The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-05-16
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How the chi cisnsnyy II We're .iIxht
thes ,Ieanin i or me llsi ssion.
Among the earliest corners to the
Hatchee country, Iii western TcnHes.
see, was Ia Mr., Barnes, n blacksmith
who became u friend OF tile Ghickasaw
Indians and often mendcd their guns
without charge. 5, Barnes was n poor
man, but obtaining on credit a donkey
named Moses. which was valued at IN
considerable sum, he imported the ani:s
NAL nnd stabbed 1t at stheismlthy, says
the Youths Companion. 1t was the
first in TINT region Ono morning he
found the door open ant, Moses gone.
ue followed a trailsto$theSb bank Of the
river and lost it, The stream was In
flood. and hc believed his valuable AMI
mai was drowned. Unless he found
some way to! raise the money TO pay
for 1t he was n ruined man. 3 Il * E 4;
Two months later trading scolS5
came down the. Hatchee from Boltyar,
and on the roof, spread out In the sun,
was the hide Of: Noses, unmistaknbloi
in It's soft and handsome grays. Barnes
related his story, to the trader and re-
celved the skin, which had been
bought at Bolivar from a trader there.
As no white man would have shot
donkey Barnes concluded that tho In
dians, who had never seen one, but
who were then hunting on the Hat.
chez, were the offenders.
To trap, them he tried n little strata
gem. He organized n shooting contest
and offered ms prize @the handsomesr
skin ever taken on the Hatchce, the
pelt OF n beautiful animal" AZ
A Chlckasaw5 brave was gthcswlnner
] Of the contest and claimed the prize:
Barnes brought forward tile skin Of
Moses and spread It on the ground.
"There is your prize" he said. Y
enc shoot UNI! Nc shoot um!' cried
the winner, running to the skin and
pointing TO n bullet hole. Then he told
how he had been wandering down the
river bank md had seen this strange
wild animal, like nothing he had ever
, seen before, breaking through the
cane. He had shot 1t and sold the
hide at Bolivar. He was delighted to
get 1t back. Il
This was what Barnes had hoped
for. Standing, he addressed the Chick
asnws. Sa "a EEGs gSiss &
"NIy brothers, he said, "you know
me. am a poor man, but I am
friend to the Chlckasaw. I mend hi!
gun for him and deal fairly by him
This animal WINS my white mans pony
l bought 1t far away and brought |
here. 1t cost me much wnmpum,S til
price of many Indian ponies. To los
: 1t will lose me. NIL. 1t escaped me nm
went to the woods, md there Chlcl
: asaw killed 1t.
"When am In Chlckasaw country,
obey Chickasaw law. When Chlcki
+ saw Is In white MINIS country, j
Il should obey white mans Inv. Viii
mans law. Is that whoever kills II
: pony must pay me for It What VI
Chickasaw do?' IT. .3s
Tile Indians Ind listened attentivel
When he had finished. they went
their ponies, tethercd near By. II
: whites watched them meanwhile! wi
Intense Interest. y The Indians untet
Y cred their ponies and broughtJthem, u
aTake um,p they said. Indian In,
only: ponies. Give UNI al" ~
.How manyi" askcd Barnes.
Z "You say how many u !,
Barnes appointed angGppralser, wi
Y elected sanumber OF ponies equal
value to tho donkey These thesblne
: smith sold TO his nelghbors. u
The Indians gave up their hunt n
went back to their, villages, poorer, b
= satisfied. They had maintained, (
: their tribe at least. some claim to I
X title, Honest 1njun., 4: 5 5.$