Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-07-02
THUNDER BIRD"
IS FOUND DEAD
indian Discovers Object of SUI
perstitious Awe Frozen to
Death in Mountain.

The weird legend Of the Thunder
Bird T" long regarded as gospel by the
fslackfeet Indians of Glacier Park
reservation. and much smiled at By
The skeptical white man, now seems
10 be given a concrete foundation by
The recent discovery of a specimen Of
the Willow Ptarmigan at the topmost
edae Of the timber line on the noun
iains Of Glacier Park. Montana.
The bird was found frozen to death.
and the Indians now are lamentlng
lest il was stricken with the Great
Shirt as an i'll omen to the entire
Elackfeef tribe. The dead object OF
awe to the red man was brought 10
Q,acier Park station by Chief Three
Bears. who made the trip over the
mountains on snowshoes in order 10
intercept Louis w. Hill. president Of
The Great Northern railway, and
have him "a ke it to a taxidermist to
bf preserved.
Mr.. Hill. naturally thought it was
iuat another of the many legendary
superstitions of the tribe which holds
him up in a reverential light since
making him member of their tribe
and giving him the name Of Gray
Horse Rider in recognition of his
many benefactions to them.
However, he was true TO his prom
se, and had his private car set out
IL Kalispell, Mont, in order TO de-
liver the sacred bird" TO H. P.
Stanford a renowned Rocky Noun
lain taxdermist.
The orrithologist. however, rather
took the railway magnate's breath
away when, upon examining the dead
bird, he exclaimed why, MIR. Hill.
YOU have rare specimen herei 1t Is
the Willow Ptarmgan. which is of
great scientific interest among ornith-
ologsts. Chapmans Color Key shows
the Willow Ptarmigan has been re-
ported only twice in the United
states. once from Maine and once
from Massachusetts" Mr.. Hill had
not paid close attention to the story
the old chief had related to him
through the interpreter, so now he has
had to send special representative
into the interior of Glacier Park to
find Three Bears and get the old In
dIan's story stenogra phically. Taxi
dernist Stanford who is quite excited
over the discovery in birddom, eager
~ awaits a copy of the written story
II the finding of the bird, that he may
report the facts to the American Mu-
scum Of Natural History.
Meanwhile, the bird is being set up
as true to life as the taxidermist's
skill can make 1t, and it will be placed
in the crotch of the poles of the 100
year-old buffalo skin tepee which has
been pitched, on exhibition in the
Forest Lobby of the big log hotel at
the eastern gateway to Uncle Sam s
newest National Park, because the
grandfather of Old Chief Three Bears.
who headed the Indian council which
used to pass the pipe of peace in this
ancient shelter relic, was the chief
igure in the legend of the Thunder
Bird" Here is the translated story
of the Thunder Bird which old
Three Bears faithfully repeats to this
day
sLong ago there was an old man
who was called Four Bears. When
he was a young man the Blackfeet
were camping on Elk river. 1t was in
simmer. The long time-rain had
commenced. In the morning, when
he went for the horses Ito bring them
into the camp, he came to this river.
He saw, there was bird (thaD was
sitting NEAR the edge of the water.)
He walked toward 1t. When he was
looking at it. and then he knew 0haD
The bird did not belong to this coun-
Sry. It's feathers were all of different
t.olors its bin was green -colored, it's
legs we're colored the same. 1t had
three claws. It would not open its
eyes literally: lool1). He then caught
IL Then he took It home. When he
entered, all the chiefs were invited.
They all entered The bird sat at the
upper end of the lodge. He told these
chiefs. Now. here is bird that you
may look at it Ito know, what it is
II was not known nobody could tell
what kind of a bird it was). After
a long while Four Bears pushed it.
When 1t opened its eyes literally:
looked). then it flashed lightning.
The bird fled toward the door. When
IL opened its eyes literally: looked)
again. then il flashed lightning again.
When il flew. then the thunder
roared. That way the thunder was
qeen -