The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-11
4 BLACK HILLS NAIL CARRIER.
THE LIvELIEsT EXPERIENCES OF
COL. jim BAKERS LIFE.
Starving and Families. He Took Job No
Ono Else wsuid Venture Upou-The
Sioux Were On the Warpath and Fur.
nashed Him Thrilling RecOllections.

SAN BERNARDINo, Cal, Oct. 1.-THE year
] carried the mail into the Black Hills fur
nishes the most thrilling recollections OK
all my career on tho frontier, said Col.
Jim Baker to knot Of veteran plainsmen
the other evening. Il had been in Cen.
Clusters Seventh Cavalry in the Cheyenne
and Kiowa wars in Kansas and had tried my
hand at COW punching on the Texas Pan
handle. So I had seen something OF
strenuous life, and had some risky ex-
periences. But those months OF mail
carrying in the Sioux country went be-
yond anything had met with before.
Il quit the army service In the fall OF 1875.
and catching the gold fever that then ragged
In the Black Hills, struck out for Deadwood.
Two army chums and myself located on
Bear Creek In February. 1875. and In about
q month we were clean broke and all our
capital Of years OF saving wss gone.
Misery and detection are no name for
the way We felt. Hungry and miserable.
We walked amid snow and ice to Custer City,
and there we heard lots Of hard luck stories
like our own. After looking around for
work heard Of job at carrying the mail
across the country to the Black Hills at $50
q month.
"A dozen courageous fellows had declined
the Job before heard Of It. Hostile Sioux
abounded. Every day brought news OF a
fresh murder of settlers and prospectors by
the Indians.
THE offer Of good money to carry the
mail appealed to me, almost starving and
wholly discouraged as I was. l hadn't
eaten thing then for thirty hours, and I
didn't know whether ! was ever going to
have meal again.
so went to the man over at Keegan's
who had the job to give out, and said that
for SO down and SO more In two weeks
I'd carry the mail to the Hills. A ten
dollar gold piece was thrust into my hand,
and was Immediately sworn into Uncle
Sans service. I was ordered to report for
my first ride at that night.
with the money in my pocket. hunted
up my two mining comrades. and We had
great fill-up. Both Of my friends de-
They felt that had sold myself to certain
death.
Il reported for duty. A carbine and a
revolver were given to mo and started
Of for the Red Cloud agency.
sThe first fifteen miles twisted and turned
around the rolling hills. 1t was bright
moonlight. As galloped along. l thought
Of every bit Of recent news had heard Of
Sioux attacks on lonely travellers among the
desolate hills. fancied that saw Indians
skulking behind every boulder and in
every clump of chaparral. dozen times
was cocksure that saw Indians lying in
wait for me.
gone down. had begun to think the
Indian massacre stories were about all
ina ginary. let my horse come to q walk.
had crossed Cottonwood Greek and was
climbing up tie trail among the trees
Suddenly my horse stopped, and almost
fell OF l vainly punched my spurs into
his tanks, and by words tried to urge him
forward.
.He stood snorting and quivering. and
I jumped OF and with my shooting iron
in my hand tried to lead him. He stood
In the darkness felt around In the mud
and siush My foot struck something 9Ig 2
my gloves and felt a human head, cold and
1T was a horrible moment No doubt
there were frenzied savages all about,
waiting for more white lives. All my
boosted nerve vanished. l was as weak
as dish rag
1T was a woman head. knew that the
woman was a settlers wife, and that her
husbands body and possibly her child's
must be near in the darkness. With
trembling hands and knocking knees, l
led my horse around the womans body,
spurs into the horse and rode on
# reached camp Of dozen emigrants
Just at dawn. They had seen Sioux the
day before and had been up and around
all night. l told them of my discovery
back on the trail, and they told Of Indian
murders they had known Of personally.
&c IN ho nf hot
day. ate jerked beef and slept. When night
came on 1 started for Red Cloud agency.
With the exception Of seeing Sioux camp
fire some eight miles away, off on a hill
side, nothing unusual occurred that night.
Il reached the agency early in the morn
had meal and slept That night st arted
on the return trip to Custer City. 1t was
safer for person alone to travel in the
Indian country under cover of darkness
From that time on I was regular mail
carrier from Custer City to the Black Hills.
We were paid 50 cents a letter, and the
Government contractor made money be-
City to the hills once week from April
to November, when the advancing railroad
put an end to the profits in the job
Something hair raising occurred on
almost every weekly trip. If it hadn't
been for the good money there was in it :,
i
Zone trip I was fording creek when
was fired upon by a bunch Of Sioux, who
lay among the bushos oyer to the west
How ever got away is mystery.
Fully fifteen bullets were sent whizzing
after me as my frightened horse bore me
over the brow OF hill. The Indians were
on foot or I surely would have been fol-
lowed and slain.
Another time, just at sunrise, I saw a
man riding a horse like mailman toward
Red Cloud agency. He wore only shirt
and that was red with blood from bullet
through his shoulder.
Il caught up with him. He and two
other men were making their way into the
Black Hills, ard in camp, while asleep had
been attacked by Indians. He got away.
while his companions we're fighting for
their lives with the Sioux. A few days
later the mans companions were found
hacked to pieces about tho ashes of the
camp fire.
Friendly Indians at the agency and
scouts told mo frequently that I was sure
to be caught by the Sioux some time. for
the idea was abroad that the lone riders
with the leathern pouches carried valu-
abes and information about the Indians
Zone morning, when was about to camp
in a secluded spot where could get water
and could sleep till night, I saw bunch
Of six or seven Indians coming full tilt
toward me. They were three miles dis
tant. l leaped into my saddle and got
out my six shooter, and left the trail like
whirlwind.
There was a creek there, and it was
eight miles from the Cheyenne River Us
uaily some emigrants were camping there
and felt that ii l could reach the river
would h va helm in fighting off the Indians