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liange-lore Page one
Bixby Mosley
3en Angelo
RANGE-LOBL
Silas tt, Wilson was born in
Missouri in 1866, a desoendent of
the Cherokee tribe, his mother being
one half Cherokee Indian. The mother's
brother lived in the Territory and in"
stated that they move where the mother
oould put in her claim and receive the
allotment of free land. The move was made;
however the mother died before the land was
*Mated and the ohildren received their
share.
"I have lived in the Territory and later Oklahoma practi-
cally all of my life," says Silas W. Wilson of San Angelo, Texas.
"Iy.boys live in Oklahoma and would not live elsewhere, but
circumstances sent me from there.
"There was a little war that existed amonr! the Indians; the
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progressive and national party; the progressives were welcom-
ing the whites and leasing land to them; the nationalists were
rejecting and refusing to deal with the whites in any manner.
*Stealing was the most common crime among the Indians;
to steal a hog or horse was considered almost as serious as a
murder of the human race. The guilty party was carried out to
the whipping post or presented to the ball Nhobbers who carried
them out with a paper tag pinned to their heart where they were
used for target practioe.
"The Inuian laws and penalties were; first offense of
stealing was fastened to the wnipping post and given 49 lashes
with the hickory stick; the seoond offense was 99 lashes; the
third offense was death. There Is where the hickory stick be-
es= famous; the young white hickory of about two years growth
could be bent and twisted somewhat as a blacksnake whip and
that was the famous hickory stick of the long ago first in use
by the Indians.
"Horace -lien, a Texan, moved to the Territory and was
my neighbor for some time and I knew he was a good fellow. Out-
laws broke into the Territory and killed some of the Indians'
hogs. .he party that had refused to accept the whites told the
Indians that borace Allen killed their hogs. of course the
Indians beoame furious and mutilated his body at once; he was
not given a chance for trial. I was with the United States De-
puty Marshals when the Indians were captured. One of the muti-
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lator had Horace Allen's eyeball in his pocket and dispIayed
it among his friends. we captured thirteen Indians that were
sentenced to the penitentiary where twelve of that gang died.
"I saw one Indian get his 99 lashes with the hickory stick.
His first offense was stealing hogs and the second was plotting
with the white thieves. Wien the Indian was released from the
whipping post he started down the road with blood splashing in
his shoes. He struggled about three -fourths of a mile, when he
fell dead. I have seen many Indians whipped and shot to death
for the repitition of what we would oall ndnor offenses.
"The squaw ranked first in managing and providing for the
family. She planted cultivated and harvested the crops; then
she made the grain into flour or meal which was made into bread.
The braves did whatever they enjoyed doing; as hunting or fish-
ing for the meat supply. The braves would gang up and go on
hunts for pleasure as well as for the meat value. The meat was
brought in and turned over to the squaws to be prepared as best
they oould. The braves would not exert their physical bodies to
make a living for their families; they reserved their strength
to take part in any war -like affair.
"Mien we lived In Atoka County, Lane, Oklahoma, the fourth
of July, 1910 was celebrated by all whites far and near. The
picnic had' been enjoyed all day, good hone cooking was served,
stand. of confections dotted the park here and there, oontests
and games provided the day's amusement. In the center of the
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park a pavilion was built for dancing. Lvery thing was going
well, the orchestra was tuning up for a long session of music
for the gay affair. The Indians had appeared once or tribe
during the day; we thought they were just curious to know what
was going on. ve lighted the oil lanterns as darkness appeared.
Twenty-seven Indian§ rode up and circled around and around our
picnic grounds, shot the lights out, gave war -whoops and we
knew they 'want business and were well on the war path. The
crowd disappeared in various ways. some fainted and were carried
out. My wife and I were in charge of the celebration and could
not leave. The Indians with gunsiknives and various means of
protection entered the grounds. About seventeen of them jumped
on me at the same time but were outwitted by the help of my wife
and their physical awkwardness*. My wife hacked an Indian in the
book with a hatahetthe took it from her, then snatched her long
tresses and slung her to the ground* I saw them strike matches
to see where to shoot but we came out on top. we killed several
Indians and were asFeased smell fines, but were glad to get out
alive. The remaining Indians were carried to jail. The next
day we found four knives and two six-shooters that were lost, by
the Indians during the affray.
"I was en officer most of the time when I lived in Oklaho-
ma, served as a detective or United States Deputy. I esaaped
and came to Texas in 1913 to evade leadership of the shooting crew,
that is, to shoot all Indians that were given a death sentence.
When I refused they would have killed me had I not left out. The
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shaotlag crew °Instate A' twelve ncn that die the whipping ond
killing of t!le criminals.
"1,hoshopna Dances were green when an Indian was reel sick.
The affair wee as elaborute as his .social standing would permit
se it is today with the celebrities elaborating to the fullest
extent vhilt to coLimn person's life and death does not effect
the public'.
