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of course, “The Apache Prisoner Geronimo” was<br />
promoted as a headl<strong>in</strong>e act.<br />
In his autobiography, Geronimo said, “When I<br />
was at first asked to attend <strong>the</strong> St. Louis World’s<br />
Fair I did not wish to go.”<br />
Accord<strong>in</strong>g to ano<strong>the</strong>r account however, what<br />
Geronimo does not say is that he did not wish to<br />
go because <strong>the</strong> government was only will<strong>in</strong>g to pay<br />
him $1 per day for appear<strong>in</strong>g at <strong>the</strong> exposition,<br />
while commercial promoters offered much more.<br />
Once <strong>the</strong> government made it clear that he could<br />
only leave <strong>the</strong> compound at Fort Sill under <strong>the</strong>se<br />
terms, he agreed. Or, as he put it, “I consented.”<br />
He went on to say, “Later, when I was told that I<br />
would receive good attention and protection, and<br />
that <strong>the</strong> President of <strong>the</strong> United States said that it<br />
would be all right, I consented. …Every Sunday<br />
<strong>the</strong> President of <strong>the</strong> Fair sent for me to go to a<br />
Wild West show. I took part <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> rop<strong>in</strong>g contests<br />
before <strong>the</strong> audience. There were many o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
Indian tribes <strong>the</strong>re, and strange people of whom<br />
I had never heard …There were many strange<br />
th<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>se shows…I am glad I went to <strong>the</strong><br />
Fair. I saw many <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g th<strong>in</strong>gs and learned<br />
much of <strong>the</strong> white people. They are a very k<strong>in</strong>d<br />
and peaceful people. Dur<strong>in</strong>g all <strong>the</strong> time I was at<br />
<strong>the</strong> Fair no one tried to harm me <strong>in</strong> any way.”<br />
In 1905, Geronimo agreed to tell his life story<br />
to S. M. Barrett, Super<strong>in</strong>tendent of Education<br />
<strong>in</strong> Lawton, Oklahoma. Barrett had to ask <strong>the</strong><br />
President of <strong>the</strong> United States for permission to<br />
publish <strong>the</strong> book. Geronimo reportedly came<br />
to each <strong>in</strong>terview know<strong>in</strong>g exactly what he<br />
wanted to say. He refused to answer questions<br />
or alter his narrative afterwards, say<strong>in</strong>g, “Write<br />
what I said.” Frederick Turner <strong>the</strong>n re-edited <strong>the</strong><br />
autobiography by remov<strong>in</strong>g some of Barrett’s<br />
footnotes and writ<strong>in</strong>g an <strong>in</strong>troduction. Turner<br />
wrote that <strong>the</strong> book is <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> style of an Apache<br />
recit<strong>in</strong>g his oral history.<br />
It is believed because of a 1939 movie about <strong>the</strong><br />
famous Apache warrior, US Paratroopers began<br />
shout<strong>in</strong>g, “Geronimo,” to show <strong>the</strong>y had no fear<br />
when jump<strong>in</strong>g out of an airplane dur<strong>in</strong>g WWII.<br />
The name has s<strong>in</strong>ce become a household word.<br />
Many contemporary accounts from his day said<br />
Geronimo was a liar, scoundrel and thief. Modern<br />
accounts tend<br />
to pa<strong>in</strong>t him as<br />
a noble Indian<br />
hero. The truth<br />
probably lies<br />
somewhere<br />
<strong>in</strong> between.<br />
Thanks to his<br />
embrac<strong>in</strong>g<br />
capitalism<br />
however, and<br />
his will<strong>in</strong>gness<br />
to participate<br />
at <strong>the</strong> Wild<br />
West Shows,<br />
Fairs, and<br />
Expositions,<br />
at <strong>the</strong> time<br />
of his death<br />
Geronimo reportedly had a large sum of money<br />
saved <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> bank. Whe<strong>the</strong>r this was true or not,<br />
he did <strong>in</strong> fact, make a lot of money dur<strong>in</strong>g his<br />
later years. The Apache warrior, turned statesman,<br />
Wild West celebrity and entrepreneur died on<br />
February 17, 1909.<br />
World’s Fair, 1904<br />
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AZ<strong>in</strong><strong>the</strong><strong>Saddle</strong>.com March 2015 33