Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1917-11-01


| the settlement he found Il number of
Indians in the act of executing some
captives. They had tortured and burn
| ed all the prisoners except one person,
warrior whose wife and children
were bidding him goodbv before he
went to the stake. Van Schoonhoven,
filed with pity for this family. offered
the savages all his pelts for the cap.
tive's life. The offer was accepted.
and the released man and his family
went with the white man to Science
tauy They were taken to his cabin,
where they were given food and would
have been given shelter IL they had
not preferred to remain In the open
These Indians were Mohicans. and
since the family name was unpro-
nounceable they were called Mohican
Anthony, Mohican Mary. and so on.
each being given name They re-
manned long while In Schenectady
and learned much OF the white mans
customs or course they were very
grateful to the man who had saved
the fathers life by giving a whole sea
sons catch of pelts. which he would
otherwise have sold for more than
fl0O, or $500. 1t was winter when the
family came to abide with the Van
Schocnhovens, and they spent Christ
mas there Katrina Van Schoonhoven
tried to explain to them how st. Nicho-
las would come down the chimney on
Christmas morning. but they could not
see how he could drive his sleigh up
on to the roof of the cabin.
But when on Christmas eve the chill
dren We're told TO hang their moccaslns
to the chimney piece and the next
morning received them full OF toys
they believed what had been told them.
The Van Schoonhovens. father and
mother. were much amused one Christ
mas morning to find that che Indians
had placed boards against the side of
the cabin so that st. Nicholas could
drive his RENDERS up ON to the roof.
In the early spring Mohican An
thony. his wife and his children, TIE
SHOWS having melted so that they
could travel. left their white friends
and went back to their tribe. Katrina
had taught one OF the cliildren-Mohi-
can Alice she was called-to read. and
Katrina gave her book telling all
about the Christ Child whose birthday
Was celebrated by all Christian peo-
pies. The Indians departed full of
gratitude and hoped the good Manitou
would give their benefactors plenty
meat and clothes
That was the last the Van Schoonho-
vens ever saw or heard directly of the
Mohican. Several years passed, and
the saving of the fathers life and the
family's sojourn with the man who
aad paid for 1t with his pelts had be
come one Of the many half forgotten
episodes of frontier life. The next an
niversary of Christmas came round
and brought a great change In the al
fairs of Van Schoonhoven. He had
been Ill for two seasons and unable to
go out trapping. During the autumn,
when he had been used to getting In
his winter supply of venison and other
wild meats. be had been confined to his
bed, and the iarder was untitled. The
savages were very hostile at that time,
and the hunters were all loath to go far
from the settlement, so that there was
very little provision on hand. This
prevented the others from helping out
the Van Schoonhoyens.
And so II was that when Christmas
came round there was nothing for
gifts In the Van Schoonhoven cabin
and. worse than that, nothing to eat.
The principal meat was venison, but
| in. hn
snch as grouse. plover and wild geese
and turkeys. 1t was very herd for the
Van Schoonhovens to hear the distant
calls of these succulent birds while
Christmas was approaching and Vet
not dare to go into the woods to shoot
them. Yet this made no difference to
the Van Schoonhor ems, for the father
was confined to his bed, and none ot
the boys were old enough for hunts
men.
Christmas eve was q sad one to Ill,
, trapper's family. For some time the,
had been living from hand to mouth
and there was nothing to eat In til,
cabin but some saited meat that ha,
been sent up from Fort Orange-Al
bany--to relieve the distress at Sche
nectady. Mrs. Van Sehoonhoyen@ had
picked the eurrant bushes during til,
. autumn and made currant jelly. bu
what use was il with no venison OF
, hand and no maize with which to max.
bread to eat with the jelly?
Christmas eve the Van Schoonho
vens went to bed hungry and with rb.
$ | prospect OF remaining hungry the mex
day The mother tried TO persuade he
r little onAs not TO hang up their stock
I ings. well knowing that there WIS moth
ing to put In them But, having 81
+ abiding faith in st. Nicholas, they In
+ sisted on doing so. and there was
: long line of hosiery dangling from til
. chimney piece The poor woman erie
II herself to sleep thinking of her chi
dren's disappointment on the morrow
a. tyLt ha l.