The chronicle=news., 1912-11-15
"Reminiscences of
The Frontier Days
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

|
Louis. Every summer the colonel was
accustomed to make journey into
the Sioux Land OF the north by going
up the Missouri on one of the boats
belonging to the American Fur COM
pany which was then managed by
Colonel Culbertson OF Peoria, Illinois
and who by the way was one OF the
greatest men that ever lived in the
pioneer days on the plains. These two
Iold fellows were famous friends and
the annual trip OF the one was JOY
TO the other for good men and true
were scarce In those days and each
appreciated the value OF the other
wherever they were.
On the way down from Fort Ben
ton In the fall of 1852 Colonel
Vaughn Travelled with "a flotilla OF
Mackinnw bOnts loaded with iurs
They were In no especial hurry and
laid by at nights 70 as to avoid the
dangers OF the trcacherous river
when the seeing was not no good m
by day time. They reached old Fort
Pierre near Yankton one evening
and tied up for the night The chief
of the Minnequa Sioux WAS Smutty
Hear who lay quite III In his lodge
upon the bluff back OF the fort. The
old cod.cr was on. OF those tricky
fascals who had to he watched Ike
u hungry lobo. II. sent regents to
Vaughn because h. was unable TO he
nj the landing to receive 30 esteemed
n parsonage as III. worthy colonel
oar "A hn. 4.
see him for u friendly visit.
Without xuspcctInI n trick and
desiring to show individual courage
as was the custom of brave men In
those days Colonel Vaughn went
by n military guard.
lie had only an Interpreter to fry out
the language No that each OF the
principles might half understand
what /, was all about. The old chief
was as sick Ms dog all right for the
fact was evident enough. After light
ing the provcrbial pipe of peace and
passing II around. Smutty Bear said
to the colonel: you are u big man
with your people. am only y poor
man about ready to die" The col
oncl nodded assent and the old war.
rior proceeded:
In all my days have never killed
n white man nor done anything to
make my name remembered by my
tribe. feel that / must not die in
this ignoble way bu, must do some
thing big and great 10 I have decid.
cd TO kill YOU" and In the tw;nkiing
,of m eye he drew forth from beneath !
his blanket strung how and sent
the ready arrow directly at tho un-
|suspectinE Colonel Vaughn. The
winged messenger of death about |
which LonEfellow wrote no touching
ly was touching all right for II,
struck Colonel Vaughn squarely In
the abdomen and doubled him up
like an old shoe. The chiefs arm was
go weak however that the arrow pen
ctrated only half an inch or 80 and
made but n slight flesh wound. The
colonel fled as from the wrath to
come but old Sinutty Bear fell back
on his pallet of fur and was dead. -,
The effort had killed him and the |
death dirge OF the squRws was the
only sound that came from the tepee
Muddy Field and Farm.
Tho Captains Crusade: There was
great Joy In the camp when Major
William A. Craig aud Captain shell
lenbargcr. then stationed at Fort I.y-
on. took contract TO build a new
army post on the Arkansas at the
mouth of-the Hucrfano. This was In
1868 and Fort Reynolds. rs the new
rost was called. was completed with
In the year. Then two troops of the
third cavalry moved in and the SOL
hiers celebrated by giving a baille
limo In the big barrack room. The
Mexican girls and some OF the Amer
lean ladies for miles around came to
he dance and had a good time rs
such things are called. All that
captain Shellenbarger could do on
his fatefully festive night was to q
get stuck on a pretty senorita named
juana Chaves. a relative Of Beaubien "
md 1t was such Il simple little thing
Is this that spelled his undoing. II
he attack had been but the affair OF Il
he night no bones would have been
'roken and the captain would have
ONE through all right but as Bi-
ct in Carmen says: Love ia like a
'ypsy child and many brave man G.
las fallen an easier way
The affair continued right along u
s such things most always do until
ne unhappy day whe a second sort
Il young Lochinvar rode out OF the u
vest and upset he whole business II
his stalwart worthy was Tom Auto u
zee. the half breed son OF the re- p
oubtable Charlie Autobee. whom u
verybody knew and respected. The II
Dung man was something Of mash ~
r himself and created d good deal j
{ rIlctiOn arnund tho nosf hy cnrrx | u