Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1880-07-09
The situation.
CoTToNwooD. J uly 6.

COAAo.N"cob. VI .
DEAR TELLER Monday we reached
Mason station at ! p, M, staked om
animals and went fishing up the. s
creek, and caught about 60 nice trout.
We found the station keepers ready to
leave the station and 90 to Whites
station for greater security against In
dans Sam Lewis and Tom Worden
were camped there with their OK teams
and four wagons heavily laden with
machinery and merchandise. They
have been delayed here several days
in consequence of unfavorable reports
of Indians upon the prairie, and did
not deem it prudent to take chances of
making the trip tillreports were more
favorable. Between Whites station
and Masons we met the stage and
Judge Buck was handed letter from
his clerk at Mt. Idaho, B. F. Morris,
who claimed that nearly all the men
and their families had concentrated at |
Mt Idaho, Grangeville, rnd Cotton.
wood, determined to he in readiness to
defend in case the threats and other
indications of an outbreak, should
prove true. But Morris said that for
himself he could not see enough omens
to produce so much alarm, although he
might be too confident that no raid
would be committed. After our sup
per at Masons we discussed the situa-
ton and as we had an in7aled lady in
our party, we concluded that we ~ould
ride back as far as Whites and await
the coming of the stage thenext morn
ing. This we did and had ride in
the dark Just before our departure
from the station we saw, in the direc
ton of the agency brilliant reflection
of light, as from burning house or
grass, upon the clouds, and it caused
us uneasiness. On arriving at Whites
we learned that it was produced by
: burning grass north of the Clearwater.
! The stage arrived between and
a. m. and the Judge and myself started
Q with our team and retraced our road
: up the mountain, while DIR. Calder
: and wife concluded to remain at
: Whites for day or two before ven.
0 turing across the mountain. Several
T parties we left at Whites, some with
t families, who were en- route for the
t prairie but who did not wish to be rasl
+ and push forward till more was known
T. of the Indian situation. We reached
y Cottonwood about p. M, to-day
IS here we found about 25 men concen
. trated for purposes of defence i'll cast
q of trouble. They had constructed ,
o small stockadc, part on the hill soutl
II Of the hotel, and had their beds ant
4 blankets within, with barrels of waite
p and abont 20 repeating rifles andneedl
l. guns, and plenty of ammunition, an,
d all things in good shape to stand apro
m tracted seige of several days. w
Dr. could gather nothing more reliable a
10 to the true purpose of the Indians
'e One Indian had been found in the hill
IN to-day who claimed that there was t.
10 be no outbreak, that the Whites wer
Sc unduly excited and were misrepresent
or ing the faith and intentions of the In
IL dams He said that but six Umatill
n, Indians had visited Kama, and tina
s. none from any other tribe were Their.
10 save the Nez Perces, and that Their
r. were no plans or purposes of attackin
ne white settlers. He told some othe
OF things that the settlers knew to be Ill
vs. true and hence they placed but littl
t. reliance upon his protestations c
vs. peace. Many reports are in circul,
is ton here about the Indians having n,
Il titled settlers to collect together the
p families for safety, their gathering i
IS their own stock, their buying an III
M usual supply OF provisions and otferin
n good Indian ponies in exchange fc