"khoshopha- is corn mesa (as they pounded with mallets)
boiled with meat. i attended a phoshopha dance when a chief was
sic**. ,lbout l hors were killed and out up into large wash
kettlea. The worn wee mashed end cooked vith the hop meet tl
serve about 300 attendants. f, big fire was built where the lueen
of the donee end five masouline selects jumped the leaping blazes
t) open the danee. The entire croup of attendants formed a line
e710 jumped the fire ono at a time. Ir ecse one refused to jumr
Vint on: vise not rxr:Atted entrance. The queen's &nee was follow-
ed by ull dancers. _1 big chief stood neer a:1d sang V-71.10 hoy,
yell) hoy, during the entire time af tne donee where all dancers sea.
and danced to tne =sic. The gay affair ur death danoe looted until
tt sick percon died or reeovered.
"The wourtelip and matrimonial responsibilities of the ixdians
prove to be quite -a contrast with ours, in many respeoto. The old
men marry the young girls und the young men marry the old squaws.
iqien on old man le seen ridinc circles aroune the teepee of a young
maiden, she is ensured he in after her. The father °ends the
daughter out and she goes with the 014 men to his home where she is
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on trial for six months. If She proves to be a good worker
and provides for him, the legal matrimonial ceremony is per-
formed. If she does not please him, she is then returned to
her parents.
"The matrimonial group ceremonies were performed at
special protracted meetings about four times each year.
Some
meetings lasted about one month where many life-long unions
were made. When mistreatment of any kind occurred, the whipp-
ing post or death was the punishment. The young boy married
the old squaw, when the old squaw died he then could choose
the young maiden for his wife.
"The city and county of Atoka, were named for an old
chief, Aoke, who is buried in that oount
y. I observed his
P,'reve lest SUMMer thet still has the little square stone house
over the head of it. The common class built log houses over
teir decd. The funeral attendants dropped coins in the caskets
s they pale tTn.eir last respects to the dead; the money was sup-
posed to be used to pey the fair across the River of Jordan. I
knew an old brvve that had five hundred dollars in gold; the old
Indian custom was carried out by piaci g the amount into the
oesket and it was buried with him. Two sons-in-law that survived,
remembered the gold, in later years went to the grave and ob-
tained te valuables. Soon their ranches were stocked with some
fine horses as a result and the boys were never lawfully punished
for the disrespectful sot.
"Child birth was regarded as a very minor occurrence among
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tle Indians. bend curaped in a wooded section near our house
4nd ub-Jut three hours later when they passed by on horseback
the old squaw had a now born papoose streA)ed to her beck.
Horseback riding lulled the new baby to sleep, while the new
mother bounced along on the rough horse.
"Old &Ina Luyenton.was my neighbor and I know this to he
a fact, that she gave birth to twins at 900 o'clock one morning
end that very eftcrnoon she put out the ftv-!ily washing. No
doctor was used, their endurance was beyond explanation.
two fullbloods und I were returning from a hunting
trip we saw u _orse with supplies .from the market on his book,
tied to e tree. s we drew neer we found an old squaw giving
birth to a papose. to stopped, rendered our midwife services
beat we could. hen all was well done we finally persuaded
her to be carried home in our hack.
"The expectant mothers always carried their erediev to
merket or wherever they went, ready to strap the papoose on
their book in ease it arrived when they were sway from home.
"The physical make-up of a fullblood is quite different
from the mix -breed. A dose of ealemel will kill an Indian as
quick as strychnine will kill a. dog.
"The Osage, Indians captured my aunt and uncle, Puddle and
John Taylor. i,unt :fuddie got away by some means after havire7
been kept a cptive for eight years. Uncle John was a gunsmith
by trade and worked for them sixteen years before he gained his
freedom and escaped at allsboro, Texas. He told of eating
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roast dog, hair, guts and all. Horse and donkey was also a
very much liPed food of the Indians.
"I once had a rich Indian sweetheart whose parents awaed
the :c,lister uoal mine, he invited me to have supper with
her before atendinp a bi dance. The main dish for the meal
was (Jailed squirrel, I etc mc,i fill complimentinc each helping.
When i had finished my Jail friend reminded me that I had been
eating pole -oat instead of squirrel. I was eo mad I.sterted
to walk out on that girl tale not take her to the dance, but
Indiens can't be treated that way very sucoessfully. Any way,
that warp my last date with her regardless of her montiy and
glamour.
"Bees have always been interesting to me, in fact I still
work with them as a hobby. one time I out a bee tree for old
Tubby fullblood, finding the most beautiful honey that was made,
but that did not arpeal to old Tubby as she took the unripe
honey tied ate until the milk from the young tee -worms ran down
her elbows. That wee the queerest old squaw I ever knew. -hen
she went to drive the calves in she would get covered with black
seed ticks, hat made her happy indeed, because she ate every
darn one of those things, monkey style. rubb fullblood is ap-
plied to the non -cultured Indian as the lower class of _exicans
are referred to as grousers.
"After all is said aae done I realaia proud of my Indian
blood."
Range -lore
Ruby Mosley
6811 Angelo
BIBLIOGRAPHY
W. Wilson, San Angelo, Texas, interviewed March 23., 1938.