The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1916-03-02
Concluded from last week. }

cksJ
appears to me that the nearer q per-
son is to whom l write the less com
petent is the mood to the ideas. I
would like to express. However this
may be one thing I know. That to my
best friends 1 always write the short.
est letters, in fact had nearly writ
ten you as short an epistle as Caesar 8
to the senate, viz, Il am sick dead and
buried and yet am not the Skipper
but the last principle of human life is
not extinct. Hope still maintains her
throne and throws the mists Of futnr-
.ity over the deformities and misfor-
tunes that she cannot hide.
cow salmon fishing has not succeed
ed. Half cargo only obtained. Our
people are sick and dying off like rot
ten sheep Of bilious disorder. shall
be off by the first of next month to the
mountains and winter at Fort Hall. -
In other letters he told Of the loss
of more than half of his company,
about 10 by sickness, others by drown.
ing and others at the. hands of the In
dians. His indomitable energy could
not save the business though it won
for him the admiration, not only Of
the officers of the Hudson s Bay COM
pary, but that of every traveller and
writer Of the period. Through his long
series of misfortunes, there was none
to impeach either his integrity or
judgment. Many of his letters were
pathetic in the extreme and portray
ed character well intended to appeal
to human affection. He left his post
at the mouth of the Willamette in
charge Of Mr.. c. M. Walker and sold
Fort Hall to the Hudson's Bay com.
pany. "The business am in must be
closed" he wrote, "not that it might
not be made good one, but that those
who are now engaged in it are not thu
men to make it so. The smallest loss
make them fly the handle and such
men can rarely succeed in a new bust
ness" He returned to his old home in
the fall of 1886, where he re-engage,l
in the ice business with great success
and retained until his death the con.
fidcnce and respect Of all who knew
him. Such was the nhan who first un-
furled the flag Of freedom in the state
of Idaho, and under whose protection
came the first teacher Of the Christian
faith.
While business competition was new
er allowed to interfere with the life
long attachment formed with the of
ficers Of the Hudson Bay company
they could not, Of course, aid him in
his plans to take away their well es-
tablished business, therefore another Sc.
quel is to be recorded. When Mr..
Wyeth left Fort Hall, after the flag
episode heretofore related, he crossed
the Snake at the Indian ford four miles
below the fort and followed the trail
through the Soldier country, and the
Boise river to its mouth where he re.
crossed. He arrived at Fort Walla
Walla on Sept. 9, two days behind the
party with whom the missionaries hal
travelled from Fort Hall. In his jour
nal of that date he noted, "Mr. Mckay
for some reason remained in the
mountains"
Established Fort Boise
This reason is better explained
when we trace the dOings of that wary
denzien of the forest, who, with suit
able crew at his command, halted on
Boise river, at a point about three
miles southwest Of the present towr
of NOtus, and about 10 miles from the
mouth of the river, where he com
menced the erection of an establish
ment that afterwards became known
as Fort Boise, the fourth station O,
the Oregon Trail. That the move
ments of Mr.. Mckay were not made
known to the Americans is evidenced
by the fact that they were not men
toned by any one at the time save tn.
above quotation. However. when Mrs
Whitman, the first American woman tt
look upon the waters of the Columbia
arrived there on August 10, 1896, sh,
noted in her journal the following:
CARVED at Snake Fort about noon
1t is situated on Bigwood river, 81
called because the timber is larger
than any to be seen this side of thu
mountains. 1t consists chiefly of cot
tonwoOd and is email compared will
timber in the states. Snake Fort l.
owned and was built by Mr.. Thomas
Mckay, one of our company, whom
we expect to leave here. He, with Mr.
Mcleod, gave us hearty welcome
dined with them. -
-,