After this meeting from time to time other
white men come into our country. They were rock breakers looking for the
yellow-iron. Mostly they come in pairs without their women, this we thought was
strange for it is not a custom of our people to go that way. There were strange
stories coming to us of many white people, in the valley of the river (Owens
valley) by the high mountains west of here that made war on our people and
killed many. Hearing this we were afraid there would be trouble. (The old
man shifted his seat to throw a stick at a yelping dog) By this time I was
married and living not far from Wild Rose spring, and again a big thing
happened in my life. This time many white men with Mexicans and Chinese came to
the Panamints and all go up that way in what the white man calls Surprise
canyon. They built many houses and they all stop there. I did not know there
were so many people and so many different kinds, they brought horses, mules,
burros and cows. They called that place Panamint City. They made roads all
over the desert to that place where they all lived. You can see the road now in
Surprise canyon, that was a long time ago. I think most of those people have
gone to their fathers. These white men all carried guns and some times they
fight among themselves. At the time I worked with Hungry Bill, my
brother-in-law, for a Mexican packer, cutting and packing pinion timber for the
mines. He had many burros, these were the first we ever saw. (The old man
laughed to himself). It was not long before we had burros of our own, Hungry
Bill was good at finding things that were lost and I think some of those burros
were not "lost." |
Learns Mule Skinner's
Language |
First I learned to speak a little
Mexican, it was easier to learn, then I learned a little American, at first
only the words the mule skinners called the mules when they were mad. Later
I learned to prospect and find the metal those white people wanted so badly. I
did very good but never received anything but grub and promises from those
people. One man he gave me a check, when I showed it to another white man he
laughed. May be that was a white man's joke. One white man I packed for, his
name was George. We prospect all over the Ky-e-gutas. When we go out I tell
him, "You stay back of me, this is my country," when we come back to Panamint
City where they all live, I tell him, "Now, you go first, this is your
country." Lots of white men have fun, they say, "Hello George, he your son?"
After that every one called me George, that's how I got that name. |
|
Another man who was a "government man" gave
'me that name "Hansen," he said I must have a name for the books, at Washington
so Uncle Sam would know me. (The old man laughed). I don't know this Uncle Sam,
but I guess he is all right, for when my son Mike or daughter Isabel is sick he
sends a medicine man from the agency. |
Too Many Beans for
Bill |
"Hungry Bill" he got his name from the
white people at Panamint City. He was always hungry like a coyote, and a pretty
bad Indian. I guess the government man did not give him another name because he
was not much good, may be Uncle Sam didn't want him in the books. One white man
at Stone Corral put some medicine in beans. When Hungry Bill eat all he could
hold, he got sick. After that he never liked beans any more. About that time
they made another place at Kow-wah and called that place Ballarat. When they
come in from outside they stop there on way to Panamint City. Pretty soon some
horse soldiers come and stopped at that place, the chief of those soldiers had
a Ka-naka (Negro) who worked for him. When I first saw that black man I thought
he was a white man burned black. Hungry Bill, he was smart Indian. One time
he made camp by the road, two white men come along, they have guns, when they
see Hungry Bill they shoot at ground, they say "Dance, Injun, dance." Hungry
Bill he did that, he dance close by sage brush by his gun, when white men make
a big laugh, quick, Hungry Bill he pick up his gun, point at white men, he say
"Now you dance same me." This time Hungry Bill had a big joke on white
men. After all those people go away from Panamint City they leave many
things, that is where I got many things you see about this ranch. One man he
brought those stage wagons and he say: "George, I leave them here with you,
some day I come back and get them," He never came back, that was a long time
ago. Long time after they all go away, more white men come, this time to
Sheep mountain. They call that place Skidoo. Me and my cousin Shoshone Johnnie
we packed wood and timber to that place. After they have a big fight, Joe
Simpson he shoot Jim Arnold, other white men hang Joe Simpson by his neck,
after that we stayed away. One white man he give to my daughter Isabel a
picture of Simpson hanging by his neck. That was not good, maybe Simpson was
drunk when he shot Arnold. It's bad way to die, man's spirit cannot get out
when he dies with rope around the neck. In this telling I must not forget
my friend John Searles. |
|
Across the mountains to the south of here
there is a dry white lake, where in the old days our people went for salt.
There is a town there now and a big mill. They call that place Trona. I go
there often, and have many friends at that place. When I go there for grub,
every one say "Hello George, how are you?" With my father and Hungry Bill we
went there for salt long ago, that is where I met this man. He had a camp and
horse corral by the lake. When we saw this, we stayed away. That night Searles
he came to our camp and made signs for work. My father and I worked there a
long time, we liked the Chinamen, they were little bit like our people. Some
white man told to me "Chinaman and Injun all same." May be so, but I do not
believe that. When we went away, Searles he said: "George, you are always
welcome and any time you stop here, China boy will feed you, but not Hungry
Bill, you tell him to stay away." |
"Take Mule Home, Eat
'em" |
Then he say: "Come here," and he showed
me old mule in the corral, he said: "You taken home, make jerky, plenty good
meat. You no keep him, you eat, sabe?" We did this, for in the old days any
kind of meat was good. John Searles was a good man and known to our people as
"Bear Fighter." When he was a young man he had a big fight with a bear in
Tehachapi mountains, that is how he got that name. He had big scar on neck from
that fight, when he talk to me he hold his head this way (the old man bent his
head slightly to the left shoulder). Many times after that I thought of John
Searles and the good meat we eat at his camp. Some people say he killed
Indians, but that is not true. That time Hungry Bill would go away for a
long time south of Mojave, when he come back, he always bring horses and mules,
then all the Indians would have plenty meat. This was not good and caused lots
of trouble with the white men. I think that is why Searles told him to stay
away. |
* * * |
The lean dogs sniffed the air and ran off
barking. It was Molly, granddaughter of Bah-vanda-sava-nu-kee bringing in the
goat herd to the shelter of the corral for the night. Old Woman threw a
stick on the dying fire, the flames lit up the old Indian's face, "My son, the
few thing I have told you are but the flutter of a crow's wing in my life. Soon
I will go to the land of my fathers along with all these other people I have
told you about." |
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