The copper era. (Clifton, Graham County, Ariz.) 1899-1911, 1902-04-24
BLACK RIVER.
San Carlos Indians will Starve
When Rations are Cut OFF.

The c c C roundup is well under
way. Bronco riding has arrived with
all its terrors. The boys are having
an experience that will cause them 10
remember this work Tor a long time to
come. Your correspondent in a spirit
fered to ride horse OF a very question
able character and a name. Anyone
that is in any way acquainted with
my riding could easily guess the natur.
al result. / was thrown and trampled
upon.
The range under the mountain is
very Door. Grass and water are both
very short. The result will be quite a
loss. The company intends throwing
a great many cattle on Black river in
May, where grass is abundant.
We are enjoying a great dea. OF
night guard now and but little sleep.
cure five hours sleep out Of the twenty
four. Our cook Banjo joel is one that
we look to as our only salvation. His
cooking causes the boys to locate camp
their tired horses into a gallop as they
smilingly head away from the roundup.
We expect to have q he'll CT steers of
about three or four Il .3usand head.
The San Carlos beef contract expires
on July LIST. The result will be watched
with great anxiety. As circumstances
exist this year, it will be an injustice
to the Apaches. They will be unable
to make their usual crops on their few
farms and with the stopping OF both
beef and rations, there is but one alter
native. Some have a few cattle, but
they sell and eat them faster than they
increase. Quite number OF years ago,
the government placed a good stock of
cattle on the Apache reservation but
the Indians knew nothing of running
them and the government permitted
them to handle them after their own
fashion, with the result that they have
hardly anything left.
Bear are now quite plentiful in the
hills. One OF our boys recently had an
experience with large one, that he
will remember with a SILVER for many
a day. He met it in the bottom OF
canyon, and hurriedly dismounting
from his horse, opened fire. His first
shot wounded the animal and ne
charged the imam with the gun"
But the latter stood the ground and
continued to work his winchester.
When he had hit the enraged animal
with his seventh and last shot, it was
almost upon him. He was standing
near an oak tree and giving yell that
would have discounted any Apache on
the reservation. He dropped his win
chester, reached up and caught limb
and drew himself up just as the bear
made a pass and scratched one foot.
At this stage companion came clutter.
ing off the hill, but he was too late.
The bear fell dead at the foot OF the
tree. Any one of the seven shots
would have killed him. This should
be a warning to any sportsman COM
ming out to bag "few bear"
a cowboy from Slaughtcr's ranch
near Clifton, q short time ago be-
ing in the vicinity OF Fort Apache,
went into the Post feeling somewhat
i'll. He was taken into the Military
hospital there, but great was the con-
when, day later, he broke
out with the smallpox. He was put in
a building to himself and at last &C.
counts was doing well. The disease
was contracted in Clifton. But as
the greatest precautions have been
taken, we are in hopes it will not
spread. c. II. FARNSwoRTH.