Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-07-06
LEGEND of Spokane Indians.

Once upon a time there lived upon the
banks of the Spokane River in Spokane
County, near the CURLY of today an old
woman and her grandson, who was a
very handsome young person. glitter with
all the cunning and forest lore of his
grandmother and his mother. the latter
IF whom had departed this life and en-
tered the happy hunting grounds when he
vas but a baby.
He was at the time of this story about
IS years old, but in all his Is years he
who inhabited the earth than the mem
bers of his immediate village. So to his
grandmother one day he said: Granny,
or Is years l have ided my time away,
staying shut up her in the woods with
nothing but the birds and animals for my
friends But l have remained silent when
the other young men have gone away,
and have returned with news of their
XploitS and adventures, and | have ac-
;epted their jeers and jibes because I
thought it my duty to remain with you
and to care for you in your old age.
But now it is spring, and all nature is
'estlesS and seeking for Il change from
he monotony of the idle winter
I have decided to go to country to the
lorthward, where the sun sets and where
he SHOWS have not yet vanished. l shall
become acquainted with all the new and
TRANCE people of WHOM we have heard
o much, but whom we have never seen.
The spring has come and with 1T the
means of obtaining food easily, and you
without my aid. so | will go. and will re-
turn to you in the fall in good season to
'ay up our store of food for the time
when winter shall cast his mantle of
white over our land and the river shall
ave frozen, so that man may walk upon
t as upon the land"
The old woman was sad because of the
'oung mans determination to leave her
,lone with the village folk but she saw
hat he was resolved to allow nothing
% deter him, so she did not raise any OBJ
iections to his proposal. but prepared
him for his journey by giving him sew
raj things for his bow and a new culver
Vt arrows.
He set out in his canoe. and guided it
asily down stream for many hours. 60
ng slowly and musing upon the wonders
which he was sure he would meet with.
When the sun was directly overhead
and the mist from the water had ceased
Using for the day he began to feel ia
'igued He had undertaken but few jour
neys of longer duration than an hour or
so. He began to doze. the sun beating
Town holly on his head. unused to it's
bright rays among the dark trees of his
forest home
He was awakened suddenly by voice
which seemed to come from the water
md which said: Where are you going.
ilone and without guide. and why did
you not remain with your grandmother.
first cousin of the beaver, and whom the
Too-mi-lax has always hated? If you
continue on your way l shall surely over
come you and drown you in the waters
Of my native stream. | am a man. and
private reserve. where YOU have no right
without my permission. Go thou back
and you will be unmolested. but if thou
proceed on thy present course death will
overtake thee l have spoken"
"Thy words were idle. o Too-mi-lax
for my life is not worth anything to me.
but / will have revenge on thee for thy
hasty and foolish words"
And SO saying, he raised his paddle and
struck the great Too-mi-laX a blow. sew
ering him in twain Instead of dying
however, the two parts each lived and
the head part grew new tail and the tail
part grew new head. There was a diff
ference, though, in the shape of their
bodies. for the head had gotten smaller
tail and the tail had not gotten any body
to fill the place of the piece cut off, but
had merely added a head, making very
small fish.
And it is as he said-today the fisher
man often catches the larger bullhead in
the Columbia and the small bullhead In
the Spokane and it's tributaries
On the morrow he met two other young
men, who like himself, were on a voy-
age of discovery. and after making him
self known to them he told everything OF
interest concerning the land of his birth
and his reason for quitting it. Having
persuaded them that there was nothing
worthy a tip in his land he suggested to
them that they should return to the Co.
lumbia and ascend it in search of adven.
ture, and they soon agreed that this was
a good idea and they accordingly acted
upon it.
Proceeding up the Columbia River TO,
several days they at length arrived at 3
faired. for the two young men were ths
f3nzS ~. ho Sum and thas of q ba MON,