The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-12-11
A Dusky Princess.

A Dusky Princess.
The city of San Francisco during the
remainder of the week will be honoreC
in giving entertainment to a genuine
princess. The steamer State of Cali
fornia, which arrived from Portland
Oregon, yesterday morning, carried
among her passengers Miss Sarah Win
nemucca, "a granddaughter of the Piute
chief, Captain Trukee, from whom the
river takes its name. The Princess
Sarah is well known to fame, and al
present is travelling under the protec-
tion of some of the officers of the army,
who have agreed to see her safe through
this wilderness of civilization, our city.
During the afternoon Cbronicee re-
porter called at the hotel where the
princess intends to hold her court while
in this city, and upon sending up his
card was readily admitted. With her
were her brother Naches and her cousin
Jerry, who have come from Winnie
mucca on purpose to accompany Sarah
on her trip to Montana, the residence
of her sister, who is married to a white
man named Smith. The reporter was
warmly welcomed by resolute shake
of small, soft hand, and in spite of
his protests was seated in the softest
chair in the room, from which the
princess herself had just risen.
Next in order were introductions to
Naches and Jerry, " two of my people" {"
as the princess remarked, and, then
everything being satisfactorily ex-
planned, she herself drew a chair into
the circle, "and now we are comforta-
| BILE for a nice good talk" she smilingly
casA In h
compares most favorably with other
| women. She is of medium height, ap-
parently about thirty years of age,
road-shouldered and straight. Her
features are regular and expressive.
Her prevailing expressions resolute-
| ness and courage, mingled with good
nature. Her movements are quick,
but womanly and soft, withal, her man.
ners quiet and very self-possessed. She
was neatly attired in a brown dress of
waterproof material, her only orna-
ment being a necklace of coral. Being
seated the princess herself commenced
| the conversation. 81 want to ask you
| something" said she, in remarkably
good and correct English: "I have
just been thinking how it would do for
me to lecture upon the Bannock war.
might get the California theatre, and
perhaps 1 could make my expenses.
You see people don't know much about
Indians any way, and know lots of
things that people would like to hear.
What do you think?"
The reporter advised her to confer
with the army officers who have charge
over her.
81 would be the first Indian woman
that ever spoke before white people,"
continued Sarah, " and they don't know
what the Indians have got to stand
sometimes. telYyou the only way to
keep the Indians quiet is to put them
on different reservations, one for each
tribe, and far apart. 1t will never do
to let two tribes live on one reserva-
ton; they'll always make trouble. You
see my people last year did not at all
want to go to war, but the Bannocks
made all the trouble for them. was
going to Silver City, and there met
Captain Hill, who told me that my peo-
pie were fighting. l had my own team
and the Captain told me had better stay
in Silver City, because if they caught me
they would keep me prisoner, as was a
chiefs daughter. So I stayed with
Colonel Bernard's party and acted as
interpreter and scout during the war.
My people were all kept prisoners by
the Bannocks, who had disarmed them
because they would not fight any lon
ger. knew that the soldiers were go
ing to conquer the Bannocks, and 1
was afraid that my people would join
and get into more trouble. They were
at Stein Mountains. So on the Sd of
July, at ten o'clock in the morning, 1
set out to warn them of their danger
ox,1 ,ot tn ka
Didn't we ride! and the princess fairly
jumped in her chair at the recollection.
"You see we had to be quick" she
continued, "because if the Bannocks
struck our trail, they would surely fol-
low us and find out where our party
was going. By five o'clock in the aft
ernoon we had made over eighty miles,
and our horses were almost dropping,
when we reached Barren Valley. We
thought we could get fresh horses there
but the houses were all burned and the
people were all gone. All the tracks
we could find went toward the Stein
Mountains. and so we got away in that
direction and travelled one hundred
and fifteen miles more on our half-dead
ponies. When We got to the Piutes we
found that my brother Naches and
three others had left already. To-
gether with the whole band, in all about
sixty, we left the same night and got
as far as Summit Spring. l left them
at Sheep River and rode ahead to warn
the soldiers that they were coming. so
that they might meet hem. On the
march Orchez' band j led ours, and
would have got the whole tribe but for
Oite, who drove q large number back
to the Bannocks after left the band.
OF course Colonel Bernard was much
pleased to see me bring in SO many
warriors to make peace with the
whites"
Regarding the present outbreak of
the Utes, the Princess maintained that
she had held a council with band of
fifty VINO were captured by General
Howard, and that they were Bannocks.
These Indians were part of a band
called "Sheep-eaters." They were
afraid to go to their reservations; they
had committed so many depredations
and murders that they expected to be
hanged when captured. The rest of
this band had made their way to the |
Utes and invited them to make depre-
dations upon the frontiersmen. Sarah,
since February last, has been living at
the Yakima reservation, where some |
four hundred of her tribe have settled
down. Soon after their arrival there |
the Government put a school house at |
her disposal, and until she left she |
taught regularly the rudiments of the |
English language to a class of thirty
two girls and thirty boys, all Indians. |
She is very well satisfied with the
progress she has made. Sarah appears |
to be an enthusiastic Methodist, and |
she narrated her experiences of ga
lovely camp meeting" as she called it,
with evident relish. 1t had been at
tended by over eight hundred people.
whites and Indians, and she herself had |
interpreted the sermons which were |
preached by the missionaries. Sixty
three Piutes had been converted since |