Weekly Chemawa American., October 09, 1908, Image 1

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VOL. 11
OCTOBER 9, 1908.
NO. 16
Noted Indian Chief
Lawton, Okla., Oct. 3? -Although old
Geronimo is fast failing in years, caused
by the awful hardships he experienced
during the days that he held the west
and southwest in terror prior to 1886, he
can still lariat' a' steer with great accur
acy. He. is now busily engaged, with
many of the Apache, bucks, roping the
young calves of the 'Apache cattle and
assisting in the branding of several
thousand yearlings. r" This work isl)eing
done while the Apache Indians are mak
ing their annual round-up of cattle on
the range of the Port Sill military reser
vation. All cattle are being collected at
the Rock Island. tanks near ElginvwThere
the calves will be branded, ,
Lieutenant George Purington, who has
charge of the Apache prisoners of war
and their possessions, is overseeing the
round-up. Vorkingr,:Under him and
assisting in the roundup are 100 Apache
men and boys.
A. complete invoice of everything be
longing to the Indians is to be made. It
is. estimated that the Apache herd of
cattle, contains 10,000 head, probably
the largest single herd in Oklahoma.
One of the interesting things in connec
tion with the herd is the fact that there
are very few dry cows. This year there
was the largest "crop of calves" ever
raised oh the reservation.
According to the us u a 1 cu stom of
handling the Apache cattle, the cows are
numbered, ami in branding alL calves
are branded-with the same number as
their mother. The heifer calves are reV
tained no cows being sold until too old
for active life on the range and the
greatest number of steers are shipped
and sold. , t
Each Indian owns cows bearing his
numbers, and the young cows bearing
the same number, becomes his property.
Jt h estimated that there are approx
i mo t e 1 y f00 steeVrea 1 ves this year,
which will bring the tribe about $25,000.
Old (etonirao was in Lawton today
and expVessed himself, through ail in
terpieter, on the Indian and his 'future.
"My , people,,, going fat,'' he said in
broken Spanish. u Nearly all dead now."
Soon all be dead. Too much whiskey
kill Indian, Soon no more at all."
That brand) of; tribe prisoners at war
upon the Fort Sill mi'ita ry reservation
(Continued on page 4. )