The Delta independent., 1915-08-13
IDEUTA oLD-TIMER
HosNossED WITH INDIANS

HosNoseED WITH INDIANS
Captain Head of this city as is well
city and county is one of the early
4 day pioneers. - He, came to this dis
trict when Indian tribes had full sway.
when their tepees were as thick in
spots as are tents on q district camp
meeting ground, and was first to greet
other white men when they dared to
venture into the country. The captain
was over in Montrose last week and
during his stay in that city a news
man on the Enterprise got hold of
him and talked him out of some
memoirs:
r'Talk about old times, Montrose
had for visitor a short time last Fri
day a genuine article in that line in
the person Of Captain T. Head, of
i Delta, who was on his way to Gunni-
son. The old gentleman is SO years of
age but don't look to be more than
sixty. While he is still quite peart he
says that he is beginning to feel that
he is growing old. He owns consid-
cradle property in Delta and Gunni-
son counties and has quite bunch
of cattle, having long been in the
cattle business in this section of the
state.
The captain is an exceedingly inter
esting talker and entertained a group
of Montrosians at the depot while
waiting for the train by stories Of old
times in this locality. Among other
things he told of the rescue of two
white girls from the Indians up on
Plateau creek near the old state
bridge across the Gunnison east Of
Delta. The Indians had gotten in the
habit Of kidnapping white girls and
women and holding them until the pale
faces would put up money for the pur-
chase Of their return. On one occa-
sion two girls by the name Of Wheel
ock were doing up the family washing
along the river near their home at
Rocky Ford when a bunch of Indians
came along and took them with
them. Considering that 1t was about
time for putting a stop TO this kind
of business on the part of the In
dians the commander of the U. S.
| troops at the fort at Rocky Ford
called upon Captain Head to take
company Of a hundred soldiers and
rescue the girls. The Captain and his
troops trailed the girls and their cap
tors over this far and then he called
on Chief Ouray to help him, telling
him that II the girls were not peace
fully turned over to him there would
be trouble. Chief Ouray accompanied
the soldiers to the rendezvous of the
Indians on Plateau creek where Ouray
persuaded his countrymen to give up
the girls without trouble. They found
the girls in tent under guard and
they had in no way been lily treated.
other than that their dresses had been
trimmed off up to a point above their
knees and they had been relieved of
their shoes and stockings.
about two years ago. said Mr..
Head, I was in Denver when all of
sudden a strange woman came rush
ing up to me, threw her arms around
my neck and proceeded to lombard
me with kisses. ] was unable to fig
ure out what 1t all meant until she in
formed me that she was one of the
girls l had rescued from the Indians
81 years ago
"T met the same woman at Cimar-
ron only two weeks ago. said Mr.
Head, and she recognized me and re-
newed her appreciations OF the service
] had rendered her in rescueing her
and her sister from the Red men,
"The captain has quite record as
a family man, having raised sixteen
children OF his own and in addition to
that thirteen orphan children which
he adopted and gave them homes and
reasonably good educations.
although past ninety years OF age
Mr.. Head has not lost his prowess as
a hunter. Less than a year ago he
tells us that he killed the largest bear
over In the Plateau country that he
has ever killed, and he has killed a
great many. At shooting match not
many years ago he took the heads off
OF several turkeys in succession with
a rifle at sixty yards distance"