Arizona republican., 1921-04-13
INDIANS IN ATTEMPT TO MAKE TRADE FUR
 TWO WHITE SQUAWS'

How Mescalero Indians of the San Francisco peak country attempted to barter with the late J. W. Daven- port for the two white squaws," his wife and Mrs. John Asher was re- lated by Mrs. J. W. Davenport, a Phoenix resident. recently. Sne told many interesting experiences of early day history in northern Arizona.
 we were the first white women that these tribesmen had ever seen and it was evident that the Indians were eager to gain possession of the pale faced squaws,'" Mrs. Davenport declared
 Gifts of great value were offered MT. Davenport if he would part with one or both of the women" Mrs. Da- venport said laughingly, as her mind wandered back to the incident. Mrs. Asher was making her home with us during the summer she explained "and the Indians presumably thought that MT. Davenport could easily rlo himself of one of the women without lappreciable loss. Their proposal Is laughable now, but 1t was serious then. for we did not know but that they would forcibly take us with them when they went into the noun tains,' she said.
 MT. Davenport attempted to ex- plain the custom of whites and to show them how such a thing would be impossible, but, of course. they could not understand. They stead fastly insisted that at least one of the white squaws' be given the tribe assuring him safety and protection as well f>s gifts, in return" Mrs. Da- venport continued.
 When it became evident to then that MT. Davenport could not ane would not meet their demands. ws were given notice to take our de parture, under threat of our livs. Wi moved.
 1.-TWO summers we lived in the White mountains and throughou these periods were were almost co1 stantly menaced by the Indians. WI
 would get well established in com munity, build a log house, and thel the Indians would start their depre dations, stealing our cattle and men facing our lives. We frequently wer
 ordered to move the Indians claiming that we were stealing their lands.
 "As a means of self protection an to save our stock, We moved iron place to place, always building lo cabins wherever we located. I sup l pose we built at least half dozel
 such places and were obliged t I abandon them all Some of thes 1 were built where Prescott now stand and others at what is now Williams
 But two years of such experience
 were enough for us, so the followin
 summer we came south with ou stock to the Verde river. We foun
 conditions so satisfactory that we di
 not return to Prescott for the win
 ter. as had been our custom in pre- vious years, but remained in tn
 Verde. Three years later we came t Phoenix" she concluded.
 Mrs. Davenport came to Arizon; with her husband in 1875, making tn
 trip from Los Angeles, where sh l was born, overland They came a part of a train, which included on , six horse team, a mess wagon an cargo wagons, when Ed. Mario
 brought his sheep from the coas , she said
 ? Little excitement attended, the tril r she said, the Indians keeping thei l. distance. They made no attempt 1 : attack the train, nor did they ste; l. any of the stock.
 r Mrs. Davenport has been a res r dent of Phoenix for nearly 40 year 2 She now resides at 9e9 South Secon ] avenue. Her husband died aboI : eight years ago He came to Arizon I originally for his health and live ' more than "3S years in this sta { after regaining full health and vigor