Omaha daily bee., 1911-04-24
CARLISLE GRADUATE THE LEADER
Only Dozen Living Who Actually Sur.
render to Miles.
PRIZE FARMERS AND SToCKMEN
Twelve Thousand Head Of Cattle
Owned by Group,
PER CAPITA WEALTH is HIGH
Favor Of Sun Invoked In Planting
Corn Now, ~ In the Early
Days Before Going Into
BATTLE

FORT SILL. OkI, April 2-President
Taft recently gave audience to delega-
ton Of four Apache chiefs, headed BY Nc
Goosch. who are asking that the Apache
prisoners Of war held as such since the
Mascslero fight in 1856 be given their free
DOM and be permitted TO return to the
parent tribe in central New Mexico. If
there are any of the Apaches who desire TO
remain in southwestern Oklahoma. It is
asked they be permitted to select land al
lotments there.
The fight TO secure the release Of the
Apache prisoners of war has been before
the departments at Washington. and be-
fore congress for five or six years the
main instigator at al times being Chief
Asa Deklugie, a former United States
scout, a Carlisle graduate and for several
years chief Of the Apaches in Oklahoma
Prior TO the DEATH about two years ago
of old Chief Geronimo at Fort Sill, where
the Apaches are held as prisoners, he made
several attempts to get permission from
the United States government for the
Apaches to return to New Mexico, prom
ising to keep the peace.
Chief Asa, being, of a younger generation.
was not included in the list of prisoners
who surrendered to Captain II. w. Law
A a
Skeleton canyon, Arizona. and at present
only a dozen are living of the actual pris-
oners. Several trips have been made to
confer with the Mascalero Apsches in New
Mexico, and on each occasion Chief Asa
has urged them TO assist his efforts for
the release Of the prisoners OF war AS a
result, the head men Of the Apaches in
both New Mexico and Arizona have come
to Fort Sill and held meetings with the
prisoners, and all Of this has led to the
present visit to Washington of Chief Nc
Goosch and three Of his main counselors, all
from the Mascaero reservation in New
Mexico.
While the Apaches have been prisoners
OF war, they have been taught agriculture
and cattle raising by the federal govern
ment, and today. the Apaches at Fort Sill
own something like 1900 head OF cattle
perhaps the biggest herd In the west at
the present time. DaripE. the last awo-
months they have sold $1,000 worth OF
cattle. topping many a market with fat
beeves The cattle are the increase from
5000 head given to the Indians by the fed
eral government after they were located at
Fort Sill
Annually each fall occurs the roundup
OF the herds the branding of the new
calves and the sale of the surplus cattle
All Of the tribe participate. The money
from the sale of the cattle is divided
among tho Apaches, according to the num-
Der of cattle each owns.
The Apsches have prospered well, not
withstanding their restrictions as prisoners
and now the per capita wealth OF the
tribe is about Sl.7O0 Every dollar OF II
has been earned by them through the
culture of cornfieds and their cattle Each
year, too. on the land of the prisoners oc-
ours the hay harvest when many thou
sands OF tons are cut and stacked by the
Indians for their use and for the army
horses at the post.
The Apaches, like other North American
Indians, are sunworshipers. When plant
ing corn now, or in the early days, when
going into battle or starting on cattle
stealing expedition, the sun was asked to
look down upon them with favor They
believe in future world. This was shown
long ago by their custom of killing horse
and burying it with clothing and imple-
ments Of the chase for dead Indians life
in the future world.