Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1886-10-21
SPEAR-FISHING.
How the Snake River Indians secura
Their Winter Supplies-A Visit 70 AN
Indian Encampment at King Hill.

There are about 40 Indians-in.
Guiding bucks, squaws, and pan
pooses-on Snake river, opposite
King Hill, engaged in LAYING in .
supply of fish for their winters con.
sumption. The tepees or campoo.
dies can be seen from the track, as
can the half-naked pappooses playing
In the sand, and the 30-odd ponies of
the band that are feeding near by.
These natives are Shoshones, and
come from the Fort Hall Reservation
They are all supplied with individual
permits given by the Indian agent.
which states their name, sex, and age.
and certifies that they are good In
dams out on leave. One of the bio
gest bucks who showed his permit to
TIMES reporter received with evi.
dent pleasure the information that he
was Bull-necked Sam; while fat
greasy squaw, who suddenly dropped
her pappoose and let it hang to her
bare breasts with mouth and hands
while she hshed out her permit was
equally delighted to be called Bio
mouth Sal. Another fatsquaw, whose
pappoose, with head inserted In her
dress, under her right arm, was evi.
IDENTIFY getting its dinner, clapped her
hands and demonstrated her sa.isfac-
ton in other ways when her name
was correctly read as Fat Mary.
Other squaws were sprawling on the
ground, their pappooses playfully
crawling all over them.
The bucks do the fishing early in
the morning or at night, after sunset.
They wade out into the stream on
shallow bars, provided with strings
tied to their belts, club under their
left arm, and a spear about II feet
long, the iron toggle-point of which
fits loosely in It's socket and is secured
to the shaft of the spear by rope.
When large fish comes in reach, the
Indian throws his spear with such
force that it passes through to the far
side of the fish; quick jerk loosens
the toggle, which penetratrs into the
side of the fish, and the captor pulls
in his prey The fish is then stunned
or killed by IA blow on the head with
the club, and tied to one of the strings
hanging from the fsherman's belt.
The latter then goes to another part
of the bar where the water has not
been disturbed, dragging his catch
after him. When another fish is
caught the same process is repeated,
until the fisherman has four or five
strung to his belt, when he walks
ashore and turns his catch over to his
squaw, who cleans it and hangs it
upon willows to dry in the sun. The
Indians are quite skilled in this
method of fishing, and last Sunday,
in less than three minutes, and with
only three lunges, a TIMES reporter
saw an Indian spear and kill two
huge fish, the one salmon weighing
fully 80 pounds. The usual catch is
about to 5, either IN the morning or
evening. When buck has caught
four salmon he considers his days
work done, as he can either sell them
to the ranchers, placer miners, or sta
ton keepers on the railway for 81 to
81 apiece, or dry and carry them on
horseback to the reservation, where
they will be received in payment for
anything quite as cheerfully as if they
were so many dollars of our daddies,
| The Indians who are permitted tc
60 on these trips are usually absent
from the reservation about 60 days
They are about two weeks on the road
to and from the fishing grounds, re,
main on the grounds about foul
weeks, and spend the balance of thei'
leave in hunting or visiting their pale
face acquaintance. They never carr!
provisions along as they can exchanes
their fish or venison for -four, or any
thing else that they want. Wher
anything in the provision line is need
ed, squav straps her pappoose te
J her back with willows or anything
} else that is handy, throws a sturgeon
} or salmon over her shoulder, and goes
,, to make the exchange, while her bucl
! lazily spreads himself in the sun, anc