New-York tribune., 1906-12-02
CHIEF QU1NAH PARKER.
Home of the Comanche Half-Brccd
IN Oklahoma.
BY AthertOn BrowucIl.

In the back seat OF little country school
house at Cache Okla, sat the Comanche war
chief, Quanah Parker, at a childs desk
This was the red who had led a band of
bowling painted devils in many a fight against
the white man, the chief who desolated a
territory larger than the State of Texas.
Gaunt, black eyed, high cheekboned Quanah
Parker Is obeyed even to-day by all the Co
manches, Kiowas and Apaches, and acknowl- |
edged by The whites to be an Indian of great
ability and the strongest disciple of peace and
civilized progress among his race. He is friend
of President Roosevelt and one of the last of
the noble red men" and yet when I saw him |
he sat in the last cramped seat, his long
legs crumpled up beneath the small desk and |
with his back bent until his chin rested on a |
supporting hand. He was staring straight |
ahead at the rough plaster wall, not seeing ap- |
parenty the roOmful of immature school chill |
dren, not hearing the trchle piping of the infant
class as they one by haltingly spelled their |
primer words to the pretty little school teacher |
Quanah Parker had brought his youngest boy |
to school to learn the language of the white
man and his ways and because the son was |
among so many young Americans this solemn |
big chief, with long hraids of hair hanging down
the front of n black sack suit came with him
for comprehensive
The boy. round 'lad and with pinchcd face
sat intent and listened. quiverinc like q FRIGHT
ened animal at each new sound and movement
but the father stared. immovahle into that mast
"nere pefhars handful Of blue clothed soldiers
lay promo in buffalo waIIoyy with their FAT
tened checks on The gun stocks firing. firing
ever moro slowly, too, at the uhirling. cfrcling
line of ba"cbacked riders, with naked swinging
legs. with streaming black hair and hideore1v
painted faces.
AS we came away from the school at the
noon hour Quanah Parker said to me: Come
with me and win show you nv white mans
house ard what have done with white mans
ways"
Parker drives a four-mulc army ambulance Of
The old type Of Western sta&ocoach. with high
drivers sat and With boot in the rear He
bought 1t at an army sale at Fort Sill dozen
years ago This vehicle he has had ncvIv
wheeled and renaiated. the body in black and
the curtains in yellow. On the high seat Parker
slts beside a fun hIooded Coranche co9cbrnap
6oth are IN the solemn black Of civilization and
10th Wear broad hrimmcd slouch hats Tho
coachhah' hfaced hard against the footboard
or'VeS me lead team and Quanah drives the
whceler%. Inside the lurching wagon are gcner-
ally his three wives and several children the
babies wrapped in brilliant blankets
1t is five miles from the Village of Cache 70
Quanah's homestead but it took ONLY twentv
minutes to go The distance in his ambulance on l
ule Gay accompanied him. For over a mile
away the chiefs house was visible. The ex-
panslVe roof is of a sky blue color, with five
pointed white stars several feet in size IncIosino
some ten acres around Parker's house is a fence
OF barbed wire with twenty strands and fifteen |
rect nigh Parker remarks apologeticaIly as a |
"lIe lufnplts with the paddock of the Chained |
gate: 30 many white people from all over |
want to come and see that | have to keen |
torne of them away
Parkers homo is not an Indian lodge II IS !
fally a white mans house of thirteen rooms i
Every bedroom is furnished with a brass bed |
stead and with mixed assortment of fine |
and some plain furniture. The floors are car |
peted with Brussels of rather high colors The |
walls and ceilings are papered- The crude touch |