An illustrated history of Spokane county, state of Washington, Part 5

Author: Edwards, Jonathan, 1847-1929. cn
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: [San Francisco?] W.H. Lever
Number of Pages: 888

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Rev. Myron Eells, D. D., in his biography of his father, Rev. Cushing Eells. D. D .. gives abundant evidence of the disposition of the Spokanes to defend the missionaries. When the Spokane chief thought that some of the Cayuses had gone to Tshimakain, when he and some of his people were twenty-five miles away, he immediately gave orders: "Young men, catch your horses; hasten to Tshi- makain and see how it is with our teachers." "Twenty-one did so, and with the few weap- ons at hand commenced the ride of twenty-five miles. They rushed down the steep hill south of Spokane so rapidly that they left hoof-marks plainly to be seen several days afterward. After crossing the river they watched closely expect- ing to see some woman or child in flight. When within about two miles of the station they be- came satisfied that no one had been killed, al- though they believed that hostile Cayuses were in the region. Those in the van waited for those farther behind, when they shouted with joy that their teachers were safe, and at the

HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY.

same time let the enemy know if they were lurking around that they must let these teach- ers alone. As they suspected that spies were near the mission, horses were placed in a pen and locked up, fires were kept burning and a watch during the night. One of these Indians. named Charles, was more intelligent and less excitable than many. When asked what they would have done had they met the Cayuses with evil intent at Tshimakain, he replied. We would have fought them.' Such acts and such statements, with others like them, showed evi- dence of sincere regard by those Indians for their teachers." Life of Father Eells. page 134. It is a matter of history that the chief known as William Three Mountains, who when a boy lived with Rev: E. Walker, at Tshimakain, ex- ercised a mighty influence to allay the war spir- it among the upper Spokanes during the Wright campaign, and very few if any of that band were among the Indian warriors. Mr. Cowley, who knew him well, describes him as a man of "sterling principle. firm will and in- (omitable energy."

This chief led the Indians in their devo- tional exercises in the absence of missionaries and did much to lead them to a higher life. While attempting to pacify a drunken half- breed by the name of Jackson, and prevent him from doing injury to others, he was killed near this city in the year 1885. See further treat- ment of Christian Indians in chapter on Mis- sionary Work.

Twenty years ago the Spokanes were di- vided into three bands, upper, lower and middle

Spokanes. The first, which occupied the Spo- kane valley and south of it, were under Chief Lot. the third, occupying the country around Deep Creek, under Chief William Three Moun- tains, and the second, occupying the present Little Spokane reservation under Chief Lot. The upper Spokanes are adherents of the Rom- an Catholic church and nearly all have gone to the Cœur d' Alene reservation : the two others are Protestants and have united under Chief Lot and reside mostly on the Little Spokane reservation. Major Gwydir, in writing of the Indian problem, said : "Too much discrimina- tion is made between Indians who do not fight and those who take the warpath. The latter. when overpowered by the government, are pet- ted and have everything given to them, while the friendless, who have behaved themselves. stand by wondering why the "Great Father" is good to the fighting Indians, and leaves them. who have obeyed the laws, to starve : they can- not understand it. The present policy is all wrong. Chief Joseph's band of Nez Perces are the only ones on that reservation that get ra- tions. The others get nothing and the blood- thirsty gang of Nez Perces, who only a few years ago caused so much trouble and blood- shed. taunt the friendly Indians with cowardice and tell them that the white people hate them because they are afraid to fight ; that they are fools ; that if they would start in to fight the whites the government would feed them too. and after that they would not have to work any more."

COPYRIGHTED BY R. B. SCOTT.

REPRODUCED BY PERMISSION.

CHIEF JOSEPH OF NEZ PERCES TRIBE

CHAPTER VI.

FIRST MISSIONARIES TO THE SPOKANES.

