The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-05-12


Sometime, many white men, Zieup's
people, will come to the valley of the
Honobe Umbooch. Harm them not
for Queia will ever be watching. If
a red man Stays q, white man in the
valley of the Honobe Umboocil, his
spirit will be sent to wait on the
spirit of his victim thru all eternity,
even as Sones spirit has been sent.
When the darkness descended, the
chief was heard calling to his eagles.
After rush of great wings, all was
quiet. Chief Queia was gone.
When the morning came, his peo-
pie beheld his likeness hewn in the
face of the rocks above them, stand
ing guard over the Honobe Umbooch.
Centuries went by. No great chief
was ever sent to the valley. The
tribes were broken up and scattered
over the land. Even the name of the
river was changed, Burndam Wat
tama, it was called.
But down thru the ages one thing
remained unchanged. Every band
of Indians that CHANGED to come to
the valley pointed out to their child
rem the face of Queia, and repeated
the story of the beautiful white
Zieup, whom he had loved, always
ending with the warning, IF red
man Stays a white man here in the
valley Of the Burndam, Queia will
send his spirit to be slave to the
white spirit for ever and ever" Only
once have the Indians dared to dis
obey the command of the ancient
chief.
In full view of Indian Head Rock,
during the year of 1879, little band
of Nez Perez Indians, with few
Shoshones and Lemhis, attacked a
company of freighters as they were
passing thru the Lost river valley,
hauling flour from Blackfoot to
Challis.
The white men unloaded their
wagons and piled up the sacks for a
barricade. Six, days, they fought
with the redskins, who out-numbered
them, twenty to one. Finally, they
became desperate and William
Trelore volunteered to go for help.
Taking with him Joe Raney, a half
breed scout, he escaped on horse
back, in the night, and rode to
Challis, over fifty miles away.
Five of the Indians fell, but only
one white man, Jesse McCaleb, was
killed.
When Trelore and Raney returned
with assistance, and the Indians had |
fed into the mountains, his body was
carried to the brow Of the hill, above |
the battle ground, and buried there
at the foot of the mountain, which |
now bears his name, Mt. McCaleb,
the highest and most beautiful peak
in the Lost river valley.
All the while, the image Of Queia
stood guard and his soul looked
Town on the earth marking the red
nan who slew Jesse McCaleb.
( When the Indians camped that
light, Nez Perez, who stood look
ng into the fire, suddenly called
loud, "Queia! Queia!" and fell
backward to the ground.
His comrades rushed to him and
ound that he was dead. There were
huge finger prints about his throat.
One to the other, the awed Indians
"A white man was killed
lueia has taken the slayer's spirit"
Many people still live on the Lost
liver who remember in the fall of
$50 when the report was brought
n that the Lemhis were coming
lOwn the valley on the war-path.
Men were sent to the Wood river
or arms and ammunition and the
ettlers slept with their clothes on
nd their guns beside them for many
7eeks, but the Indians never came.
For Zieup's sake, Queia was pro-
Getting the white people who dwelt
n his beloved valley.
Early in the summer, some agita-
ors from the Shoshones had come to
he Lemhis, complaining that the
'hite men were spelling their hunt
lg grounds in the Lost river country
nd finally won them over to their
Ian of massacre all the people from
ne end of the valley to the other.
Id Chief Tendoy was opposed to the ,
utrage, but with all his warriors
gainst him, he could do nothing.
The squaws beat their hands on
le ground and walled to their men
, remember the curse of Queia, but /,
ley only laughed and went forth to !,
leir war dances.
Sadly Tendoy sat in state and :
atched his grotesquely painted !;
raves as they contorted about a :
reat fire, uttering their hideous
ar cries and whetting their blood
lirsty appetites.
Sadly, the ghost of Queia looked :
own from it's abode in the happy :
uniting grounds. =
"They need yet another warning" :
. said Forthwith, he came down :
} the earth and Immediately a great :
lplosion was heard from the center =
the fire, arresting the warrior in =
leir distorted dances. Before their :
orified eyes, Queia appeared among :
lie flames, bearing in his arms the :
ody Of his dead wife, Zieup. Slowly =
ley assembled with the smoke, and
ter them followed Some, bearing =
reat burdens on her back. =
Then came Jesse McCaleb, at
nded by the Nez Perez who took his
fe. AS tho petrified, the Indians
God watching until the phenome- =
On had disappeared in the black :
ess above. /.
The good chief, Tendoy, rose and :
fled his right hand toward the =
Clear and stern his voice : :