The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-04-25
WAS AT THE MASSACRE
SAW THE MURDER OF DIR. WHIT
MAN AND WIFE.
ste Retains a. Vivid Recollection Of
the Horrors of That Awful
Day aud Night.

comparative civilization, was accomplish
ed by the early religious teachers. Cath
clio and Protestant. and their labors be-
gan long ago. 1t is recorded that. inn
pressed with the superiority of the white
mans faith, as evidenced by the teach
ings of the earliest explorers, seven In
dams crossed the Rocky mountains and
walked to st. Louis in quest Of spiritual
guides for their people. Their old ac-
Quaintance. Captain Clarke made appeal
in their behalf but there is no record Of
missions to this northwest country prior
30 1894 when two clergymen of the Meth
odist communion, Revs Jason and Daniel
Lee. and three laymen. Cyrus Shepard
and T. s. and p L. Edwards, accomplish
cd the overland journey and labored for
a short time among the Indians and white
savages along the Columbia.
Captain Bonneville the gallant adven-
turer. whose travels formed a romantic
theme for Washington Irving, was an in
dependent messenger of the gospel of
peace as early as 1892; his teachings and
character are said to have accomplished
much good among the Nez Perces and
other Indians, but the mission referred
TO was the first organized effort of any
church in this country. 1t was known, at
that time, as foreign mission, and was
almost Immediately removed to the Will
annette valley. In 1885 a large reinforce
ment to this mission enabled it to plant
an Offshoot at The Dalles, and in 1888 the
Rev. Jason Lee being dispatched to the
east for further help. il became necessary
70 send him. by special messenger. the
sad intelligence OF the death of his wife
and infant child. The circumstances is
of vivid interest as Mrs Lee was the
first white American woman to close her
eyes in death west of the Rocky noun
tains
The messenger of this first trans-conti-
sental mail made the trip from the Will
annette valley to westport, Mo-. in 60
days. including four days detention on the
road. 4
METHODISTS WERE FIRST.
Though the credit of the first Christian
mission to this country belongs. so far as
known. 20 the Methodist church. yet the
iabors of men of other faiths are the first
recorded in eastern Washington and in
immediate locality.
The names of Spalding. walker, Whit
man. Eels. Parker and others of the Con-
gregational and Presbyterian commits
sions are inseparably connected with the
earliest civilization of this Inland Empire.
DIR. and Mrs. whitman and Rev ii. IA.
Spalding and wife, and w. II. Gray were
the pioneers of the organized effort of
these faiths. though a brief preliminary
visit was made by the Rev. Samuel Parker
i'm 1885. This gentleman visited the year
cid Methodist mission, the posts at AS
toria and Vancouver (be it joyfully record
ed that the men of the Hudson Bay Com
pany then in charge We're wonderfully
kind to hlm) and afterward made tour
~.
and Colville countries. The Spokanes
gathered in large numbers to get their
first sight of a clergyman. and we read
from the annals of the day Among them
was a good interpreter who had been to
school at the Red river settlement prob
ably Spokane Gary, and public services
were held both in the Spokane and Nez
this Immediate locality.
This was our own late neighbor Gary,
whose craven head adorns a Spokane
souvenir spoon. who afterward embraced
the teachings of these missionaries, lived
an exemplary life among us until recent
~. and died in the communion of a Con-
gregational church in this city. His grave
may be seen I'm Greenwood. to the left Of
the main entrance near the foot of the
bluff His simple epitaph is In liam
Chief Gary"
1t is interesting to note. among the sol
emn instructions given to this pioneer If
missions. by the religious body which sent
aim forth the following words. You
are going to a portion of the continent
and of the heather world of which We
know next to nothing OF scarce
ly any portion of the globe or its inhao-
itants do we know 80 little"
THE WHITMAN BAND.
M fha COufpp Of tha lfttla hand of xrl,fcr
air. Parker was the forerunner. much mas
been said and written, and the story OF
their transcontinental journey has be.
come a classic. Having seen the terrors
Of that journey. as accomplished by oul
friends of the Astor party we will not
repeat it. but only contemplate, for a mo.
ment. the fortitude of two delicately.
reared young women in undertaking thai
endless horseback journey. with their eye.
fully open to all the sufferings of theil
predecessors. Mrs. Whitman and Mrs
Spalding were the first white women tc
cross the American continent.
Though DIR. Whitman's work was no
Immediately connected with early day
OF Spokane missions. yet so much ha.
been said pro and con concerning him
and that so recently, that a aggression al
this point may be permissible.
II is not generally known that we hav,
I'm Spokane today living survivor anC
witness of that carnival of savagery by
which Marcus Whitman and Narcissa
his wife, came to their death.
This lady is Mrs. Catherine Sage
Pringle, of Haven street, at the eastern
limits of Spokane. She is still so vigorous
ia mind and body that it seems incredi
BILE to hear her talk of that historic da,
Of massacre.