The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-05-02
CAVE JEWELLERS OF
ZORTMAN COUNTRY
MAY HAVE BEEN HOME OF VAN
ISHED RACE; SIGNWRITING
ON CAVERN WALLS.
Was the Headquarters of Blackfeet
When They Warred Against ASSN
niboines, according to One Indian
Legend.

Three Indian caves inhabited so
long ago that not even a legend
of their history remains among the
early white and Indian settlers, two
of them having sign writing on the
walls and with several rooms, have
been discovered near Zortman by
A. w. Armstrong, ranger in charge
of the Little Rockies district. MIR.
Armstrong gives an account of the
caves in The Bulletin, magazine
issued by the northern district for
est service.
Much discussion has arisen as to
whether northern tribes of Indians
were in the habit of decorating the
caves and cliffs with sign writing
or whether this was the work of a
wandering southern tribe Mr.. Arm
strong quotes an Assinniboine Indian
who identifies the writing as the
work of the Blackfeet tribe, but re-
fuses to translate it because he says
it is dad medicine" and the work
of the Great Spirit" Mr.. Armstrong
Reached by Ladder
''Not to be outdone by the Dry
Wolf and Tenderfeet districts, the
Little Rockies announces the discov-
cry of Indian caves within its bound
aries. There are three of these caves
along the southern boundary, one of
them about three-quarters of mile
west of Grouse gulch and two about
one-quarter of a mile east of that
point. The cliffs are almost perpen-
dicular and rise to a height of about
200 feet. Two of the caves are easy
to enter, the other having the en-
trance 80 feet from the base of the
cliff, must be reached by ropes or
ladder.
During the summer of 1920 while
in that vicinity l noticed
the most westerly cave entrance land
it only seam in the rock, as
it is rather long and narrow and
faces toward a spur of rock and away
from the south, but upon going up to
it I discovered an outer chamber in |
which large fires had evidently been |
burned. In digging in the ashes
many bones of buffalo and other ami |
mails were found. This outer cham
Der is enclosed on three sides and af-
lords a very fine view of the sur
country for many miles.
Find Inner Cave
"a rather narrow opening from
his chamber leads to the inner cave,
which is circular in form and about
80 feet in diameter. 1t is probably
100 feet high, however, and the floor
S six or eight feet lower than the
loor of the entrance. The remains
If a ladder were found here, evident
y used at one time to reach the floor
# the inner cave.
con the walls and roof of the outer
hamber and on the walls of the
'assageway between the two cham ,
ers are found many strange draw
ngs and characters in some kind of ,
ed paint, some of which are very
lain and distinct"
One of the other caves was found
o have signs painted in it while
he other had none. Neither the
yhite or Indian settlers had any rec
Election of having heard of the ex-
stence of the caves. One Indian, T
he Boy, member of the Assinni- {
oine tribe, remembered hearing of il
sgends handed down for generations d
war between his tribe and the
lackfeet for possession of the hunt p
lg grounds south of the Little Rock f
U.s. Fl
Blackfeet Driven Out II
AS a result of the Indian war the il
lackfeet, who had at one time claim Il
d the sole right to the hunting il
rounds there, were driven west into Il
lie Big Rockies.
According to The Boy, a small band a
{ Blackfeet Indians once lived in 81
lese caves, where they could spy tt
pom Assinniboine hunting parties. "
the parties were not too large the m
swooped down upon them, st
Hing the braves and stealing their
orses and supplies. The fortress b
ives were finally stormed by the Of
and the Blackfeet, who pr
capped from the battle, fled west. OF
The Boy was reluctant to talk is
'out the signs for he said that they 81
ere ''bad medicine and that bad til
ok would follow him if he talked
o much. The signs, he said, were
ade not by the Indians but by the w
treat Spirit" and only the medicine lie
en- could properly read them. II
Tribal Superstitions al
When any undertaking was consid- ex
ed, he said, the medicine man re- sh
ed from the tribe and hunted for sa
irit signs. When they were found Ca
ey were interpreted and the tribe
formed as to whether or not the
dertaking would be successful. its
He identified the signs as Black so
1t because the drawing of turtle we
IS used, sign which he said was "a
yer used by the Assinniboines. Evil A
nee of large Indian village on the las
EEK beneath the caves were found
The Boy, who said it had been tn
! home of the B1ackfeet because dr.
cles of rock, used only by that ex
be, as a method of fastening the
ges of the teepee, were found. tin
A.:
Spokane-John Strandberg, who las
April suffered badly lacerated up
in a sawmill, and refused to al of
Y a surgeon to amputate, declaring wi