack on
them in that case would result in our in
curing the displeaSure Of the United
States government
The Optic man replied that such might
be the case and. while be was good
friend Of the United States and would
hate TO seem unreasonable. yet be wuuld
rather incur the disploasure Of his best
friend than be robbed ana burned AZ tie
stake That was the way he looked nj II
we could 10 MS we pleasod-bui he was
unanimously N favor Of opening the
meeting with Winchester chorus hy the
entire company Bni we decided to wait
developments / is o bard matter TO tpll
| friendly" Indian from hostile" one
/ The only sure test is 10 wait and see how
they act. 1f they pass you without snow
| ing fight, and then come back in the night
J and steal your horses, they are friendly,