Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-07-05
The scythe of time lays waste I'M
jraoictnrnd ouontc .giF5s5 5gEE3ft at1sa.

me scythe OF time lays waste I'M
registered events.
The social history and belligerent
transactions of the red men, in pre-
historic times, are as easily envelope
ed in the mist Of obscurity as their
footprints through the forests are OBJ
liberated by the leaves Of autumn.
Nation after nation and tribe after
tribe have sprung UP and fastened
onward to their dissolution, and
neither the first nor the last could
explain its origin or number Of years
Of its duration
Indian traditions and legends are
generally nothing but vague and in
coherent tales, mixed up with mytho-
logy; in most of which some animal
figures as supernatural power.
However, we occasionally find le-
gend handed down by the Indians,
from one generation to another, that
is intensity interesting and may be
considered fine specimens of what is
known as the unwritten literature Of
the cold Native American Race
Thinking that one Of these old trad
itional stories might prove interest
ing, will relate the following char
acteristic Indian legend, as told by
an old French trapper, as near as I
can recall from memory:
Indian Legend of the Palouse Valley.
"a great many years ago, myself
and trapping companion were trav-
cling on the great trail that leads
from the Bitter Root river to old
Fort Walla-Walla. We passed down
through the Grand Coulee into a
rocky country of broken aspect, to a
small stream called Cragfish creek.
Continuing along the general course
OF that stream for ten or twelve miles
we struck stream leading to the Pa
louise river, and encamped for the
night on an eninence that overlooked
q small lake enclosed by high pre-
cipitous bluffs that was fed by a
large number of warm springs. This
remarkable little lake, translated
from the Indian tongue, signifying
never freezing water" at the first
glance looked as though it had no
outlet. But upon close inspection
we discovered a whirlpool at a place
near point where the rocks lowered
aloft in jagged pinnacles, presenting
q view efigies resembling men and
beasts. Here the agitated waters OF
the lake, after being drawn. into the
vortex Of the whirlpool, passed for
q short distance below the earth's
surface and issuing forth. from a
cavern rushed down into the Palouse
river; which at that point flowed
through deep assure in the basaIt-
ic rocks TO the falls below. Below
the falls the Palouse runs through
deep canyon for distance of nine
miles to its junction with the Snake
river. While encamped here, we
were visited during the evening by
several Snake Indians, accompanied
by their chief, Running Fisher \,
The home Of Running Fishers band
was located near the Junction of the
Palouse with Snake river, where
they devoted the greater portion Of
their time to- fishing for salmon,
which run up the Columbia and
Snake rivers to the mouth of the Pa
louise, and ascend to the falls. While
visiting our camp Running Fisher
pointed to the efigies on the Jagged
pinnacles Of rock that lowered above
the whirl pool in the lake and said:
These are the representatives OF a
race of people who inhabited this
country ages ago, and were annihil-
ated and placed there by the Great
Spirit in his displeasure at their
misdeeds.
Il is q sacred spot, where those
that come on peaceable mission will
not be molested; but those that
come here for war and plumber will
meet with the doom that was meted
out to our hereditary foes that in
habited the upper country many
years ago."
Wishing to learn the particulars
OF the traditional story / requested
Running Fisher to relate ii. Seating
himself on a large fat rock that over
looked the clear transparent waters
of the lake, in a deep cultural tone
he narrated in the Indian tongue the
following interesting legend:
White Crane was the chief Of a
band Of Yakima Indians; remnant
Of once powerful branch Of the
Snakes; who dwelt with his people
on the banks Of the Palouse river.
The Blackfeet. that fierce and indom-
liable tribe OF war-like indians who
claimed the hunting grounds from
the Bitter Root mountains to the Mis-
siouri. took 1t into their heads to de-
stroy this little band OF Yakimas.
Knowing the deep cunning Of whit
i ~