Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1893-09-22
LEGEND OF SQGAW ROCK.

That turbulent winter stream, the Rus
sian river, not many miles above the beau
tiful town of Cloverdale, makes a sharp
angle around an immense rock that stands
"a precipitous promontory abruptly end
ing mountain spur-a sheer five hundred
feet above the deep, dark, summer sleeping
pool; at its base rises perpendicular the
clean, overhanging face of the precipice.
Some resistiess convulsion of nature has
torn off the west end of the spur, like
cyclopean effort to dam the foaming floods
of winter that swirl and roar through the
barricade Of fallen fragments below.
Squaw Rock-standing like massive,
spired cathedral at this elbow of the wild
river--is landmark seen for miles from
the road which follows the winding water
course. Upon turret-like formation that
surmounts it, a tree has grown and blown
into shape that adds to the superstition
with which the few Mendocino Indians
now remaining view it, From a distance
it completely assumes the appearance of a
gigantic human figure-that of an Indian
squaw, with papoose upon her back, sit
ting at the edge of the lofty turret. The
Mendocino and Lake Indians say the spirit
of the squaw, who found there a tragic
death, haunts the cliff, where the rocks
she hurls down at white men passing after
shutdown are frequently heard falling.
From an intelligent and educated Indian
half breed woman, living at rancheria near
Echo Station, were CLEANED in fragments
the incidents woven into the following
story: Away back in the fifties, when the
coast range was thickly settled with In
dams, great powwow was held at the
death and burial of a squaw of the tribe,
who had long exercised, through her supe-
rior knowledge and unusual beauty, ex-
traordinary influences over all of the coast
Indians. While very young she had at
tracted the attention of Russian officer
at Fort Ross, who had bought and educat-
ed her. By him she had one daughter,
Panchita-a bright and beautiful blond
her only child, with whom she returned to
her people when the officer suddenly died
at the Russian settlement upon the coast.
As straight and plant as her mountain
pines Panchita sprang up into graceful
maidenhood From her handsome half
breed mother, whose father was distin-
guished Mexican political exile, she inner
tied great liquid Spanish eyes of darkest
hue, contrasting wildly with clear, white
skin and deep red hair that hung in luxu-
shoulders. Above the ordinary standard
of women of her race, she seemed very
| goddess among them, and they looked up
to and revered her AS such. From her ia
Their came the naughty imperiousness of
the Russian character, as did the blond
strain and altitude of figure. No Indian
chief, save one, had ever dared to ask her
to be wife. A reckless brave was Mendo-
cino Juan, and when she babe him begone
he swore he would steal her before another
moon. On the dark night he attempted it
she buried a knife in his heart, and the
| riderless steed dashed away alone to the
chiefs wild home she spurned.
Hers was an unhappy lot. Brought up
to the age of twelve years among whites,
it was even harder for the daughter than
| for the mother to return to the almost ami
NAL Indian life. They lived alone, these
| two--the dignified and silent mother and
the naughty, young beauty-in their skin
| covered hut at the outskirts of the old
| rancheria on the Russian river mound
From an Indian standpoint they were
very wealthy, for they had horses, dogs,
blankets and many comforts unpossessed
by their Indian neighbors The fierce dogs
| jeslously guarded the women and their
home, which few cared to approach after
| dark.
| Pancha-as she was called when ne
| longer httle-possessed the only firearm in
| the village, her fathers shotgun With
only wolfskin cinched upon the back Of
her favorite horse she would ride astride
all day, like very Centaur, hunting and
carrying home at night the deer, and often
bear. secured by her unerring aim Their
hut was covered both outside and in with
the skins of wild animals, while the bark
covered floor was thick with the softest
furs. Paucha's 1.-THE, graceful form was
generally set off to the best advantage
! when, in buckskin dress of open shirt,
short skirt and leggings, she sprang, gun in
hand, upon the back of her obedient steed
BY some arrangement made by the dying
Russian officer at Fort Ross the mother
and daughter received each month a small
sum of money, or its equivalent in goods,
from the commissary's store. But there
the daughter would seldom go, for she ill
| brooked the open admiration and advances
made to her by the white men of the set
Element. She would not be an Indians
squaw, nor less than white mans wife.
She lived for her mother, her horses and
her dogs. Her gun and knife were ever
near, and all took warning from the fate
of the brave she slew in self defense.
Unusually intelligent and precocious,
Pancha-taught to read and write at the
settIement-had> eagerly devoured every
book obtainable, in both Russian and
Spanish, She understood, but spoke only
when necessary, the Indian dia lect. which
she despised as much as she did the race.
Even of English she had acquired enough
In childhood to speak of the ordinary
things of the day. There was really moth
ing in the straight, clean cut, delicate
features that betrayed her Indian origin
unless it were their immobility in the
presence Of others than her mother. Her
cold command of expression and voice was
never broken - even though her wild,
vengeful Indian blood might glitter in her
dark eyes. A sudden word or meeting
would send the rich, red torrent coursing
through her veins, tingeing the clear,
healthy skin, from the oval chin to the
delicate little ears, with a crimson glow.
Shs had read and heard OF love, and her