East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-02-13
CALLING THE CHINOOK

(By J. NJ. Cornelison, Missionary I
In, Aallnr

(By ] NJ. Cornelison, Missionary to
the Umatillas.)
Among the strange phenomenas of
the northwest inland plateau country
none works such wizardry as the
warm wind that comes in the winter
and is known as the Chinook" The
whole country may be pinched and
shivering with zero weather, and
white with deep snow for many days,
and then of sudden this spring
zephyr comes from the southeast, and
as il breathes on the frost it disap-
pears like Sennacherib's host before
the Angel of the Lord. AS a deep
snow crumhles and crushes before it,
one is reminded of the cracking of
wheat under a summer sun.
Thirty-seven years ago Umatilla
county experienced the coldest and
longest winter with the deepest snow
that the oldest inhabitant recalls.
Two feet of snow lay on the valley,
with the thermometer below zero for
many days. The herds of cattle and
ponies were withering away in the
storm. Even though they had food
or could set the bunch grass they
had no energy to go for it because of
the cold, as the frozen ground made
the blood ooze from their hoofs
William Barnhart, the Indian agent,
was much worried. The employees OF
the agency invested most of their
time in keeping a fire going for their
own comfort, and to warm any In
dian that might straggle in. After
the storm had ragged many days. one
day about noon. the agent in the
presence of John Mclean, the inter-
prefer Tom, the blacksmith. ana a
number of Indians sitting around,
was heard to say, II wish 1t would
Chinook Sokai, one of the Indians
present Immediately spoke up: II
will call Chinook, if you will kill two
fat government cattle for US to feast
on
eco. cir, and call the Chinook, the
cattle Will be ready for you," said
the agent And John, you and Tom
go with Sokai and watch him call
the Chinook and report to me when
II comes
Though hating to leave the fire.
these two witnesses waded through
the drifts and followed Sokai to his
tepee, weighted down with snow.
Sokai Immediately set his long
lodge in order to make medicine"
So cold was il that the two witnesses
had TO keep two fires going in the
long tepee TO keep warm. while in
the middle of il in the early after
noon Sokai began his incantations of
song dance and drumming. Faster
his singing and beating and gesticu-
lating, until he was in a lather Of
perspiration, as though he had just
leaped from a sweat house while the
others were freezing But warmer
Still he must make it. Five pine
knots were near the fire. So he placed !
them in the flame til they were Ike !
flambeaus. one after the other of /
these he inserted in MS mouth and .
literally ate the flames from them, .
for he must make il hotter Some
rifle bullets were heated next almost
10 the melting point, for be was now
in frenzy. He called for water which
they rushed to him in pail holding
about a half gallon. He called for
more water till he had drained this
feared to see him burst open. or fall
down dead. But still he made medi-
cine" for he must make it hotter. At
this point Toms heart failed him, and
Slipping from the tent he called 70
John moment later. Come on out"
mo, too cold was the reply from
within. Come on out, John, I say,
it is not cold" The high wind had
been blowing on the foothills and
Tom could see them in the bright
moonlight already black in the sum-
mer breeze which was bathing his
Cheeks. When John came out he
and Tom went home in the slush long
before midnight In the early morn
ing the great Umatilla valley had not
a vestige of snow in sight. but the
Umatllla river was a raging torrent.
The witnesses fastened to the agents
office 70 report their experience. and
Sokai also was there. He had "de-
livered the goods" Then the agent