Revs. Cushing Eells and Elkanah Walker were appointed missionaries to Oregon by the American Board in 1838. They started on their journey in the spring of that year. In a letter to the writer about a year before his death, which took place in 1893. the Rev. Dr. Eells wrote thus: "Arrived at Wai-il-at-pu August 28. 1838. Rev. Elkanah Walker and myself were appointed to seek a new station among the Spokane Indians. September 10th we started and November 15th encamped at Tshe- we-lah and conducted services in the Indian language. On the 17th we rode to Fort Col- ville on the Columbia river, a short distance above Kettle falls, were kindly entertained un- til Thursday, when we returned to Tshe-we- lah. We spent Lord's day at Pend-or-illa. On Tuesday, the 25th. we arrived at Tshim-a- kain. At that date there was not a spark of civilization at the place. We sent to Colville for food and for the loan of two axes. With the aid of the Indians, trees twelve inches in diameter were felled and cut into pieces four- teen feet long and carried to the place of build- ing by the Indians. The four walls of each two buildings were put up, designed for human dwellings. We returned to Wai-il-at-pu by Lapwai, the station of Rev. H. H. Spalding. According to agreement some eight or more Spokane Indians appeared at Wai-i-lat-pu about the last of February, 1839. They came to as- sist their teachers to move to their country. On the 5th of March. 1839. riders were mounted, packs placed upon the backs of horses or mules, and on the 20th of the same month we arrived at the two log pens at Tshimakain, or Walker's prairie." In answer to the ques- tion as to method of instruction and apparent

results, he wrote: "Gospel truth was imparted whenever a congregation could be collected. They early learned to pray. Morning and evening. sang and prayed in their lodges. the most important male person conducting the service. If the men were all absent the women did not hesitate to be heard." The Revs. Wal- ker and Eells labored faithfully for nearly ten: years among the Spokanes. They devoted. themselves entirely to the task of enlightening,. civilizing and christianizing the natives. Their methods and temperaments were not such as tos obtain speedy and apparent results, but the sub- sequent history of the Spokanes bears testimony: to the thoroughness of their ministry and to the truth of that promise, "Your labors are not in vain in the Lord." Walker's Prairie- taking its name from Mr. Walker, who, on. account of his great height. six feet. six inches ;. was called chief by the Indians-is situated at the northwest corner of Spokane county :. The- south end of the prairie reaches within a few- miles of the north line. It is a delightful and fertile little valley about four miles long and' varying from one to three miles in width. The- Tshimakain creek flows through it and is the eastern line of the Little Spokane reservation. We shall have more to record about the res- ervation and the Spokanes as they are to-day in another chapter. Much could be written con- cerning the work of the first missionaries: among the Spokane Indians. The Missionary Herald. the organ of the American Board un- der which they labored, contains considerable correspondence from Messrs. Walker and Eells from 1838 to 1848. It does not seem to be within the province of this work to enter into details concerning their labors, yet it seems

HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY.

most fitting to present here a brief sketch of their lives as the ones who sowed the first seed of civilization in this region.

SKETCHES OF THE LIVES OF REVS, WALKER AND EELLS.

Mr. Walker was born at North Yarmouth, Maine, August 7, 1805. He was educated at Kimball Union Academy, Meridan, New Hamp- pshire, and Bangor Theological Seminary in the same class as Dr. Cyrus Hamlin, the emi- nent missionary to Turkey. Mr. Walker and Mr. Eells were booked for Zululand, South Africa, the field of the present war. A tribal war in that country prevented their going and the cry from beyond the Rocky mountains was heard. Mr. Walker, then waiting to sail for Africa, and ready for any voice of Providence, his mind filled with thoughts of the heathen, his heart beating with a desire to do them good, was willing to go to any other region at the bidding of the Master. As above stated. they settled among the Spokane Indians. The late Dr. G. H. Atkinson, Portland, Oregon, in a memorial discourse said, "Four thousand miles from their home on the Atlantic they built their log-house among the Flathead or Spokane Indians, sel- ·dom, or never, perhaps, expecting to return or see the faces of friends again, or even of many white people. Their mission was to unfold the teachings of Christ to those dark-minded men and women and children. First, it must be by the example of their own Christian home. Their humble dwelling at Tshimakain re- sounded morning and evening with prayer and praise. Christ was their hidden life. On the promises of God they rested and were at peace." Mr. Walker printed with his own hand on the mission press at Lapwai in 1841 a small primer in the Spokane language. The Indians learned to respect him as a man of true courage-a quality which they always tested-and to es- teem him as a friend and to trust him as an honest man. His example was a lesson. His words abide in their minds and bind them to

