The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1897-12-07
Improvements of the weapons he
left behind him.

Some tribes were migratory,
while others clung to one spot,
generation after generation, till
exterminated or driven off by a
more powerful tribe. Some built
permanent homes, like the Mound
Builders, while others built no
homes, making a pile of brush, a
hollow in some cliff, or an over
hanging rock served them for
their brief sojourn.
ICHTHYoPHAGIST TRIBE.
From Snake river northward
there lived, in early times,
most interesting and peculiar
tribe the Ichthyophagists or
fishers. Very little is known of
this people except that they were
a very low order of mankind.
They lived chiefly on mussels,
fish, ETC., with an occasional
deer. and great was the feast
when they we're fortunate enough
to find a dead Mammoth. They
were migratory in their habits,
living in one spot until the fish
and mussels became scarce, then
moving on to new hunting
grounds. They were short,
powerful built men, with low, re-
treating foreheads; high cheek
bones; very strong lower jaw. set
with short. broad, strong teeth.
Their noses were fiat limbs short
and large and feet very large for
their height. They were such a
very low order of man that they
made few. ifany weapons, though
they possibly used clubs of wood
and threw stones. l doubt if
they wore any clothing, as l
have never been able to find any
trace of clothing, or implements
with which to manufacture it.
They probably had no shelter
other than willows, trees, crey-
ices in the canyon walls. etc.
Though they had fire there is no
proof that they cooked their food
with it, but used it to warm their
chilled limbs, and as a deity. In
their refuse heaps, at the mouth
of small streams putting into
Snake river, are great quantities
of mussel shells and fish bones;
none, however, showing any
trace of fire, which would show
that they ate their food raw, for
near by can be found their fire
places, containing charcoal,
pieces of charred wood, and bones
of men.
1t was thought. and some still
think, that they were cannibal-
istic, but if they ate their other
food raw land everything points
to that facD why should they
cook their human game ? And,
again, the bones of deer, mann
moth, etc, are cracked, as if to
get at the marrow, while the
human bones, or rather all |
ever found, are not fractured
The most of them being complet-
ely charred, as if the victim had
been thrust into the fire and left
to entirely consume.
They were evidently fire-wor.
shippers, and made sacrifices Of
the aged and infrm. No bone:
of children have ever been found
in any of their ash heaps.
There was very little, if any
tribal formation, it appears, al
though they lived in families OF
ten to twenty, scattered alons
wherever place could be founC
that would afford a living tC
their number.
have found traces of this
tribe here in Round Valley, bu
the remains do not show a very
long residence. They were
most probably, a few wandering
hunters cut off from the head oi
| Wood river by an early fail o
snow, and followed the gam,
down Salmon river and wintereC
here. There may be more re
mains here than l have seen.
This tribe passed away, ant
was followed by a race of mucl
higher order, but not nearly 81
high as our red Indian. OF whom
more hereafter.
CALHOUN.
CtdlliS, idaho, Dec. fSt, 1897.