The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-25
SAP TlNE2IE Of
OLD Biz FOOT
BY A. ]. M,cUsTIoN. TooELE.

time in Tooele in the year 1850. In the
autumn Of 1S49 a small band of pio-
neers, consisting of seven men, with
their families, and four unmarried men,
made the first settlement in Tooele
valley, at the mouth of Settlement
canyon. Logs were brought from the
and a row Of houseS-or,
more properly speaking, a row of
rooms adjoining built and the
little colony were so engrossed in their
battle against the rigors of want and
was entirely overlooked. During the
year 1850. however, the colony was
greatly augmented in numbers, and,
from their primitive showing, the earth
yielded a bountiful harvest, so that by
the time winter came on, the colony
was in far more comfortable circum-
stances; and while Santa Claus did not
visit the homes of the colonists, yet
the people were happy.
John Rowberry was the leading spirit
among the colonists. He was a large
hearted, whole-souled man, and did
much to cheer the people in their Toll
and adversely. To his efforts is largely
due the Xmas celebration during the
winter OF 1850. The people We're in no
danger of starving to death. for there
was sufficient wheat and pumpkins
raised to feed them until the next har-
vest. The valleys were full of deer
and antelope, and the mountains
teemed with Rocky mountain sheep
and grizzly bears.
The sun shone bright and CHEEKY that
Xmas morning, and the male portion
of the community assembled for the
shooting match The target was
made by hewing a face on one side of
a short piece of log, and marking in
the center of the face with wet pow
der or charcoal a small black spot, or
bulPs-eye, about the size of a silver
dollar The shooting was at a range
of forty PAGES, and 100 PAGES off-hand.
The prizes shot for were generally a
quarter of venison, a load of wood, a
dear-skin or load of pumpkins. When
the shooting match" was over, the
dinner hour had approached. There
was no public dinner given, and the e
were no private Xmas dinners where
friends were invited for equality was
the rule, and poverty was the common
lot. After dinneI~the men gathered to-
gether, and those who had tobacco
"chawed" it, and they whitfield and told
stories. Before retiring for supper
there was a general wrestling match,
from which Francis X. Lougy emerged
as victor, for he ''throw'd the hull com
munity."
The feature of. the celebration was
the ''cotillion party in the evening.
The household effects of one of the
families were bundled into the adjoin-
ing neighbours room; logs were thrown
into the fireplace, and the room was
made as CHEEKY as talloW candles could
make it. The floor was either dirt or
hewn puncheons. The fiddler" T. Lee,
mounted stool, and, to the stirring
strains Of 'Old Zip Cooro," the 9Gray
Eagle Run, Niger, Rum" and
''NatcheZ," the cotillion was thorough
ly enjoyed, and continued until the
small hours of morning. The costumes
of the celebrants We're any old thing
they had to put on. Many of the set
deport themselves as gracefully as any
of the modern ballet dancers.
When the fiddle ceased at intervals
the native song-birds Coyotes and
wolves) would render a chorus.
While the settlers We're indulging in
these festivities, other and vastly diff
terent events were Transporting in other.
parts OF the valley and county, A num-
Der of detached bands of Indians dWelt
in the valley, and, prior to the advent
OF the whites, We're the sole possess
sors. They had viewed with alarm
the encroachment of the whites, and
were now holding councils of war.
Prominent among the Indians were Old
Big Foot, Sobo Souic Jack, Weber
Tom and Little Soldier. The latter two
We're friendly and honorable Indians.
and made little trouble for the settlers,
but the others outlined their crusade
against the whites, and in the follow
ing spring began to steal the settlers
stock and commit all manner of depre-
dations. This continued for four or
five years, the Indians growing holder
and holder. The settlers reported each
raid to President Brigham Young, who.
with counselors, constituted the war
board for the territory, as we'll as the
board of strategy. Brigadier General
ID. ii. Wells was the military director,
and during the years 1923 several
military expeditions were directed
against the Indians in Tooele county.
which resulted in the killing of fifteen
or twenty Indians in all, with the loss
of but one of the settlers.
There remains in Tooele at the pres
ent time but one of the little band of
pioneers, viz: Francis X. Lougy. That
gentleman was often the salvation of
the little camp, for when there was no
corn in Egypt, he would brave the
dangers from the Indians, grizzly bears
and the awful avalanche, and, with his
unerring rifle, would bring to earth
meat for the hungry settlers. He took
prominent part in every Indian ex-
cursion, and was the means of restor-
ing to settlers much of their stolen
property. He was a young man, yet
in his teens, when, by strategy, he cap
tured Old Big Foot, and marched him
into the fort. Lougy had wandered
down into the bottoms about a mile
from the fort, without his gun, and
there found Old Big Foot concealed in
the willows, spying out the property of
the settlers, with the view of making
a raid that night Big Foot immedi-
ately drew his bow upon Lougy, and
ordered his surrender. Lougy cheerful
ly 90 complied with all requests, and,
by his friendly talk and acts, won Big
Foots better opinion. Lougy finally
bantered Big Foot for a shooting match
with bow and arrow for plug of to-
bacco. The tobacco proved too much
OF a temptation, and Big Foot ac-
cepted. He made his score and sur
rendered the bow and arrows to Loug-y.
who Immediately took Big Foot into
custody and marched him into the
loft. a masS-meeung was Immediate
~ called to determine what should be
done with the Indian. Many were in
favor OF killing him. but Lougy
interceded. and, after obtaining
from Big Foot promise that he would
be q better Indian, he was granted his
freedom, and to a considerable extent
he kept his word.