WOMAN'S EDITION THE DALLES TIMES-MOUNTAINEER
15
Incidents in the Life of Missionary Spalding.
still alive she cast about in her mind
how she might warn him.
Among the Indians w ho held them in
Much has been -wild and written on She told me how her father had Ptivity, she felt sure that she might
the Whitman massacre, of the killed brought her down to Waulatpu and left trust OJie- Watching her chance she
and of the survivors : but few know the her to go to school, which begun that she said to him, "Go tell my father not
story of the escape of th Ueverend H, fatal morning, November 2th, 1847. come here, for the Indians are wait
II. Smuldhi from -nam death during Some davs before. Mr. Snaiildin !Vrf mg to kill him." Her intimation proved
t r o l At e it -r i aaI
And a still smaller number Dr. Whitman '-ad gone over on the irue' anu inenuiy xnaian staneu
over the trail to Umatilla, and met
that time.
gone over on the
know that his life was saved bv his ten- Umatilla, visitinsr amonc the- Indians.
year-old daughter, Eliza, who at that The doctor returned to the mission be- SPauldl"g told him what had occurred
time was held a captive by the Cayuse fore Monday, but Spaulding lengthened at the missl0n and that even then a
Indians. his visit, and to that delay he owed his erous Indian was secreted a few
This storv was told a few weeks ago life. For it certainly was the plan of miles on at a turn of tl,e trtul where
by Eliza herself, now a woman of sixty- the Indians to include Spaulding in the niusi pass on nis way to xne
one, and as brave and fearless with her general slaughter. She remembers
gray hair as at ten, when it was gold. hearing the older people say that there
We met and mingled our tears at the seemed to be a great deal of excitement
newly-made grave of Henry Spaulding, among the Indians, and that they were
whose death resulted from injuries he fearful of the consequences,
received when his home was destroyed Eliza was in the school-room, when
Dy nre a lew aays oeiore, at .Aimoia, about the middl of t, forenoo some
Indians came to the kitchen door and
asked for the doctor and before long a
great noise of pistol shots was heard.
In a few minutes it was known that the
Wash., March 22d, 1898.
He was her only brother and the only
playmate of her childhood. He was my
friend. The Reverend H. H. Spaulding
and wife will be remembered as a -paat doctor had been ghot and he was
of that little company or missionaries, . dragged into the dining-room still alive.
Dr. and Mrs. Whitman, and Mr. W. H
Gray, at old. Fort Walla Walla, now
Wallula, in September, 1836.
These women were the first white
women to cross the Rocky mountain.
The Spauldings located among the Xez
Perce Indians at Lapwai, twelve miles
above Lewistown on the Clearwater.
Here Eliza Spaulding: Warren was
born, November 15th, 1837," and enjoys
the distinction of being the first white
woman born in Oregon, for the North
west coast was all Oregon at that time.
. Henry and Martha Spaulding Wigle,
and a younger sister, Millie Spaulding
Brown, were their other children. Mrs.
Wigle will be remembered as an old
friend and neighbor.
We spoke of the great dangers and
privations of the early missionaries, of
the long horseback rides from Lewis
town and WaTla Walla to Oregon City
and Astoria1; swimming rivers and ford
Eliza not only saw him breathe his last,
but when Mrs. Whitman went to the
sash door and said to an Indian outside,
"Are you doing this?" she saw her fall
by the shot he filed tnrough the glass.
It would be a difficult matter for any
one to give a connected account of what
followed, much less a child of ten.
She and some of the children went up
mission, and lie would certainly be
murdered. Said the Indian, "Do you
see that fog-bank? Leave the trail here,
hide in the fog till you reach the blue
hills, follow the .line of the blue hills
till you come to the river, loose your
tracks in the river and make for the
Lapwai. This murderous Indian will
wait for you till nearly night, when he
will come on and in the dark will not
see where you left the trail ; but will go
on, not seeing you. He cannot retrace
his own steps until morning ; by morn
ing youvill be far away."
Spaulding followed the directions.
The next day the murderous Indian
traced Spaulding to the river and re
turned, reporting ' that Spaulding must
have been drowned. However, bands
of Indians were scouring the country in
every direction. One evening about
dark, while going down the Whetstone
canyon on the trail leading to Colville
stairs, not that they were safer there and Spokane where Ells and Walker
than anywhere else, but child-like, felt
that if they were only out of sight they
were out of danger.