many truths which he taught .. One of them, a young man, lived with him a year. His prog- ress was such, in new thoughts, that an old chief, jealous of his influence with the tribe, persuaded him away and by a kind of plagiar- ism obtained his new views and gave them to the tribe as his own and thus retained his own influence and place. That young man has be- come a Christian and a chief, and the war fever that was rising high this summer* he did much to allay, and keep his tribe true to the whites, as Rev. Mr. Cowley testifies, who was among them at the time." Mr. Walker and associate left Tshimakain under military escort soon after the Whitman massacre, although the Spo- kane Indians earnestly desired that they should remain. During the Cayuse war the military authorities commanded all whites to leave east- ern Washington. Mr. Walker went to the Wil- lamette valley and bought a claim on which Forest Grove has partly grown. There the necessities of a large family made early and late toil imperative. although he continued to preach the gospel as opportunity offered itself. "The old fire kindled and glowed on occasions in his heart," says Dr. Atkinson, and he longed to give himself wholly to the work and to win souls to Christ. He was one of the founders of Pacific University and for years a trustee. He was valued as a wise counsellor in its affairs and a liberal contributor toward its support considering his circumstances. He died at For- est Grove. November 21, 1877. at the age of seventy-three. His wife, a woman of like cour- age and spirit with himself, died at Forest Grove a few years ago. Their son, a mission- ary in China, was the first white boy child born in eastern Washington.

REV. CUSHING EELLS, D. D.

The associates of Rev. E. Walker and wife, as missionaries among the Spokane Indians, were Rev. Cushing Eells and wife. Not only during over nine years of missionary work at

*Preached November, IST1.

HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY.

Tshimakain, Walker's prairie, has his name been identified with this county, but for years afterward, as a self-supporting home mission- ary. He is favorably known by all the pioneers from Walla Walla to Colville and familiarly known as "Father Eells." His life and labors have been recorded in a book by his son, Rev. Myron Eells, D. D., and published by the C. S. S. and P. Society, Boston, and is a work worthy of careful study. Dr. Eells was born at Blandford, Massachusetts, February 16, 1810. His father's name was Joseph and his mother's Elizabeth ( Warner), who were godly people. His mother died when he was twelve years of age, and he often referred to his old- est sister as one who did much for him while pursuing his courses of study. At fifteen he was converted and soon united with the Con- gregational church at Blandford, under the ministry of the late Rev. Dorus Clarke, D. D. (Dr. Eells traveled from New York to Boston in the winter of 1885-while in the east solicit- ing funds for Whitman College-to attend the funeral of his old pastor.) He graduated at Williams College in 1836, working his way through by hard labor and self-denial. He was accustomed to walk home, a distance of forty miles. I have heard him say that he (leemed it providential that he resolved while in college to drink nothing but cold water, for it fitted him more easily to endure some of the privations of his subsequent life, for he enjoyed many meals beside the silvery streams or cool- ing springs. After completing his theological course at the Theological Institute, now the Hartford Theological Seminary, he was or- dained at Blandford October 25, 1837, as a missionary to the heathen. On the 5th of March, 1838, he and Miss Myra Fairbank, of Holden, Massachusetts, were united in the bonds of matrimony and a few days later they started on their long wedding tour to far-away Oregon. The writer once asked him, "What led you to become a missionary ?" His answer was characteristic, "The Word and the Spirit

of God." As before stated, he contemplated going to South Africa, but Providence led him to Oregon. Father Eells was universally re- garded by those who knew him as one of the most sincere, devoted, self-denying and apos- tolic missionaries that ever lived. His whole life was on the side of righteousness, and a con- stant testimony and unanswerable argument in favor of the efficacy of prayer and the power of the religion of Jesus Christ. All classes of men with whom he came in contact, Jews, Ro- man Catholics and infidels, as well as Protest- ants, acknowledged his incorruptible integrity and unfeigned loyalty to the principles which he confessed. He left this country at the same time as Mr. Walker in obedience to military command. For eleven years he resided in and around Forest Grove, Oregon, aiding in laying the foundations of Tualatin Academy and Pa- cific University and doing much preaching and teaching. As soon as this country, eastern Ore- gon and Washington, was declared open he started for the Whitman mission. As a repre- sentative of the American Board he took pos- session of the Whitman mission claim, and paid for it to the said Board, and dedicated half of it for a Christian school in memory of the martyred missionary. That school has become Whitman College, endowed and equipped for great service and known all over the country. As soon as this upper country began to be set- tled he entered upon his periodical missionary tours from Walla Walla to Colville. He was identified with the organization of several Con- gregational churches in this country, first Spo- kane, Cheney, Medical Lake and aided in the erection of their first buildings and gave each a bell. He did much home missionary work in the country, preaching at Marshall, Deep Creek, Half Moon, Pleasant Prairie and other places. Dr. Eells was an active missionary for fifty-two years. He was a remarkable man in many respects and a wonderful illustration of the possibilities of life under adverse circum- stances, with industry, economy and noble pur-

HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY.

poses. He was always careful and systematic in all his doings, utilizing every moment of time, retiring and rising early, a man of mighty faith and strong in prayer. Amid discourage- ments and disappointments, he was accustomed to wrestle with God in prayer. "Taking hold of God," was a favorite expression of his. How much he loved to preach the gospel, and he would have greatly enjoyed the settled pastor- ate. He prepared his discourses with care and his expressions were concise and comprehen- sive. Under different circumstances he would have made an extraordinary sermoniser. He had an intense zeal for the faith once delivered to the saints. He abhored sham and sensation- alism and especially sectarian rivalry. What a grand life! It can truly be said of him "he did what he could." Wordly excitement, the rush after money so prevalent in this country had no charm to him. His supreme desire was to walk the earth doing good. He has made for him-

self an imperishable monument, and while the names of selfish worldlings who have lived to. hoard money will soon perish and be forgotten, his name will be lovingly remembered by suc- cessive generations. "Blessed are they that die in the Lord, for their works do follow them." Prof. W. D. Lyman, of Whitman College, who knew him from childhood, said of him. "If I were to select one thing more conspicuous than another in the character of Cushing Eells, it would be the abiding consciousness of his re- sponsibility to God and man, and his clear per- ception of the bearing which his deeds would have on the conditions of others." After a sickness of four days with pneumonia, the Rev. Cushing Eells departed this life at the home of his son. Edwin. Indian agent at Tacoma, Washington, on Thursday morning February 16, 1893. His remains were buried in the Ta- coma cemetery.

CHAPTER VII.

MISSIONARY WORK AMONG THE SPOKANES.

As already stated, the first missionaries among the Spokanes were Revs. Elkanah Walk- er and Cushing Eells and their wives. We shall endeavor to avoid repeating facts, but rather to follow the development of missionary labors from the beginning up to the present time. These missionaries pitched their tents at Tshi- makain, Walker's Prairie, March 20, 1839. They had begun to study the language during the winter at the Whitman mission, but their prog- ress was slow, and their knowledge of it very imperfect. The Spokane language has been pronounced "harsh and gutteral." One person on hearing it said, "It makes me think of persons

husking corn." "In this respect." says Dr. M. Eells. "it is very unlike the adjoining Nez Perce language, which is soft and musical." The missionaries established a school at Tshi- makain in which the Indians for a time were especially interested. A large amount of time had to be devoted to manual labor. A garden had to be cultivated with the roughest kind of a home-made plow. They planted wheat. potatoes and corn the first year, but the latter was frost killed on August 18th. Religious instruction was imparted through an interpre- ter. One of the brightest Indians would be se- lected to whom the lesson would be explained

The Tshmakain Mission Ground on Walker's Prairie The Revs Cushing Eels and Elkanah Walker began Mission Work here in 1838 Thirty Miles Northwest of Spokane

HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY.

in advance and he would rehearse what the missionary would say in public worship. Dr. Eells gives account of their work in the Mis- sionary Herald, 1840, page 437.

"Taking this place as the center of a circle whose radius shall not exceed sixty miles, it will include a population of nearly two thousand souls, nine-tenths of whom rarely, if ever. leave the above specified ground for any length of time unless it be for two or three weeks in the spring. There are five or six bands. each of which has certain lands which they claim as theirs, and where they pass a portion of each year. So far as I can learn they are somewhat regular in their removings. In this respect. let last year be a fair specimen. We shall have no great difficulty at almost any time. in know- ing where to find a good collection. In April a large number gathered on one plain to gather a root called popo.

"In May they returned to this place and after remaining about three weeks removed to a large camass plain about ten miles from us. The camass is their most substantial root. It remains good from May to the following March. In June salmon begin to go up the Spokane river, which passes within six miles of our house. At first a barrier was constructed near some falls, ten miles from this place and perhaps fifteen miles from the camass grounds. At that place salmon were taken only during high water, and then not in large quantities, as the barrier extended only part way across the river. While the men and boys were employed at the salmon, the women were digging and preparing camass, and daily, horses passed be- tween the two places loaded both ways, so that all could share in both kinds of food. As the water fell another barrier was built farther down, extending across the entire river; and when completed men, women and children made a general move to the place. If I judge correctly I saw there at one time near two thousand per- sons, and the number was rapidly increasing. From four to eight hundred salmon were taken

in a day, weighing variously from ten to forty pounds apiece. When they ceased to take the salmon, about the first of August, they returned to the camass ground, where they remained till October, and then began to make prepara- tions to take the poor salmon as they went down the river. During this month they were very much scattered, though not very remote from each other. In November they went to their wintering places.

