El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-30

To the old timers of FL Paso and
White Oaks a little bunch back man
going under the name OF Perk, the
WOlfer will be recognized ThouSn
dame nature with her canny hand mad
denied him a huge stature she lavish
Iy gave him a big heart that seems to
grow best amidst the wild mountains
and plains of the arid west. and added
to bright intellect and keen sense OF
the ludicrous. good use of his tongue.
first met Perk in FL Paso about 1880
or 1881 He introduced himself in
quite an original way. saying: Colonel
I've heard of you ever since / came TO
Texas more than twenty years ago. as
a man always ready to go wherever
the Indians made a raid, spending
your own time and money in defence
Of the frontier people. risking your life
in giving peace and protection. to help
less women and children, and 1 never
did hear of anybody giving you any
thing and l want to give you half
interest in a good prospect in the ia
rilla mountains. l came down to have
an assay made and it runs $40 silver
with a trace of gold and copper
grasped his horny hand with firm
grip and with voice chOked with emo
ton answered: You are eminentl cor
rect. Perk. and the man I've been look
ing for We will adjourn to my fsieta
home and kill the fatted calf as the old
negro preacher said. I've been keeping
10, these many years want TO make
a scout in the Sacramento mountains
for l know in reason those Internal
reservation Indians are the ones rob-
hing our people and numbering emil
grants on the overland route and / am
anxious to get a whack at them OF of
the reservation
Nv claim turned out as thousands
have / got the other half-called 1t
the Little Mary after my little girl
and spent 5000 in assessment work and
probably Mr. Eddy now stands with his
thumbs in his vest button holes adj
hiring his claim.
AS soon as we could get permission
from the governor of New Mexico
1 think it was Governor Llewellyn-
we started out I had asked if | could
kill any Indians found off the reserva-
ton. and asked for permission to cross
the New Mexican line. The answer
came promptly. that it would AFFORD
him the greatest pleasure to give me
the desired permission and he hoped
/ would be successful in reducing the
population of the reservation
We got our twenty days rations and
went and camped the first night on the
acequia below the Marsh ranch where
a road leads off to Mundy's Springs.
called tnen COlOTdstO- VIC
were joined by General Isaac Harrison.
that big hearted. brave old confed. a
true friend and uncompromising enc
my, and Charlie Davis. who is so well
and favorably known in Ell Paso. Our
second camp was Mundy Springs,
where every one filled up canteens with
water and braced himself for the long
dry ride to Soledad Springs. some 40
miles distant in the San Augustine
mountains.
There were in the citizen contingent
several brown jugs, not the little one"
spoken of in song and story. but such
as old farmers used in the early settle
ment of Kentucky and Tennessee; and
also demijohns and full grown Johns,
The drought was severe and plains hot,
So that by the time our party reached
the Soledad. between the rangers ia
favored few and the citizen contin-
gent several of the jugs and johns had
fallen by the wayside and when we
reached Soledad we were tired and had
to rest a day before starting for nearly
fifty mile tramp to the sacramento
mountains without water
This don't seem much to a man be-
hind a good pair of high stepping Ken
lucky geIdings in buggy, a man on a
wheel. or on the cars. but on horse
back the way is long and weary.
During the rest at Soledad the jugs
began to dwindle in contents and 1t
was clear to me. being an impartial
Judge as I never drink but on Christ
mas or Fourth of July, or some con-
viviaI occasion. that Charlie Davis be-
Ifeved that General Harrison was re-
sponsibIe for the leakage while the
general was quite as positive Charlie
was conspiring to end the campaign by
cutting of the supply of snake medi-
cine. The result was that Charlie
struck ont for San Augustine Springs.
but the general staid with us.
II has been my observation after
many years experience that 1T requires
that steadfast friendship that existed
between Tom OShanter and Johnnie
to stand the strain when the whiskey
runs low. On one notable occasion
went with DIR. Irwin and Charlie Davis
and Bill Fewel. on a hunt in the Sacra-
mento mountains. The doctor turned
blue and got sick and quit us. but when
Fewel was measuring drink. Charlie