Uncle John Chaney
Arizona Republican Newspaper
May 20 ,1899

Uncle John Chaney well known in the territory has celebrated 
his 71st birthday.  There is an air of mystery about the old 
man and it will be discovered by anybody who engages in a 
conversation with him that he is non-communicative about 
certain periods of his life.  The fact is that although he 
has lived in this territory for a number of years and in 
California he was known as a '49er, there are few people 
who know of his earlier exploits.

Eight years of Uncle Johns life are now almost a blank to him. 
When a youngster ten years of age, he lived in a small village 
near Kansas City. He had hunting propensities and frequently 
strolled a few miles from the village on expeditions.  Young 
Chaney frequently met Indians in his hunting tours and became 
familiar with them.

He went hunting daily but that was not regarded as extraordinary 
because everyone knew of his antipathy to school.  He was 
enamored of an Indian maiden a few years older than himself 
and the girl's parents did not discourage his suit. Although 
he was romantic he had no thought of marrying the girl. Her 
parents had a different view so one day they abducted Chaney, 
who lived in the tribe for eight years.  After a year he had 
no more inclination to return home, but his father who was 
well off exhausted every means trying to locate him.

In the meantime Chaney was not a great many miles from his home 
but he was fast becoming fluent in half a dozen Indian tongues. 
He was with a tribe called the Kaws who had been segreated 
from the Pottowotomi Indians.  He did not remain steadfast 
in his love for the young girls but became a hardened buck 
and spent most of his time hunting.

When he was restored to his family his home did not seem 
like a home and he finally left it for good.

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