The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-03-21
Lewis and CIarke's Expedition
of go Years Ago.
THE FAITHFUL OLD TIMOTHY
His Was "A Red Skin. but HIS Heart
Was Wbite-A Tribute to
His Memory.

river-Clarkes fork of the Columbia
at the mouth of what is now called
Lou-lou creek, followed up the creek
and crossed the mountains to the west,
falling in company with a Flathead In
dian who guided them for five sleeps"
or days till they reached the Chopun-
nish, or Clearwater. near the mouth Of
which, and near the present site of
Lewiston they found the chief settle
ment of the Nez Perez tribe. Building
canoes, at a point not far below this
where the KooslSOoske enters, ION the
morning of October 18th the whole par
ty started down the Kooskooske, and
in two days after entering the Lewis.
or Snake river, reached it's mouth where
It enters the Columbia at Wollow
Wollah." (Ainsworth).
On the return journey from their
winter camp on the coast. in the sum
mer of 1906, Sacajaweah again guided
the party, by the best roads. and
through the most accessible passes.
over the road by which she had been
carried captive into the Yellowstone
valley six years before, but which she
still remembered perfectly
Reaching the Mandan village, by
voyaging down the Yellowstone and
Missouri rivers. and declining all invi-
tations to visit the great father at
Washington, CharbOneau and his wife
took leave of their white friends and
remained at their chosen home among
the Mandans.
The journal says: Saturday, Aug
ust 16.-The principal chiefs of the
Minnetarees came down to bid us fare
well, as none of them could be prevailed
upon to go with us. This circumstance
induced Charboneau, our interpreter,
with his wife Sacajaweah and child, to
remain here, as they could be no longer
useful This man had been very
serviceable to us, and his wife, Sacajaw-
eah. particularly useful among the Sho-
shones Indeed, she has borne, with a
patience truly admirable, the fatigues
OF so long route. encountered with the
charge of an infant who is even now on
iy 10 months old. We therefore paid him
his wages, amounting to $5O0.33, and
soon after dropped down to the village
OF Chief Big'white (who had consented TO
accompany us to Washington attended
on shore by all the Indian chiefs. who
went to take leave of him"
1t is interesting-in taking leave OF
the famous eXpedition-to know that
when they disembarked at st. Louis.
September 2S. 1906, they received the
heartiest and most hospitable welcome
from the whole village"
OLD TIMOTHY"
1t may not be amiss to interpolate. at
this point, as a long link between our
remote past and immediate present. a
little sketch of a man who, though his
memory recalled the advent of the
Lewis and Clarke expedition Just re-
rerred to. has only recently passed
away, and was known to many present
residents Of Spokane and eastern Wash
ington, and to the writer's of these pa
pers, namely, that famous Indian
known as "Old Timothy"
OF him, says the pleasant writer
Marion ID. Egbert. in the Northwest
Magazine for July, 1892. 1.-TWO years
ago, while coming down the Snake riv-
er, our boat stopped at Silcott's Land
ing, and just as we had made fast. Cap
tain Boughman said to me. There
stands Old Timothy
CHANGING shOreward at a short dis
tance from the river by the side of his
unpretentious house. I saw the ancient
hero and chieftain about whom clus-
ters so much of the vivid history of
eastern Washington. So much has been
told of him. so much to his praise. be-
cause of the good deeds done for. and
heroic services rendered to the whites
OF that section, from the days of Lewis
and Clarke, in 1904 to the time of the
unfortunate Steptoe, who, with his
troops was saved from humiliation nv
Timothy interposing his band of friend
ly braves between the savage cut
threats and the retreating soldiers in
1858 on the margin of the treacherous
Snake river, and within a short dis
lance Of the place which the old man in
after years selected for his home.
1t was pleasurable surprise to me
TO be able to see him, and today. looking
back upon the event, / stiu regard it
as one Of the fortunate occurrences Of
my life. Although had read much com
corning Timothy, / had forgotten thar
ne yet lived, and when 1 looked unon
him, into his dark, but pleasant ewes
upon that swarthed and wrinkled cbeelr
and took the proffered and kindly hand
the hand that had touched those Of
Lewis and Clarke in those far-awav
days, had touched that Of Colonel stem
toe after his defeat and rescue in later
years. was as much amazed as though
l were in the presence of Caesar or
Bonaparte. 1 could not have been more
surprised had either Of them stood be-
fore me.
For years. the captain said. ON
bright days in summer, the old fellow
would come to his cabin door and wave
his. handkerchief in response to the
saluting of the steamers, which was
always done by them as they passed on
their journey up and down that sim