The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-11-17
Raymond Macdonald, Of Washing
ton, the Uncrowned King Of the
Great Northwest.
An Empire Greater Than the Mon
archs Of Europe Reign
Over.
Prelerring the simple Life Of . Minor ana
Rancher to That Of .
Ruler.

lives here in q rude cabin, fast BY the great
river of the west, and surrounded by pine
frinRed hills, gray-haired man, who al
ternately plying the business OF miner,
farmer and caravaneer, 10 nevertheless q
kinR-a king uncrowned, it is true, but
none the less a king. His life is wonder
full story. He is Raymond Macdonald,
born at Astoria, then Fort George, in 1924.
His father was Archibald Macdonald, of
the American and Hudson Bay companies,
and his grandfather was the powerful ma
tive king, Kumkumly, and whose empire
extended from the mouth Of the Columbia
to tho territory Of the Blackfeet, beyond
the Bitter Root mountains, in what il now
Montana. Macdonald is the only lineal
descendant and heir Of this king. He
came to Fort Colville in 1928 a. an
infant, his mother, who was q princess,
having Just died. His father Was at that time
commander Of the post, 40 he was one Of
the founders of the town. In this rude
outpost at 80 early day the young king
passed the first few years Of his life. When
seven years Of age his father concluded TO
begin his education, and In the dead Of
winter he was started afoot on snowshoes
for Winnipeg, where he was to enter st.
miles, and the route led over some, of the
widest parts of the Rocky mountains.
On the other side he was met by horses.
which had been ordered around by his
grandfather. King KumkumIy. Thence he
and his escorts proceeded down the sas.
quantities sof wild. game, Including
buffalo, bear and caribou. and scarcely a
night passed that they did not hear the
bowling Of the wolves. After receiving as
thorough an education az he could at Win
nipes the youth returned to his boyhood
this time grown ambitious and DESTROYS Of
seeing the world and perfecting his knowl-
edge, 20 he set out upon travels which last
ed many years. In one way or another,
sometimes by travelling on foot and again
on horseback and by cars, no visited almost
every state and large city in the union.
Later he took passage on whaling ship
bound for the North Pacific, expressly stip-
ulating that he was to be set down in his
own pinnace. which he had aboard, when
off the coast Of Japan. This was in 1913, at
time xhen japanese poftns n we're virtually
represented himself az castaway, having,
as he told the Japanese authorities, been
shipwrecked. He had only his small box,
with his Bible, Euclid and histories, with
him. He was closely questioned and was
head. He was taken from Yesso, in the
north, to Nagasaki, in the south, and re-
NAMED in Japan in all eleven months,
teaching the children of the nobility.
After thet he was ship captain, sailing
= Australia and Hong Kong. While abroad
in Japan he did all he could to open recip-
rocal relations between the sealed empire
and 4other countries, especially America, the
dignity Of which he always took pains to
uphold. In all his travels he never forgot
,{u No1r ~, ho
returned and settled down, only being abb
sent when he was employed a. teller in a
bank at st. Thomas, Canada.
Mr.. Macdonald, while not rich, is never
theless happy, and is contented to spend
his declining years at Fort Colville. AS the
grandson and only heir Of King Kumkumly
1t is his right to rule over 9 greater and
naturally richer area than that on which
any king of Europe holds sway. All the
chiefs Of the various Indian tribes recog-
nize him as their king and render him
land and that his place is usurped, and that
they will recognize no other ruler. The
king modestly tells them, however, that,
while he has better right to reign than
any Of the crowned heads of Europe, his
King Kumkumly was the only ruler in the
Wild northwest treated with and considered
the reigning potentate. There never was
any doubt about his claim. 1t was every
where recognized.
Macdonald is we'll preserved man, Of
more than medium height. His eyes and
complexion are da.k, and his hair black
and straight, betokeninR his Indian ances-
try.
II am content to end my days here in
this little village" he said yesterday.
"There ia no place in the world 80 dear to
yae-nowhere where the mountains are 60
high and the waters 80 clear. A mans ma
tive land is the best. This is the place for
me.''
He lives in cabin, which is one Of the
led only by distant relative, Donald Mac
donald. Many books are In the cabin. and
the elderly king, the only heir Of King
Kumkumly, finds in them much to interest
and solaoe him when not engaged as car
avaneer or in looking after his ranch or
mining pfONpects