The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-06-22

Inherently the Indian is a stoical
day-dreamer.
Laborious efforts have been made TO /
penetrate the reserve with which the /
involved inner life Of this strange +
child of the forest. mountain and plain 1
is guarded; but, to large extent, II /
lies like a vast dark continent Dehlnd /
a dimly visible shore. He dWells be /
hind impenetrable. persistent conserva- /
tism, and within the shadOwy rim of a |
night that yields no ray to tell OF MS
origin.
in one sense the red man IS true
pagan-swathed in seemingly dense
clouds of superstition, but rich in fanci-
ful legend
Though taciturn and wrapped in
stOicism, vet his is an imagination ac-
tive and fruitful. His fancy IS eXuber-
ant and peoples this world with all
manner of romantic spirits and gro
tesque and tragical pictures. So much
| for the Indians nature. Mountains,
rivers, forests. lakes and valleys all
have their fsnciful legends. North
! eastern Washington is full Of them
/ The famous story Of the "He-He
/ stone" is one Of the most prominent or
! these many queer traditions.
/ The main highway leading past the
/ little hamlet Of Cheesaw passes over one
4 of the Hottest mountains Of the Okla
hogan range. Decades ago only
/ rugged, sinuous trail led up the noun
! tain's declivities, across the crest and
/ down on the western slopes.
But with civilization and settlement
! came improvements. In course OF time
| the serpentine trail yielded 10 q good
wagon road. This highway has been
/ Travelled for many years.
n Ia OF of q o.
Gated the famous ''He-He stone" This
stone is an actual. palpable object. but
the romantic. fanciful and tragicai
/ story connected with st is shadOWy
and legendary
And what of the "He-He stone? At
first it might be considered huge,
rude. sarcOphsyus-an actual stone
coffin. 1t is solidIy imbedded in the
earth and rises above the surfce 10
the height Of an ordinary table. SO
far as can be determined from a SUI
perficial examination, the stone is per-
fectly solid and will weigh many tons.
The top Is rough but nearly horizontal
This oddly and suggestively shaped
stone lies very near the highway
From time immemoriai this rough
sarcophagus has been an object Of
veneration among not only the Okla
hogan Indians, but also Of many ad-
jacent tribes. II was likewise the cen
trail figure OF the strange, tragical
legend.
The incidents OF the story occurred
long, long time agO-more than a
century. As the tradition has de-
seconded it involves the fate OF three
? persons. all Indians. These were q
girl and two young braves-riyal
lovers.
: The girl was the daughter of a once
, ! noted chief One Of the lovers tanC
! the favored one, too was the son OF
4 a chief who was the leader of another
tribe. Hostility had long existed be-
tween these rival tribes Many san
, culinary battles had been fought Will
= varying success.
? The chiefs daughter and the son o
; the opposing chief were lovers, though
4 their ardent attachment was a secTe
. to all but themselves. Clandestin
' meetings had been held and their mu
' tual vows exchanged in the forest,
: depths beneath the cold stars am
: moon.
> An AMBITIOUS brave bel0Hgfa6 81 th
, same tribe as did the girl was also
lover He was young and full OF ardo
and courage. In the many battle
waged between the tribes he ha
Z achieved prodigies Of valor and won
: / warrior glOTy-scaIS-
He was rash enough to aspire to tn
q heart and hand Of his chieftain'
IS daughter Yet she favored the suit q
5 the bitter enemy Of her tribe. FINAL
N the less favored lover discovered tn
T. unhappy truth. He kept the secre
/ locked up in his bosom, though h
J.. finally resolved on a deadly Teveng
ID He charged the girl with faithlessneS
L to her blood and tribe and yOwe
vengeance on her enemy lover.
re She replied with bitter scorn an
u tainted the unhappy lover wit
l. oowardice. SmOthering his rage,
IS patiently BODIED his time.
re Fate offered an opportunity soOnt
III than he expected. The favorite trystir
place OF the ardent lovers was on Il
be lonely summit Of OkanOgan mountai
re near the old travel-wOTn trail Tn
IL fact was also known TO the rejectC
n brave.
&c One bright, mOonlit night the love
Mt held q meeting on the mountain. TT
he tryst was interrupted by the suddt
n appearance Of the despised lover.
ne confronted the couple, armed to Il
teeth, and challenged his hated riv
- to deadly combat.
- This challenge was instantly acCep
irt ed and the braves fell TO fghtin
4
81 short duration. The favored love
10 though seriously wounded, soon sic
I'm mis- antagonist.
nd While the combat was being Wag
TO the Great Spirit was angered and 7
by solved to avenge the blood Of the sla
warrior.
ny There were deafening peals Of thu
bie der, lurid glare Of lightning. the mou
-as tain violently trembled and the mo
so was hidden behind a black cloud
" hen the wounded and victoria
warrior turned around TO look for
sweetheart i'm the dim. mystic lig
mo she had suddenly vanished All
- saw was the hinge. dark. cOfHn-shaE
IAN / rock which had apparently just ris
rs / from the earth The legend decIa
ent ! that the Great Spirit in his anger
ew / stricken the girl and transformed
IN into solid rock. giving the stone
,-a form OF a rough coffin.
~, Brave though the young lover "
the yet his courage instantly fOrsOOk
-om when he realized the fate Of his 10
TEN Turning, he fed precipitately down
her mountain. forgetting his wounds.
a was days before he recovered. tt
sc } his heart was broken and his m
nor sadly wandered.
us Meantime the body of the 81
osi- brave was found by the members
on his tribe and buried with much g
- and weird ceremonial. The body
ny laid alongside the 'He-He stone"
such the transformed body Of the
happy girl was called Both the 10
hostile tribes soon became to know
lai" truth, and a lasting treaty Of pc
l2nE, was established between them II 7
/. -. ~ never broken.
irei The lost and mad lover would "
-ery der every night to the top Of OkanO
o is mountain and, sitting upon the n