Mt Idaho Oct 2nd 1885
Rev Dr. A.L. Lindsley
Dear Sir
I sent a letter to my pastor a short time since. Forgive me for troubling him, so soon
again, but I do not know what else to do. Eyes are paining so that I can scarcely write.
And I must write very hastily. This may be even now too late to reach Portland before Dr
Ellinwood leaves. (I do not know when Synod meets). I wrote the New York friends
after I came to Mt Idaho. A kind letter received from Mr Rankin last week says "I
would reply more fully, but Dr Ellinwood now having charge of Nez Perce Mission will soon
be with you, I trust. He is on a tour of inspection of our Indian Missions in the N.West,
in connection with Western Synods. All the points referred to in your letter will be gone
over by you & him." I wrote to my sister at Kamiah, at once, telling her to tell
Dr E. I would like so much to see him at Mt. Idaho, where some of the ‘points’
could be best decided. (He could reach Lewiston easier from Mt. Idaho than from Kamiah,
via Lapwai.) I have waited hoping to see him, every day since then. I also wrote to Robert
& James Hayes who are at present absent from K.
Last night Billy, Roberts father, came from K. He said that, friday evening a Lapwai policeman came to K said that a stranger had come to Lapwai from the East. He did not say where, or from what; and he (the policeman) did not ‘call’ the Ks to Lapwai, saw two or three men only, and early the next morning returned to Lapwai.
Yutsinmelican & Kentuck went to Lapwai saturday and returned monday saying that ‘Dr Allen’ or ‘Ellen’ had come from Dr Lowrie, spent the sab at Lapwai, and had gone away again. Was it Dr Ellinwood? Would he return without seeing the Kamians, or sister, or myself in our ‘recent distress?’ I have so looked and longed for the coming of someone who has power to help the Kamiah church and people. Hoped an Inspector, at least would have been there ere this.
One of the ‘points’ Mr Rankin referred to was a though which had flitted across my mind for years at times when looking and longing for some school among the whites, where our boys could go for a time and learn the Eng. Language by ear & tongue as they could not on the Reserve. (perhaps Dr L remembers something of Miss McBs efforts in this direction and he knows how badly they need the Eng. My thought was to transfer my own school, for a time to the quiet little Mt. Idaho, where our boys could acquire much, by intercourse with the whites as well as pursue their studies, then, take the school back to K again (D.V.) I spoke of this to the N.Y. friends, and asked if they would be willing without additional expense to the Board that I should transfer my school to Mt Idaho for this winter.
(Charlie’s time will expire in the spring I believe) The MT Idahoans are kind friends of the Kamians and would not object (but advise it) our boys to whom I have broached it are eager for it, if they can see the way. I could rent houses easily for teacher & pupils. I told the N.Y. friends. After I wrote a woman who was leaving Mt I and needed the money badly very unexpectedly & suddenly offered me her little four roomed cottage for $250.00 and I bought it. I need if for the summer months even with the school at K. I cannot endure the intense valley heats. After a years work, and such burden bearing at K these last years, I think weak woman perhaps, never before had to carry (you know we had to ‘hold the fort’ alone – save God so much of last year, and with church matters &c so arranged last fall for most effective work ‘all along the line.’ But what good to speak of that now?)
For the last 3 yrs I have been compelled to spend the hot vacation months in Mt. Idaho, where there is no boarding place but at the hotel, which is very expensive. I am now living at greatly reduced expenses in the cottage I bought but have as yet very scantily furnished. I live with what is absolutely necessary, will not, if I return to K for this winter.
I do not know what to do missing Dr Ellinwood. If I return to K this fall I ought to be here now, attending to putting up winter quarters for our boys which they must have or their studies be very much interrupted. Last Spring with the help of $100 from Miss McBs own little Reserve fund James Hayes built a neat little two roomed cottage near the school. I have lumber at Kamiah now to put up winter quarters for two of our boys whose last years winter quarters (a little log house Charlie let them use) the whites at K have taken for a barn. If the school is transferred to Mt I for this winter, Miss McB and our boys ought to know now that they might try to make arrangements accordingly. I do not know what step to take until I see, or hear from Dr Ellinwood, and I do hope, and pray I may see him. I need to, and so does the Kamiah Church, and our boys.
There is no protection on the Reservation for pupils or teachers or Church at Kamiah.
The past and present plainly proves that. My sister returned to Kamiah some weeks ago. She
is a strong woman, and could make her escape from there on horseback, in case of trouble,
but S.L. McB could only be could come out of K only in a wagon which it
would not be possible to bring over the mountains to Mt I when the roads are bad in the
winter. Still she is not afraid for herself, will return to K if God wills, without a
fear, or care for S.L. McB. But, she is full of apprehensions for the Kamiah Christian
people. And, here, I think she will ‘shew her heart as the Nez Ps express it) to her
pastor that he may know.
