The morning call., 1892-05-22

sun. In fact, we feared the sun almost as
much as robbers. For even the braV est
horse will not endure much heat after Deln &
all night under the saddle.
We often took Indians with us taking care
of horses along the route here and there,
and always they would cry out a. the first
CLEAN Of the sun, "DahW Sometimes it
would be, "Umph-dah." This dab" might
be the name Of the sun in some places. l
think IL is the most general exclamation
among Indians TO be found.
You see a sunrise means an immense lot to
savage. He can't use his bow II 1t rains or
his spear. Moisture viii soften the snews
In his bow and his arrows and his spear
beads. His breakfast is depending. His
wives and his babies must 90 hungry If it
his face TO the east at the first crack of
dawn. And his first sharp, short eXclama-
tiOn tells every one inside the wigwam
whether or no there will be meat that day.
Often l have heard only 'Umph" And
then, as you may guess, there was disap
pontment, a cloudy morning. But "dah"
meant bright day, and 1t was brightly
uttered. This was in camp and among
Indians around Mount Shasta.
On horseback and in the open plain, as
We rode toward the rising sun, the express
sion was more pronounced and emphatic as
the sun burst from behind the black noun
tain before described, and "Umph- ddh-vOW
was often the cry.
This single black mountain, forty miles
away to the right, and capped with snow
much OF the time, was in the heart of
trackless tamarack wilderness. No one
knew anything about it, not even the In
dians. Its only use seemed to be as place
for the sun to rise.
Meantime as summer wore by OrOfino,
Elk City, and in fact all our "cities," had
failed. Miners were getting out once down
toward Oregon, or back to California, as fast
as they could. A party of less than dozen
was trying to make its way from Elk City
to Lewiston, the head Of navigation. They
got lost in the dense tamarack woods that
lay over on the south side of the big black
mountain. Finding a little opening with
grass for their worn horses they rested.
And while resting they found in the soil
thrown off by the roots Of a fallen tamarack
tree something which looked like peck
of split wheat"
This party brought at least "a peck of
split wheat into our Office and told us
the secret | went to old Colonel Craig,
where we left some horses, got fresh ones
for the crowds and went back with them
around to the other side OK the Black Noun
tains-Craig with us.
This man had already been here quarter
of century, and had raised large Indian
family; was rich, influential and greatly
res pected.
1t may be news to some that the first
newspaper published in all this Western
slope was published right here at the foot Of
Craigs Mountain. Dr. Spaulding, a mis-
sionary, was its editor. and old Colonel
Craig assisted in translatinR the Bible into
the Indlan-Nez Perces-tongue and in put
ting it in type.
And this is the first man ever heard use
the sweet word I-dd-h He used it often
with the Indians along with us and in camp
along the trail. The last 10 miles was a
dense tangle Of brush-brush that had been
borne down to the ground and broken by
heavy falls of Snow We left our horses and
went in on foot. l hung my letter-bag, or
saddle-bags on a bent sapling by a little
brook, and we gathered up gold from the
grass roots and roots of fallen trees till the
day was spent. Then we built two brush
sheds to sleep in. / hung my letter. bag at
the door OF my shed, and men sat around
the campfire till midnight scrawliDg notes.
We had no scales TO weigh geld with. but
the dear, generous old fellows gave at least
an ounce for each letter the first trip. The
letters we're all headed "Millersburgh,
Idaho Mountain"
Reaching Lewiston on return ] wrote a
letter to the Albany Democrat, paper
founded by United States Senator DelaZon
Smith and then edited, | believe by Judge
Belinger of Portland, and told all | could
about the Idaho mine. This is perhaps the
first time the word was in print. ! don't
know how spelled it. In fact 1t was some
time before any of us settled down to any
certain way of spelling Idaho.
On returning to the new mines the whole
way was thronged with men, mules and cat
tie. There never had been such rush"
anywhere. You could hardly get along the
road Tor the crowd, and all going one way,
too.
Then The roar and the rattle and the
claDg of axes. picks and shovels "Millers-
burgh" was staked off IN town lots for half
a mile around.
Then came an event: man with a
family" DR.. Ferbur of Ciucinnati-an
author. man who had served in the Mexi-
can War and had written q book about i'll