One man saved his wife and children
by hiding them under the floor of an
adjoining room,, in a hole that had been
were stationed; Spalding heard Indians
coming up the canyon on a fast trot.
Thera was no time nor place to hide.
He threw himself over his horse's side,
holding on by one foot and hand, and
with the other hand seized his horse by
dug to hold vegetables, and scarcely had the nostrils that he might not whinney
when he met the other horses, and he
heard one Indian say as they trotted by
"yes, that is a loose horse."
Upon another occasion his horse
nearly revealed his hiding place. He
he replaced them when the room was
full of Indians. This proved a safe hid
ing place, after nightfall he ventured
out, taking with him his sick wife and
little children, to follow the Walla Wal
ing swollen streams, of trips lay small .la ver under cover of the bush-lined had to secret himself during- the day
boat on the Columbia and StraTce rivers, banks to tort ana walla, thirty miles and travel by night turning his horse
at all seasons of the yeaT with insuffi- away. He urged them on by alternately ioose to feed, Hidden under the brow
cient clothing and food. carrying them and resting, until he de- of a hill in a cave like cliff, he heaad
She will remember a long liorseback termined to leave them and push on galloping horses over head and peeking
ride from Lapwai to the mouth of the alone. When he reached the fort he out he saw his horse's two ears away
Columbia in company with her father told his story to Mr. Stanley, a gentle- above him, as if claiming protection
and Henry to attend a meeting of mis- man wb had been travelling with his from the murderous band in pursuit,
sionaries, when she -ami Henry were guide through the Colville and Spokane But now he had to make his way the
eight and ten years old.. TSliza rode a country- best he could through the prickly-pear,
Cayuse pony, while HerrryTode with his Said foe. 'Take my horse," a big sage brush and grass wood, having
fatheT, "holding on beliind. At The American hrse "my Indian will go thrown away his leather boots as to
Dalles "Mt. Spaulding "hired an Indian with ywa to help you, and here is food." small to walk in, he was also bare-
who claimed to know the trail, to guide With tMs help he returned to find foot. Sore-footed and hungry by the.
them to tlie head waters of Dog river, his wife a5 children, but it was might time he reajched the Alpawai, 12 miles
over the foot hills of Mwmt Hood on a time whem he concealed them ; each this side of Lewiston, on the Snake
direct line to Oregon City. Going down bunch of forush looking like thi'iother, River, he was nearly ready to give him,-
Laurel tire Indian got lost; "But it and sage-brush and sand did not prove self up to the Indians there, for he was
would take something more than Laurel good landmarks. They dared not shout now anwong his own people. Spalding
bush to los father." The most they lost for f,. raising an Indian. They believed the uprising to be general and
was a day oT Taluable time. searched until they were discorraed, supposed his own to be among the rest
TheyTetrrrned "by the Barlow route, thinking they had already been found and feared that his family at Lap
While in the mountains Eliza was taken by Indiams and murdered, or worse wai had shared the same fate as the
violently HI, and a delay of several days taken capttive, when tne guide said he Whitmans.
was made necessary. When too w eak would try :again, and he was rewarded . After dark he crept up outside an
to ride alone on her own horse, her by finding .them more dead than alive. Indian lent in which some Indians were
father took "her tan "before liim and hold- The Indkn took two of the children on having prayer meeting and heard an
ing her in liis atms they pushed on. his horse, while the husband held his Indian praying. The Indian was telling
iney arrived ax j.apwai at eleven Avife in fais armg on Mr StjLnleys
o'clock at night, "but with the Clearwater horse ; and thus they made their way in
between them. The moon was shining, safety over rthat long thirty miles
1 a i.1 - 1 a. a a. 1 .
out, xne aurupi tiiouiiuuus cast neavy
shadows and obscured the fording place.
be
Spaulding hallowed, and the Indians
came running yelling that the river had
raised, and that the ford was dangerous
to swim. Spaulding and the children
were already in the stream, the cur
rent, rapidly carrying them down. The
horses were swimming. Eliza's horse
-w&3 all that was above water, her father
urging her to keep hold -of her horse's
mane and they would soon be over. 3Ir.
