Show I 1 Early D Da Days ys y s of othe the Western Slope of Colorado I In his splendid book Early Days Dayson on tho the Western Slope of Colorado Sidney has set down much Interesting first h hand first information in- in In Information n- n formation regarding early events event and people Having bee been a part p rt of ot these stirring ti times es and being possessed of ofa ofa a n remarkably remarkably entertaining style hr hp has contributed a valuable book to the none too complete history of this section He was connected with the tho th Southern Ute Ule Iti Indian lan agency and ami from his personal acquaintance a and nil ass association with Ouray ll th-j th great grea chief of the Utes he throws thrown t me in ill light on that old warrior It appears that this Indian so regardful regardful re re- gardful of or his white bro brother did not not hesitate to kill those thos of his wn p people ople wh who wanted to dispute ute his position as s head chief Mr relates that among the Southern Utes was an Indies Indian named who greatly desired to drive the white settlers out put of the country Ouray was very friendly to tho the settlers and told thai lh the next time he came to the Uncompahgre Uncompahgre Un- Un river for the purpose of trying to make trouble he would 1 kill him a n thing Ouray never hesitated to do when he thought it necessary gave no heed to the warning but came back hack to create trouble again and was immediately killed The n next ext malcontent to take ex exception exception ex- ex to to Ouray was one I ex-I He was shot A week later another warrior called Jack of Clubs tried to make trouble for Ouray and was shot The fourth bad man was Lucifer Lucifer Lu cifer cler called Old Nick for short but just jus the same he ho was shot The Tho fifth sore head was Mr Hot Stuff I 1 The These e names names of course were applied by the he boys at the agency to save save time in pronouncing Indian names The circumstances attending the shooting of ot Mr Hot Stuff forms forma aut an n episode more in k keeping with Ouray's prowess than any of his previous previous pre pre- engagements to Mr Hot Stuffs s Adverting to antecedents antecedents antecedents an an- it Is seldom there is found in a student of ot Carlisle CarUsI the government government government govern govern- ment school for Indians such wanton wanton wanton wan wan- ton recklessness as that which Mr Hot Stu Stuff t displayed at Leopard LeopardI I creek reek he approached and called called called call ed down Ouray His Christian name was Ha Hammer mer Kauch but his nickname nickname nickname nick nick- name of Hot Stuff was acquired at Carlisle when whon engaged ed In some scientific scientific experiments in which he monk monk- eyed too carelessly with various high explosives and came very near blowing blowing blowing blow blow- ing himself up while in the p presence ence of the ch chemistry class It invalided him so long in the hospital that in lieu of graduation he took a vacation vacation vaca vaca- tion and then returned to Colorado Where he became one of Uncle Sams Sam's re reservation tramps and blanketed outlaws Ouray had been Informed through the medium of ot his s secret cret police poUce ever everal al alert rt now that t the ball all was rolling that the said Mr Hot Rot Stuff was coming g over to Leopard Leopard creek to bill bill him Ouray determined therefore to remain longer In that camp than was his previous intention in order to accommodate the renegade for having three V Winchester a Sharpes Sharpe's sporting rifle and an old-fashioned old needle gun he considered that he was fairly well fixed to do Justice to himself On the tho morning following that on which he his warning warning warning warn warn- ing Ouray was therefore on the lookout lookout lookout look look- out for th the early approach of Mr Hot Stuff but that worthy didn't show up until late in the afternoon when the ever watchful ever Chipeta discovered discovered disi dis dis- i covered him at a distance nce riding a calico horse His approach was ver very verj prudently made mado under the cover ol of the underbrush but Ouray kept kepl him spotted just the same and at last puta put pul a shot through his neck wh while l he was in the act of dodging behind a abig abig abig big pine tree Ouray's summary method of dealing dealing deal deal- ing lug with his bis enemies is probably without a parallel in the tho annals of the American Indian on tHe tue other hand he was by no means bloodthIrsty bloodthirsty bloodthirsty blood blood- thirsty for his was a true heart that ever recognized the dut duty of happiness happiness happiness happi happi- ness and he lie invariably in faced the anomalies of life with a certain courageous gayety that scattered the clouds of woe and disaster The rank and file of Utes Ules made the agency constantly aware of the fact that but for Ouray on sundry occasions their lives would not have been worth an hours hour's purchase purchase purchase pur pur- chase consequently they were ever everon everon everon on the alert to the fact that his carrying carrying carrying car car- c off ff would mean the signal for a general outbreak In their Intercourse with the government government gov goy they had tacitly him as their leader for the government government government govern govern- ment would talk to no one else For that matter Ouray was the only chief who could make himself understood in English hence as among his fellows fellows fellows fel fel- fel- fel lows their interest dictated the above recognition albeit it was a recognition recognition tion that was responsible only to the white white- whiteman man min for as among themselves themselves they could not be persuaded to hail hall Ouray at once nce as their chief On the other hand he was the only one among the entire conclave of chiefs who had the ability and courage to cater to their interests the Only one with sagacity enough to see cle clearly uly their relative position as wards of cf the nation The government Insisted that Ouray accept a salary for his servIces services services servi servI- ces to the end that his his' stewardship might be properly rewarded This he To have rejected It would not have appeased the covetousness covetousness covetousness covet- covet of his rivals Their selfish ambition clamored for a that they were incapable of exercisIng exercising ing but just the same they sought to murder him rather than that that they should give up the head chieftain chieftain- ship Like spoiled children their selfish natures blinded them from seeing Ouray's noble sincerity of purpose purpose purpose pur pur- pose and true loyalty loyally to tribal interests inter inter- ests Ouray was so entirely devoted to Chipeta his wife that his acceptance acceptance accept accept- acceptance ance of a salary was due to the of f a desire to generously provide for her in order order order or or- der that in case of his untimely death at the hands of his enemies she would never have to suffer from poverty in her old age In 1872 at the agency five sub-chiefs sub tried to murder Ouray His law in Sapinero was chosen to do the initiative that warned for when Sapinero picked up an axe Ouray was vas clever enough to keep the post at which he was to end Ouray's life b but t they allgot all allgot allgot got drunk beforehand and therein lay the failure of their attempt The five of f them had secreted themselves in the blacksmith shop just as Ouray was in the act of crossing the plaza to get his horse shod there by George Har Hardman man It was this man who put Ouray on his guard and it was well for Ouray that he was his horse horge between him and his aSSaIl assail- knit The first first blow missed Ouray's head by the merest fraction of or an aninch aninch aninch inch for Ouray was quicker than Sapinero At the second blow Sap Sapinero's Inera's In- In eros ero's axe handle was sh shattered on the post whereupon Ouray leaping upon his neck bore him into into the Ir IrrIgating Irrigating irrigating Ir- Ir ditch that ran past the blacksmith shop On this the other would-be would assailants ran off ott leaving Sapinero to fight single-handed single his wily opponent Had It not been for Chip Chipeta eta Ouray would have shown show him no mercy for he was Incensed at Sapinero's treachery With a firm grasp of his powerful left hand on the latter's throat he reached for his hunting knife with which to cut tho the heart out of Sapinero but Chipeta grasped the knife out of its sheath before Ouray could lay his hand upon I it and thereby saved her brothers brother's life n |