The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-26

salt water tribes. Ureot anxiety was felt
among the latter, As the mountain tribes
were redoutable warriors, and had on sew.
eral previous occasions vanquished the
salt water tribes and carried off many of
their people as slaves. Accordingly .
council of war, composed Of the chiefs and
leading warriors of the tribes expecting to
be attacked, met at the Ole Man house near
Port Madison. This place was the prin.
cipal rendezvous of these tribes for pot
laches and councils. At this council
many plans were discussed a. to the best
method of resisting the invaders. Mono
OF those suggested by the older men, how
ever. was satisfactory, and then the
younger men were called upon for sug-
gestions. At length young Sealth. men,
Der of the Ole Man House tribe. presented
his plan, and it was 30 well devised and %
clearly presented, that without listening
to any others. 1t WAS adopted and he was
appointed to carry it out. being given
command of the expedition.
Information had reached the salt water
tribes that large force of tho mountain
Indians intended to come down the Green
and White rivers in canoes and inaugurate
their attack at night. Sealth organ xed .
band OF warriors. and the day before the
raid was expected they went up the river
to place on White river, near where John
Fountain now lives above Black river
bridge, and where the bluff on one side
reaches to the river edge. The river here
makes short bend, and the current il
very swift. A little below the bend large
fir tree standing on the bank was feiIed
in such way that it reached across the
river and lay only few inches above the
water. 30 that no canoe could 60 under
without upsettlng. The work of telling
the tree was done with rude axes, some
made of stone, and it took the band nearly
the whole day to bring it down and get it
into position, which was finally accom-
plished before sunset Sealth then am
pushed his warriors, armed with bows and
arrows, iances. tomahawks and knives, on
either side of the stream, and confidently
awaited the invaders.
''As soon as it was dusk Eve large canoes
loaded with 100 selected warriors started
down the stream. and as there was q
strong current it was not long before it
fell into the trap. The three leading
canoes were excessively swamped before
their OCCUPANTS could realize the nature OF
the obstruction. The cries of their unfor-
tunate companions, however, enabled
those in the last two canoes to reach the
shore befor> coming to the log. In the
meantime thirty of the occupants of the
leading canoes were either drowned, killed
or captured by Sealth's warriors, and
those who reached shore In safety betook
themselves in fight up the river again,
and their account of the disaster which
had befallen their companions so discour.
aged the remainder OF the expedition that
they retired to their mountain homes.
(This scene is shown in the cut.)
When Sealth and his warriors 70.
turned to the bay with such substantial
former prosecutors great was the rejoicing
among the salt water tribes and the hero
of the hour was the young warrior who
by his cleverness, boldness and courage
had delivered them from a great danger
A grand council of the tribes was
called, composed Of the chiefs and
leading warriors and medicine men
from the following six tribes: Ole
Man House. Moxiiepush, Duwamish
Black River. Shilshole and Lake, whose
chiefs were kitsap, Seattle Curley, Tecum.
sch, Salmon Bay Curley and Lake John
Seattle Curley being chief of both the
Moxliepush and the Duwamish tribes
At this council Seaith was made grea,
chief of all the tribes and the former chiefs
became tyhees, or sub-chiefs. The Nozzle
push, Black River and Lake tribes, how.
ever, did not consent to u consolidation
and Seaith, having assumed the authority
conferred upon him by the majority, de-
termined to make his authority respected
by all. He organized an expedition com.
posed of the bravest of mis- followers and
made tour of the three reoellious tribes,
going by way OF Shilshole and Salmon
bays, Lake Union and across the portage
to Lake Washington and thence to Black
river and back to Ole Man House. Though
prepared to give battle If necessary he
subdued his opponents by diplomacy. lie
held councils at various places on his
route, made speeches to the trlbesmen and
won them over from their chiefs, and
when they had submitted he took mum.
Der Of hostages from each tribe along with
him. In this way he gained the subms.
sion Of all the rebellious chiefs and tribes.
men without lighting a battle or killing q
man. When the first white man came
here Chief Sealth had quite q number OF
these hostages, who were called slaves by
the other Indians. but who were no,
treated any differently, SO far as the whites
could observe. than the other Indians.