The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-09-09

hCIhSS
the Mexican border was the scene
of many of their bloodiest battles.
Their own race was no safer from
them than was the white mans.
Neither Indian village nor white
settlement could foretell when the
grim raiders would descend upon
them and when they appeared a
fight to to the death was inevita-
BILE. They were the scourge of the
Southwest-dreaded by every one.
1t is in fairly recent times, how
ever, that the Apaches have writ
ten their name largest on the page.
1t was ,unthinkable to these bold
raiders that they should be tame
ly confined on reservations, and
they resented the action with every
means at their command. Every
attempt to compel their submission
was thwarted by their crafty lead
ers. Cochise, one of,'the most IA
nous of these, led them in cattle
stealing and other manifestations
of their displeasure, until his death
in 1874. However. with Cochise
no longer instigating trouble, they
began to show little interest in
peaceful pursuits. and had the
Chiricahua reservation been main
tanned, it is possible that the
Apaches would have settled down
and become more or less peaceful.
But In 1876 the government abol-
ished this reservation, and Apache
land was like an up-torn anthil
once more. At least they had
been on their own familiar grounds
in the Chiricahua reservation, but
the idea of being sent away was
more than they could bear. 1t was
not a time to fight, for the white
men were too strong for them.
Some of them fled into Mexico or
hid in the mountains. but those
who did not escape were taken to
the San Carlos reservation.
The same thing happened In
New Mexico. When the time came
to move them, only $50 of the
1000 Apaches were to be found,
while the rest had accepted Vic
torio as their leader, and were
once more on the raid. For about
eight years the Apache were in 4
state of turmoil. The authorities
moved them around like so many
cattle-when they could catch
them. But secure in their strong
holds among the mountains, the
larger part of the tribe successful
ly defied capture, and continued
the depredatiens which made their
tribe so terrible. Border raids
were common, and the white set
tiers were in constant dread. 1t
seemed impossible to tame these
wild Apaches.
Patience fortified with firearms
managed to gain foothold at last,
Gen. G. II. Crook induced about
1000 of them to go on a reserya-
tion in 1882. The next year most
of the remaining Apaches surren-
dered, and under Crooks guidance
they were slowly being trained In
the ways of civilization. If the
situa on could have been left ut
this perhaps there would have been
no further trouble, but a couple
OF years later Crooks power was
curtailed. He had been able to
hold them quiet as no other man
had done. but his work was only
at its beginning when 1t was
brought to an unfortunate stop.
Two years of training had not
tanned the savage Apaches. Half
of them fled the reservation again.
The Southwest was once more
stirred by border raids, and al
though Geronimo, the Apache lead
er, finally asked for a parley-just
as it was thought that he was Sc
cured, he changed his mind and
slipped out of reach.
Crook, unable to arrange affairs
with tied hands, asked to be re-
ieved, and Gen. Nelson A. Miles
took his place. Again order be-
gan slowly to emerge out OF chaos.
Geronimo and his men surrendered
at last, unable to longer maintain
their enemy status. Those Apaches
who remained hostile stayed in
Mexico. where they were occasion
ally heard from as late as 1900, but
the settlers of Arizona and New
Mexico were able to breathe freely.
The remains of the tribe are
now living in Oklahoma. They
have accepted peace as a necessity.
f0 1871 western Newsnaner IJnfon