There is not a bitter feeling in her heart to Charlie Montieth (she dares not keep one
there). Even though all, she knew not one word of any other than friendly feeling of
Charlie to her until a letter to her from Rev. F.M Boyd last spring. He incidentally
referred to bitter feelings of which I know not the least nor of Miss McB giving the
slightest (she did not knowingly) cause, and does not yet knew [illegible] only sorrow now
(as for a dead friend) even when I know that he (Charlie) was in much of the doings at K
last winter for which I blamed Lawyer & Co’ alone. Had not been the memory of the
past kindnesses received from Rev. Wm & J.B. Montieth, and Charlie too (as I told him,
before Mr D) those doings Miss McB would have been in correspondance with the Dept long
ago.’ And she probably did wrong, and suffered wrong to be done by not reporting it.
1st The forcing back the people at K into their old tribal relations,
against the wishes of the Gov. & their own save ‘Lawyer’ & Co’ in
the raising up again into their old power & influence which had almost disappeared of
the old hereditary (some still heathen) Chiefs, giving them helps to divide the people,
and raise up bands for themselves to harass the people, and force them back into their old
serfdom, working through the Agent in the mane of and authority of the Gov. of our U.S
– and helping them. Perhaps unknowingly perhaps not to work against
the church, and break down the Christian influences in which lie his own and
lead the people back into their old state. Roberts case opened the eyes of even the least
advanced of the Christians without any help from Miss McB) to the fact that it was not
‘rival families’ or ‘rival bands’ but a determined effort to
‘Yahtash talapose’ extinguish worship’ as they expressed it, and lead the
people back into heathenism for the sake of regaining their old heathen power (But, what
good)
And herein lies one great danger. The Christian influence at K only prevented the wilder of the friends of Nine Pipes (and he had many friends) from taking vengence on his murderers – perhaps civil war) Since his murder the heathen Chiefs with their leader, Jimmy have turned from him & the Agent to the people, (for the present, are using the power, he (Charlie) himself put into their hands against him. I do not know how the ‘Exiles’ at K stand, in heart. Some of them have already about stopped worshipping. Time will tell who professed only for a purpose. God knows now. There is communication between them & the warriors with Joseph. I know three of these were at K last week Solomon told me – He did not know for what they had come
2nd I do not know how much more ‘treading under his foot’ even the Christian Indians will bear. They are in a reign of terror. Harry (the policeman) who shot Alex (very nearly took me to Lapwai to the tribunal there) said our good old Elder, James Wilber, Nine Pipes step father, the other day when he came to study his ‘sermon’ for the prayer meeting he leads.) All the people are ‘tahtakatnin, on the Reserve or outside of it’ he said. Since the first Agent, we never had a time like this.’ His trouble was an ‘Exile’ a bad man the people say, claiming the house & farm, of the dead Nine Pipes to whom he was very distantly related. The old Elder was threatened with arrest, he said because he objected (Nine Pipes has children & a sister).
"If there is a word comes from you against a policeman you will be arrested and fined $15.00. If you say it again, $30.00 you will be fined $50.00 for ‘talk. "The 58 men who signed the petition are not to have their flour ground." "Robert & Benjamin &Yutsinmelickan are to be arrested & punished." &c &c. That is the kind of threats we are hearing all the time without rest, troubled Billy said today when I told him that I was ashamed that Dr E should come, and the people off the Reserve. "It is Charlie and the policemen who are scattering them. Perhaps you hear many falsehoods about such threats." "Some things I hear myself" was the answer.
3rd In hedging himself around at Lapwai speaking (No inspector ever gets
further than Lapwai) Inets as Jim Moses &c Charlie is reviving the old local feeling
& divisions between Lapwai & Kamiah, which gave so much trouble in the first years
after I came. I have been interrupted, and must stop as it is perhaps well I should
glancing over what I have written, I have ‘scratched out’ part of it –
Please pardon the appearance of the sheet. If Dr Ellinwood has been to Lapwai, and gone on
to Portland, not expecting to return to the Nez Perces would my Pastor please shew or tell
him as much of this letter as will shew the purpose of its writing. (or as much as Dr L
thinks best) Perhaps he had left New York before my letter reached there. I do not know
what to do until I hear from him. I will (D.V.) wait at Mt. Idaho until I hear from him
directly, or through my Pastor. If he Dr E has gone before this reaches P. But I do
so hope and pray if God wills that I shall see Dr Elilnwood & hear from him viva voce.
If it would not be too much trouble would my pastor send me a line, as soon as he can
after this reaches him? That I may know it has reached him and what to expect. I do not
know the date of meeting of Synod so can only always pray that God would preside in all
their councils by His Spirit control their decisions, and guide them in regard to the Nez
Perce, and His own Cause among them, everywhere under the care of the [illegible]
In the Masters work
Yours truly
S.L. McBeth