ISpaulding's was a ng heavy horse, and
But to relate this incident woald
to digress from my story.
The Indians down stairs called to the
children hidflen above to come down, 4
the Great Father that the Cayuses had
murdered the Whitmans and prayed
that if Scalding were not already mur
dered that "his life might be spared.
As he said nothing of Spaldings family,
he tooklieart but did not make himself
known, but proceeded to the river near
u j-i x- " V by got into z. log canoe to ferry him
which they did, expecting to meet the J e k
WW tkX llsGLM. 111V XJLJ.VIU.XI J A bill
over.
stream a gust of wind caused him to
dislodge his jaddles and he was now at
the mercy if the current, but another
gust, more iriendly, set him on a sand
bar on the Ather side and he was once
more safe.
When he Jfinally reached Lapwai it
fate of Mrs. Whitman. Eliza, wh was
the only person left that could sjeak
the NezPeree language, heard one of
the leaders e&y, "We wont kill ttlie
women and chiUdren now."
Although the Indians were Cayntafts
the Nez Perce language was the ne
wry little while the water would roll spoken incomnuMii between whites anfl was near sundown, he stopped on the
oveT . the horses back, submerging Indians, ine az rerce was fcliza e high hill over looking the Missouri to
Henry, and then he would scream; and mother-tongue, aifl she was the only make up his mind how to proceed. The'
every time the horse went under, as interpreter between the murderous .ene below him was like a picture,
often would Henry scream. Cayuses and the heflpless women and Indians were moving here and
The Indians on the other "bank were children.. But one Bran, the miller, was re m every direction, dogs were
running down, carrying lights and spared during the three weeks of cap- jbadking, horses neighing, orders from
shouting to show a good landing. When tivity which followed. mea and women and shrill shouts of
safe out on the other side Mr. Spaulding During the. week Eliza was daily ex- ehildien and the greatest confusion pre-
said, Eliza, "were you afraid T fene pecting her father's return . One mur-
answered, "No, it was better than trot- derous Indian said to her, -"I am going
ting." : to kill your father." Eliza did not
For six weeks the poor sick child had flinch5 nor .hed a tear; but said,
raited. Spalding was too nearly perished
with the six days and nights without
either food or .shelter to hesitate . long,
With difficulty he clambared down the
"trotted" over the mountainous trails, "Have you forgotten what goad friends mountain side and spoke to a "clootch-
and till midnight of that day ; and it is Dr. and Mrs. Whitman and ray father man" leading a horse to the river to
no wonder that the easy swinging mo- have been to ypuT Then as time passed drink. She did not recognize him but
tion of the swimming horse was indeed and the dead were buried ; and her asked vriw he was. He replied by ges-
"better than trotting," father did not corue if indeed be were cpotinuedonpage is
FRENCH & CO.
BANKERS
Transact a General Banking Business
Letters of Credit issued available
in the Eastern States.
Sight Exchai ge and Telegraphic Transfers sold on
Sew York, Chicago, St. Louis, San Francisco, Port
land, Oregon, Seattle, Wash., and various points in
&
Oregon and Washington.
9
9
8
Ilk: kIl
11 II
The
Eagle Shirt
Some shirts wearjbetter than others
but it's all in the shirt. You can't
expect to get a good shirt for 50
cents. You should not expect as
good a fit from cheap-made goods.
Buv the best, " THE EAGLE,"
and we know they will prove the
cheapest. They are well made,
good material, carefully finished
and will wear like a custom-made
shirt Pease & Mays are exclusive
. sellers in The Dalles of these shirts
I
The Dalles Nurseries
R. H. WEBER, Proprietor.
THE DALLES, - - - OREGON.
-GROWER AXD DEALER IN"
FRUIT, SHADE
ORNAMENTAL
TREES
GRAPE VINES
SMALL FRUITS
ROSES AND SHRUBBERY,
Hyacinths, Tulips, Lilacs, Dahlias, Peonias, Etc
Remember our Trees are grown without Irrigation
SEND FOR CATALOGUE
PHONE 330
:
:
P. O. BOX 292
BUY OUR HEATS
WE BUY YOUR HOGS
2sc Only the Celebrated
Shield Sirand JtamSj
Sftaeon and card.
UNION MEAT COMPANY,
Wholesale Butchers and Packers,
PORTLAND, OREGON