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Show m I I . . . I . , t ; \ ; ' c ' "Dear Friend Dan: [-j.A ^^AJLL!.1A1*. "I give this to the care of a jolly good friend of mine, a*man*of the highest cultivation, a student of the same branch of science which I am following, and at the same time far more profound and celebrated in it than am I. ( ^4- .'Tyr:.- 'His .n-.aommpe., tt-hVoirumgoKh rc^ellpebbrraatrepdr-l--AAddnollhphhtuJst FF . BFaannddeelileire-r-VOyUou mmaavy nnoott bbee aacc- I quainted with. Of course by reading it you will recognize a countryman, and one •who can converse with you either in French, Spanish or English. He is on his way to Chihuahua and the city of Mexico, but he will take time during his journey, to examine all ancient ruins of interest, he comes across. With this in view, I take the liberty of introducing him to you, with the hope that you or Joaquin may possibly show him some in your neighborhood". Kindly direct him on his way; and any other courtesy you may show him, will be most highly appreciated by Yours faithfully, F. H. CUSHING "Kindly present and take my regards and Mrs. Cushing's to your family and yourself. We send you a few newspapers." Dan had been awarded a Federal pension at the instance of Mr. Page, hotel man and politician of Gallup. When the pension was granted I have not inquired. It was Dan's friend Cotton, however, who was instrumental in having Dan admitted to the Sawtelle.; Soldiers' Home; and it was Hart to whom he gave his Sharp rifle before leaving Gallup - for California. Mrs. Garduno informed me that her father had a wonderful voice, that on one occasion "he promised to sing high mass in Latin," but when he failed to appear at rehearsal, he was asked the reason for his absence. He laughed and answered that tht church would have tumbled down if he had set foot in it. In 1899 Dan was singing in a saloon when a negro entered and asked him to sing again, and, when he had finished, the negro said that only one person could sing that way and he is my master. It turned out that the negro had recognized Dan's voice. They had been playmates on the old plantation in Louisiana and his mother had been Dan's nurse, whom Dan had always referred to as Aunt Mary Hilda, while the colored man, known to Dan's daughter as Uncle, was a frequent visitor at the DuBois home. "After that," says Mrs. Garduno, "his name was John Shato. While prospecting near Prescott, Arizona, John was shot and killed by an unknown assassin." On May 25, 1923, only seven months before his departure for Los Angeles to spend his last days at Sawtelle, Dan had a unique experience in Gallup, the event marking the dedication of the enlarged "El Navajo," the railroad hotel and station. The celebration and housewarming were conducted by fifteen Navaho medicine-men and witnessed by 2000 Navaho and a number of frontiersmen, including Dan DuBois, "oldest scout on the Santa Fe Trail," and many others from all walks of life. In an article in The Santa Fe Magazine for July, 1923, we find that "Dan DuBois, companion of Kit Carson, limping now on crutches under the weight of ninety years, with scar of a scalping knife all the way around beneath his long hair and with such a record of thrilling frontier adventure ssEnr |
