Arizona silver belt., 1901-01-24
ANTONIO APACHE.
A Matter of Interest to the People Of
 Gila County.

remarkable Indians living today
 said Lieutenant Saultzman at army
 headuuarters. "lIe is the handsomest
 Indian ever saw. Tall, 1.-the, bronze
 faced, with long black hair and fea
 lures almost classic in their outline.
 Antonio is the center of interest
 wherever he appears. In his early
 years he was taken east by philan-
 thropic woman and given opportunity
 of education and travel, extended to
 no other Indian of America. He at
 tended several schools and wound ap
 with course at Harvard college and tour of Europe where he met many of the notabies of the old world. An tonic is fine talker, good story teller, of literary and scientific bent of mind and at the same time good natured fellow who makes friends every where and never gets into trouble.
 "Antonio,n continued the lieuten- ant, lis probably the luckiest Indian living. He seems to have abundance of money and spends it like a king. The last time l saw him was at Fort Apache, Ariz., ninety miles from Hol- brook on the Santa Fe railroad, the trip to the railroad being made daily in blackboard. Antonio came to the post attired handsomely and wearing pair of cavalry boots that quite cap tivated his cousins who dropped in from different parts Of the White Mountain reservation to meet their young friend and enjoy feast at his expense. He appeared equally at home on the trail, in camp with his copper colored kinsman or at head quarters in the officers quarters, al ways the center of an admirng circle, He sent word to the chiefs of the tribe and half dozen came to the post with their retinues. There they found everything prepared for a royal recep- ton, plenty of beef and flour and warm handclasp from the most at tractive young buck in the nation. A pow wow of several days took place and ended with grand dance that was little the widest thing the gar rison had witnessed. Of course, An tonio Apache was the main attraction. The chiefs slowly gathered their ef- fleets together and departed, but they left in the hands of Antonio docu- ment, evidently the main object of the campaign. It was regularly signed, sealed and delivered, and granted the most valuable priveleges ever extend- ed by the chiefs of the Apache na- ton. It is the privilege to prospect, discover and mine for gold and pre- ciOus metals anywhere within the linn its of the reservation. No other man has ever succeeded in securing such prize and the success of Antomo, as d mine manager, is one of the interesting subjects of conjecture at the army posts of the southwest"
 Lieutenant Saultzman says the docu- ment was granted with a great deal of ceremony. It provides that the | chiefs are to receive 10 per cent of all | vation and that none but Indians are to be employed m the mining opera tions. The wages of the Indians are | definitely set down and many con ditionS are given on both sides, making the concession difficult document for an ordinary Indian to understand. A secret connected with the skilfu manipulations of Antonio, is where he obtained the money to pay the ex- penses of the Indian council and also the continuous drain upon his own pOcketbook, as he Is a highly generous liver. No answer tO the question has been given, but iL is suspected that a wealthy syndicate of New York or Boston is putting up the cash and ex- poets that 1t will oe returned many fold. Antonio has been making ire quent trips to New York and thinks as little or the long journey as though it were merely an excursion to neigh boring hunting field. One day Lieu tenant Saultzman was returning across the desert from HOlbrook to the army post, when he came upon Antonio in a blackboard swiftly flying in the op- posite direction.
 Hello, Antonion' exclaimed the army officer. Where are you going at such gait?"
 Making hurried trip to Boston," was the reply as the Indian gathered his reins for another dash. Be back in week. Goodby."
 Antonio disappeared in cloud of dust At the end of the allotted time he rode again into the fort. He is now becoming known as the mining king of the reservation. Tradition says there are mines of vast wealth in the unknown region traversed by the Apaches and he is the only man at liberty to search out the golden treas ure. Stories of old Spansh diggings