Mohave County miner., 1906-05-12
Death of WaIIapai Charley.


afternoon of the llth, surrounded by his
friends and kinsmen, he passed to that
happy hunting ground which consti-
tutes the Indian idea of heaven.
When in the early sixties the white
man first took possession of the section
which constitutes MOhave County,
Charley was a young Indian, Just
starting in to gain position of favor
with the other members of his tribe.
The opportunity offered in the exter-
mination of the white man, who was
interposing upon the Indian domain.
With his half brother, Sherum, who
ranked as war chief of the Wallapais,
he waged a warfare for a few years,
until Uncle Sans soldiers came and
put an end to the incipient race trou-
bles. Charley was made captive and
properly shackled, sent To Alcatraz
| Island. near San Francisco. When he
was released from CONTINENT, and re-
turned to his native land, he was liv-
| ing witness that it was useless for the
Indian to fight the whites, for he had
seen more white men in a single day
than there were Indian bucks, squaws,
papooses, dogs, and ponies in the
whole tribe. multiplied many times
over. Thenceforth Wallapai Charley
and all the other Indians of the tribe
were reckoned as good Indians. So
Charley, probably by reason of having
travelled in foreign lands, or because
he was intelligent above the average
of his tribe, became a great chief who
laid down the law, a sort of chief JUS
ice. as it were. Another Indian,
Levy-Levy. by right of heritage was
head chief. Sherum, by power of his
good strong arm which could send an
arrow many steps farther than the
best of the tribe. was war chief. and
Charley, or Captain Walker, as he
preferred to be called, by reason of his
knowledge was third in rank and to
him fell the settling of disputes of a
civil nature. And so Charley lived,
a familiar parsonage in the town of
Kingman. When last week it became
known that he could live but a short
time. Indians gathered from all parts
to take part in the ceremonies which,
according to Indian rites, would at
tend his passing away. Up to within
few hours of his death he directed
these ceremonies. The house in
! which he suffered with the drOpsy was
? decorated with bunting and American
flags. In large open space a wal
party, in huge Indian feather bonnetS
, danced and whooped, while old squaw:
kept up the mOnotonous wailing, al
, accompaniment to death. At foul
> o'clock in the morning the body wa:
taken to the Canyon Station near Min
eral Park, and the house in which he
had lived with his numerous wives
D for he was a Mormon in following tn,
: Indian custom of plural wives, wa
: burnt. At Canyon Station the bod!
: was cremated, his horses killed ant
more ceremonies performed. Vale
# Wallapai Charley.
5 Mr.. Charles Grimes, of the Los An
d geles Tile Insurance and Trust Com
n pany, spent several days here and a
r Gold Roads this week, looking afte
the interests of his company in tn
fl matter of the sales by Sheriff Brow
10 of the Blue Ridge Gold Mines Co.
Is property, under execution, on judg
n ment rendered at the last term of tn
of District Court in favor of Mr.. Crime:
Company. He expressed himself q
g being much pleased at the looks of tn
b Blue Ridge group of mines, which
his opinion are destined to becom
% large producers of yellow metal in tn
70 near future.
: Considerable building is going on
Kingman and many improvements al
~ being made by some of our enterpri
le ing citizens, such as fencing, painting
~ and there is a constantly growing d
w. mand for residence property. A nun
u. Der of good substantial cottages cou
Vi be rented at good figures if some OIL
would build them, and ought to be
%. good investment.
III Grant Brothers, the big railr o;
contractors who have secured the co
az tract for building the railroad fro
=" Marvel to Searchlight, have agreed
/! complete the road in ninety days, al
n' are rushing work to the utmost: C
after car of men, tools and implemen
no are coming in every day in order
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