"From March to November our congrega- tions varied from thirty to one hundred, not more than one-half of them usually remained with us during the week. They often came ten, fifteen and somtimes thirty miles on Sat- urday and returned on Monday. Since No- vember nearly two hundred have remained with us almost constantly. In addition to these just mentioned there have been frequent visit- ors from neighboring tribes. coming in vari- ous numbers from three or four to sixty at a time. They usually spend one or two weeks and then return.

"We have habitually conducted worship with them morning and evening, when we read a portion of Scripture, and, so far as we are able. explain it. sing. and pray. On the Sab- bath we have three services. While the weath- er continues warm. the place for worship was under some pine-trees : but as it became cold, a house was prepared entirely by the people, expressly for worship. It resembles somewhat in form the roof of a house in New England, making the angle at the top much smaller than that of most modern houses. The frame is made of poles four or five inches in diameter, and covered with rush mats. Most of the In- dian houses here are in the same way.

"For want of a thorough acquaintance with the language much of the instruction com- municated has related to Scripture history, though I think we have not failed to give them some correct ideas respecting the character of God, the fallen state of man, the doctrine of the atonement and regeneration, and the ne-

HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY.

cessity of repentance and faith in Christ to secure salvation. It is strictly true that they must have 'line for line'; every new idea must be repeated many times. The nearer our teaching approaches to Sabbath-school instruction, appropriate for small children, the better it is understood. This people are slow to believe that the religion we teach is to ex- tend farther than the external conduct. They wish to believe that to abstain from gross sin and to attend to a form of worship is all that is necessary to fit them for heaven.

"There has usually been good attention during the time of worship. At first the ap- pearance seemed to indicate a desire to hear something new. Of late I have perceived what I thought to be a little change, approximating toward a disposition to listen as to an import- ant truth, though I am obliged to say as yet the word seems to fall powerless, producing no deep or permanent effect upon the inward man. I have not been able to learn that they have any realizing sense of the odious nature of sin, or of moral obligation. During the last week in November a school was opened. At first it was composed of little more than thirty members, but has been gradually increas- ing so that it now numbers more than eighty. The attendance is very regular. The school- house and house for worship are the same. Progress in teaching must necessarily be slow till a better knowledge of the language shall be obtained and books prepared. As yet all the printing has been done with the pen."

Next year Dr. Eells writes: "During the past winter nearly two hundred and fifty Indians have been encamped by us. As has been usual since we first came here, so

now there is good external attention to relig- ious worship. If we judge correctly there has been a marked increase in the knowledge of divine truth. This is especially true of the chief mentioned in the Herald by the name of Big Head. It has been a rather general im- pression among the best informed Indians that thieves, gamblers, Sabbath-breakers, and such like will go to a place of misery when they die. but that such as are not guilty of open vices. and attend to a form of worship will go above. We have labored much to correct this and kin- dred errors, and unless we greatly mistake, our labor has not been in vain. The language of the chief is: 'I formerly thought my heart was good, but I now see it is not.' Respecting the wickedness of the heart his expressions are at times forcible. He says to his people : 'We are full of all manner of wickedness- are covered up in our sins. They hold us like strong chords. One thing must be done. Our hearts must be changed or we shall go below when we die.' Some are respectful and atten- tive to our instructions, evidently with the hope oi obtaining from us some pecuniary reward. "The school has been taught fourteen weeks. It commenced the last of November. The whole number of pupils who have at- tended has not varied much from seventy, though the average number, I think. has been about fifty. As was expected. novelty had its influence in causing some to attend for a time who have since fallen off. A few of the older members have been necessarily absent so much that they have fallen behind those much younger than themselves, and, as I suppose on account of shame, have ceased to attend. The manifest interest in the school. both among the parents and children, is as great as can rea- sonably be expected. Instruction has been given in reading. spelling, arithmetic. and music. The proficiency generally made by the school has been quite satisfactory to the teach- ers. I have been agreeably surprised at the readiness with which correct answers have

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An illustrated history of Spokane county, state of Washington, Part 5

Author: Edwards, Jonathan, 1847-1929. cn Publication date: 1900 Publisher: [San Francisco?] W.H. Lever Number of Pages: 888

Author: Edwards, Jonathan, 1847-1929. cn
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: [San Francisco?] W.H. Lever
Number of Pages: 888