East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-10-20
LIKE a TRUE SQUAW, STRAPS
HER BABY ON HER BACK.
Highly Educated Girl Now Living
With Her Indian Husband on the
ShoshOne Reservation in Wyoming
Was Case OF Love at First Sight
Tho Indian Husband Is Mission
AIRY Among His People.


tropolis, has become lndianized.
Carrying her papoose strapped to
her back, wearing brilliant parti-
colored shawl and moccasins, she
dwells happily with her Arapahoe hus-
band on ranch near the little
mission house on the Shoshone Indian
reservation, near Fort Washakie, is
miles east of Lander.
When the government throws open
the Shoshone reservation to settlement
next spring, the landseekers will see
the white woman who, for love of the
man, gave up New York for the
prairie, and silks for squaw's garb.
But Grace Wetherbee is not the slave
but the helpmate Of her full-blood In
dian husband who equally returns her
love for her and their child.
Despite her upbringing, Squaw Cool
idge has fallen into many of the GUS
toms and become addicted to not
few of the habits of the red people in
the midst of whom she has lived for
the last six years. She dresses more
like a squaw than woman of her own
race. she is careless of her personal
appearance and has become undigni-
fled in her bearing. Nevertheless she
is devoted to and happy in the com
panionship and love of her Indian hus-
band and her half-breed child and in
the devotion NJ her husbands people.
who have come to regard her as IA
sort of saint She has faithfully and
zealously assisted her husband in his
missionary work, laboring to uplift his
people morally and to enlighten them
spiritually, and has done much good
Near the reservation Coolidge has a
ranch on which he lives with his wife
and child. While Mr.. and Mrs. Cool
idge have friends among the whites in
the neighborhood and are respected
and esteemed by them, yet they spend
most of the time among the red folk
on the reserv ition and at thir home.
Coolidge wears the conventional
clerical garb and is a large portly man
with n clean shaven face and Indian
features.
Six years ago Miss Wetherbee came
from her home in New York out to
Fort Washable to visit the family #
j. X. Moore, who was at that time
post trader there. At the home of
Mr.. Moore Miss Wetherbee met Sher-
man Coolidge, a full-blooded Arapa-
hoe Indian. who was then and still is
conducting his little Episcopal mission
at the ShOshone reservation.
Coolidge called frequently at the
modest home of the post-trader to see
Miss Wetherbee and openly and boldly
paid court to her. Nor did she dis
courage his suit. On the contrary. she
encouraged it, and when, not long af-
ter the couple first met he asked her
to become his wife, she promptly and
unhesitatingly consented to do so.
The engagement was brief one.
The red-skinned missionary and the
white girl from New York were deep
ly in love with each other and ar
rangements were promptly made for
the celebration of the nuptials. The
lovers presented themselves before the
Rev. Mr.. Roberts, missionary at the
Shoshone reservation, and requested
him to make them husband and wife.
He declined to perform the marriage
ceremony.
Nothing daunted. the lovers pre-
pared to set out by stage for Casper,
I'm this state. nearly 200 miles distant
from the fort, resolved to have the
knot tied there. When Mr.. Roberts
saw that they were determined to car
ry out their purpose to become hus-
band and wife he relented. called them
back and married them at his home
Since their marriage Mr.. and Mrs
Coolidge have lived happily together
oh
union-the mother carries the papoose
strapped to her back, as squaws carry
their infants
The life of Sherman Coolidge has
been singularly rich in incidents, and
measurably rich in achievement. out
here In the west years ago AN Arapa-
hoe village was attacked and DESTROYED
by band of hostile Sioux, and little
brother and sister belonging thereto
were taken prisoner and carried off.
Word of the destruction of the village
was sent to the nearest military post.
and Captain Coolidge, who was in
command there, promptly set out with
detachment of regulars to run down
and capture the offending savages and
to recover the little prisoners He ac-
Sohlplisneu MS purpose.
Captain Coolidge took a fancy to the
little Arapahoe boy who had been
taken prisoner and resolved to rear
and educate him. While not legally
adopted, the boy was treated by the
officer az his son, and in the course
OF time deep. warm. tender attach
mcnt grew up between them. The boy
took the name of Coolidge. and he
justified the faith his bene factor had
in him. Captain Coolidge gave him
the rudiments of an English education
at the military post at which he was
stationed and then sent MN away to
college.
The young Arapahoe decided to en-
ter the ministry and accordingly he
was sent to and graduated from Sea-
bury, an Episcopal theological school
at Faribault, MINI. on his gradua-
ton from that institution he went
back to the reservation of his own
people as missionary and for num-
ber of years he has had charge of the
little Episcopal mission maintained
there.