The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-07-27
DAILY INFELLIGRNCER.
Wednesday, July 81, 1881.
INDIAN LEGEND OF TACOMA.

T W ID writes to the New York
Esangelist the following interesting
story:
AS the voyager stesms eastward,
through the straits of San Juan de
Fuca, into Puget Sonnd, the lofty
range of the Cascade Mountains,
crowned with eternal snow, stretching
from north TO south along the whole
eastern horizon. with its great chieftans
Baker, Shukshsn, Steward, Tacoma,
st Helens. Adams and Hood-rising
over all. will challenge his admiration
and fill his soul with awe in the pres,
ence Of such majesty. There are few
spots on this earth which combine at
one time such calm, resplendsnt beauty
and such awful grandeur of scenery as
is unfolded from the bosom of Puget
Sound
"Ts him, who Ia the love Of Nature holds
Communion With her Invisible FORMS"
A Saul among the mountains. q
tripleheaded giant. stands Tacoma,
more than IA, 900 feet in hight. use
the name by which the Indians always
call it, rather than the name Rainier,
given it by its white discoveries. Ia
coma is more beautiful and appropri-
ate, in the Indian tongue signifying the
mountain.
The Indians have the greatest fear of
this mountain. believing that spirits in
habit 1t, and that il would be certain
death to . mortnl to venture up its
side. 80 great 10 their superstitious
dread that it was impossible for Ste
vens and his comrades-the only per.
sons who hsve'eyer assembled TO its sum-
NIT ito secure Indian guides beyond
its base. Sd Indians have told me
that whenever o man ventures beyond
q certain limit. the mountain begins to
revolvo and tossing down the ventur-
GUS mortal into deep gulf OF its base,
grinds him to powder.
There are numerous glaciers on its
sides, which are the sources of as
many rivers which flow into the Sound
or by other routes to the ocean. The
following legend is given substantially
in ell particulars as it fell from the
lips of Green River Indian:
A long time ago this whole country
was very thickly peopled with Indians,
and they were all very bad. They
were all the time quarreling and fight.
ing among themselves. The Indians
from white river would fight with the
Indians from the Puyallup; the Green
river would fight with the Snohomish
Indians; and altogether the same fami
ly, they got to be 30 very bad that the
Socklie Tyee Great Spirit) grew very
angry with them, and at last. made up
his mind to destroy them all.
At that time there was great Tim
animus man (msgician or medicine
man) who by his art found out the in,
tention of the Socklie Tyee. He i'm
mediately concluded that he would go
to see If he could not save the people
from the destruction threatened. He
travelled about from house to house.
telling the bad Indians that they must
quit their wicked doings and get bet.
ter, or the Socklie Tyee would certainly
destroy them all. But they all laughed
and called him o pelten (fool). Some
OF them asked him Where IL the Sock
lie Tyee? We have never seen him.
He found it was of no use; they would
not listen to him. He told them it was
OF their own tum-tum (choice). He
left them and travelled on until he came
to the dwelling house of Q man who
was very poor. This poor man had
large family of sons and daughters.
The other Indians took advantage of
this poor man and his family, because
he would not fight and quarrel as the
others did. Whenever any of the
poor mans family would catch salmon,
the neighbors would take from them
the largest and faetest, leaving them
only the smallest and leauest. When
ever he would kill deer they would
rob him of the choicest pieces, and
leave him the neck or worthless parts,
and sometimes they would take all.
As the great Timsnimus man was
coming to the poor mans dwelling.
this poor man met him at the door and
asked him 10 come in. When he had
gone in and sat down the daughters
brought water and washed his feet,
and the sons went out and spread
salmon and brought il in to cook be-
fore the fire for his supper.
After he had eaten supper he told
the poor man hat the Socklie Tyee
was angry with his people and was go.
ing to destroy them ell. This talk
made the POOR man feel very bad. and
be asked il by the destruction of him.
self and family. the rest Of the people
could escape the anger of the Socklie
Tyee and not be DESTROYED. The Tim
anImus man said That cannot be. for
the people have become so very bad
that IL 10 necessary 10 destroy them all;
but since you have SO good spirit /
will try to save you and your family
The poor mai said All right. I am
willing 10 be saved, as the rest of the
people cannot be saved
The Timsnimus man then told him
to get ready ell bis family and come
with him to the top Of Tscoms 1.-THE
mountain).
When they got near the mountain IT
began to rain. and IL rained for msuv
moons. until the water had covered ali
the land and was getting very close to
them on top OF the mountain. Than
the Timanimus man took his bow and
arrows and shot his arrows into the
sky. The first that he shot stuck fast
In the sky. and the next stuck fast 20
that. and % on. until the last one
reached down to the ground, and taking
root, formed Q tree Of many branches.
He then called all the animals which
had gathered In great numbers on the
mountain AZ thev ~ra>. S-:~~.- a.