The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-09-28
FRISCO LETTER
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wooded Businesses OF the mountains,
and for years white men only caught
heeting glances Of them, so wild had
they become, and while traces OF
them would occasionally be found,
and government expeditions have
sometimes gone in search OF them,
no one ever succeeded in getting in
touch with them until this man was
captured recently in northern Cali
fornia.
Ranchers in remote district in
that section heard a terrific commo-
ton in their corrals one night, and
the dogs had evidently driven some
thing to cover. Hurrying out, the
men surrounded the corral, and
finally found, crouching in one cor
ner, a strange Indian who could UNI
derstand nothing that was said to
him, although there we're several civ
ilized Indians present He was con-
sidered an ordinary thief, who
had evidently come to steal meat,
and was sent to the nearest small
town Jail
Here a little of the value of the
find was indicated when it was found
that not an Indian in that part of the
country could make himself under
stood. Members of every known
| tribe talked with him, and except for
one or two words, which seemed sim
liar to his own language, he failed to
understand anything. It was at this
! time that the scientists of the Univer-
sity of California heard of him and
hurried north to inspect the stran'
! ger. After an investigation these
experts pronounced him a possible
member of the long lost Deer Creek
tribe, and after some trouble an old
Indian was found who coud establish
little communication with him
'Ishi was intelligent, and quickly
learned enough of the other Indians
lingo" to enable them to talk, and
then the strange story of his life was
learned.
He was in reality member of the
Deer Creek tribe, but in all his life
he had seen but very few white men.
He and the few members of his tribe
lived in the haunts of the eagles, the
deer and the bear. Only on rare &C.
casions, when hunger drove them to
to the lowlands, would they ever ap-
proach white mems settlements
Other than that they were a part Of
nature. living in caves, in trees, hunt
ing with bows and arrows, and the
only strange thing in their lives was
the iron monster they used to watch
in the valleys far below It seemed
to be huge live thing, that emitted
smoke, and occasionally shrieked,
and went faster than anything they
had ever seen or heard Of Thus they
lived in terror of the Southern Pa
cific just as some of the highly civ
ilized white tribes have done, for that
matter
The years passed until their tribe
dwindled to just four people, two
other bucks, his wife and himself.
For several winters they travelled to-
gether, but once canoeing down a
stream their boat overturned and the
two other Indians were drowned. He
saved his wife, but they lost every
thing, and had to fashion new bows
and arrows, and kill to get furs for
their winter covering. And so the
summer months went along until a
few weeks ago his wife was taken
sick. He cared for her deep in the
woods, brewed the connections of
roots and berries, prayed to his gods,
and finally left her to make a short
journey in search of some roots
which he hoped would cure her dis
ease.
When he returned she was dead,
and the coyotes were already fighting
about her. Here the old Indian sang
chant, told in the sign language
how he buried her, how he singed his
hair in mourning, and then holding
up one finger, to indicat that he was
alone in the world, he became unut-
terably sad and refused to talk any
more that day.
The scientists decided to take him
to the University of California, and
after few days to prove to the
Indian that they were friendly and
would do him no harm, the journey
started. 1t was filled with terror for
the Indian, who was taking his first
railroad ride, who was seeing hun
, dreds of white men for the first time,
and who had never seen such enor-
, nous canoes as the bay ferry boats
that went without pushing.
They took him to the University
: | Of California and hepan q nrOcaes nj