Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-06-10
HAliPToN Pi0EBUS AND OLD 20 conaanued.
y rgt-aAI atst a. IT -
White Man An Indian Chief

J., and something of the ancient FIR" and
ancient power was there still. The
dances fascinated the boy, the chant
sang In his head long after every
campfire was out. and the great ram
ada" deserted.
! Wanted to Know the Indians.
Edward Davis gave up civilization.
At least that is what his friends cali
ed It. bought the great ranch near the
Mesa Grende and Aqua Caliente res
eryations filled with the old icyisi
interest; he wanted to know the In
dians.
II wasn't easy. There was susni-
cion on both sides. He had listened
to white people who knew Indians.
That is. knew they were thieves. and
good for nothings. You see. hadn't
gotten under their skins" is the way
he pats IL now. The Indians felt bis
feeling: They hated the heap big
white man who had a great tract of
land and was wrestling with the soil
and building In the terrible energetic
way white men went at things. They
were afraid and showed IL by being
sullen. Several times the rancherl
was assaulted by the Indians, but ne
always routed them with that indoni.
table nerve that dominates his frnii
body. Once a crowd Of drunken bucks.
all armed. waylaid him while he was
taking a load OF lumber to town. With
n scanning he knocked down two OIL
his foes and the great brawiers fed
before him. afraid to fire. The strange
young man. so frail. yet with such n
light OF conquest in his eyes. began
to be regarded with superstitious awe.
Old Chief . Poet.
Probably had il not been for the
old chief. Cinon Duro. the conquest
OF the hearts Of the Indians would
have teen slower. Old Cinon Durol
was a poet and a reader of men: and
he young man was also poet anu
wanted TO understand the Indians. II
was when he had been made JUS
tice OF the peace that the Indians
really began to understand he was
not an enemy: More and more.
through the old chief. he began to see
their side and the tragedy OF the
childish lives: and was able to work
for tn m because he understood The
old chief was never tired OF telling
him the legends and chants OF his
people. Probably no one has been
able 70 get as close to the hearts Of
the Southern California Indiana Ger
tainlv no one knows as much Of their
music and legends.
From the first. the young white
man saw the worst evils: he fought
the liquor traffic that had done more
to debauch and degrade the Indian
than anything else. And for years he
has been protesting against the ,,ov-
eminent boarding school system that
kills SO many Indian children from
sheer narrowing home, sickness.
And slowly the Indians began toi
understand and care. They hardly
knew what to make of the young
ranchman. They had never met al
white man who had not lied tn them
and cheated them. and 1t looked child
in at firt. But from the first old
Chief .Cinon understood. The old
romanticist understood the young one
He knew that both loved the Indian
people. When the old man lay at thal
point OF death Davis was called awav
from the mesa and FASTENED to bid
his old friend good-by knowing that
he would never see him again.
The Old Chiefs sequest.
The old man sighed and turned
painfully: Look AFTER my children
rar:tan." he said at last They areI
good children-but they, need a faith
cr's care. They love you: they obey
you Capitan-I give them to you''
81 accept your children, Chief Cinor
Duro. Go in peace" II was this re-
Spouse that made white man for the
first time, probably. real Indian
chief. though the will Of the chief was
| not formally followed out by the tribe
| until months after. A great fiesta Gel
ebrated the event-it was an event
even to the Indians--this making Of
paleface for the first time In their
long memories. in very truth. ln-pi
miIchis. White Man Chief.
The great ramada under the big
I starred. dark-b!ue sky was ii, by dnz.
ems OF little bonfires. with . great red
/ fire in the center. sending up myriad
\ sparks that tried to outdO the stars.
The tribal fathers brown old men :.
Il