The Kevin review., 1926-12-23
Sublette's Experience with ShoShomess
A Pretty INDIAN Maiden Saves His Life
(By MRS. M. E. PLAssMANN)

4
ITHERE was never any pretense of
I peace or fair dealing between the
= rival fur companies, whether
British or American, and the means
adopted to gain their ends ranged all
the way from bribery to cold-blooded
murder. 1t is doubtful if as many
| trappers were slain by Indians as
were put out of the way by white
men in this relentless warfare, and
the graves of the unknown trappers
who met such tragic fate, will never
be decorated, scattered as they are
throughout the Rocky Mountain re-
gion.
Naturally, the American companies re-
sented the entrance of Hudson's Bay men
into their territory, and considered them
selves fully justified in making it extreme
ly unpleasant for the British company's
employees.
An instance of this was furnished when
Ashley's men gathered in the furs col
lected by the trappers of Peter Ogden of
the Hudson's Bay Company. This coup
was the result mainly of shameless bribery,
and the desertion Of Ogden's men. How
ever obtained, these furs brought enough
cash in the st. Louis market, to enable
General Ashley to renounce further adyen-
turing into Western wilds, as he could now
retire with competence unmenaced save
by civilized business methods. Preliminary
to this, he sold his interest in what was in
the future to be known as the Rocky
Mountain Fur Company, in which Jedediah
Smith, William Sublette and David Jack |
son were the leading members.
With all it's bloody history, it contained /
some redeem1ng pages; one OF these occuTr-
Smith was attacked by Shasta Indians
escaped with his life, but lost
$4,000 worth of furs Smith made his way
to Fort Vancouver, where he was hosplta-
.kas.1 faT IL
ling, who also sent company to punish
the Indians and recover the furs stolen
from Smith, This DR.. Mclaughlin under
took at his own expense, later purchasing
the furS, and thus relieving Smith of the
trouble and danger of their transporta-
tion. DR.. Mclaughlin was not ignorant of
the Ogden incident, but he was too mag
unanimous to hold Smith responsible for it,
Dr. to take advantage of his condition. There
was no man in the fur trade who measured
up to DR.. Mclaughlin, although it took
Us long time to accord him the recogni-
lion he deserved. We first waited for him
to die. The treatment he received will al
ways remain a blot on the fair pages of
Oregon history.
1t was after Smith had been killed by
indians while on his way to Santa Fe that
he company passed under the leadership
If Bridger, Fitzpatrick, and Milton Sub
ette brother of William. With this COM
lany was that picturesque figure, Joseph ;
Meek, who was destined to take a con-
/ {
Territory.
In consequence of the generous treatment
accorded Smith by DR.. Mclaughlin, the
Rocky Mountain declared a truce with the
Iudson's Bay Company which, according
o Mrs. Victor in The River of the West, l
must have terminated under the new man |
lgement, when we find Fitzpatrick doing :
lis best, with the aid of whiskey, and any !
,ther MEANS to secure the furs of Ogden :
n a valley of the Bear River mountains.
The spring of 1882 found the Rocky =
= auth
american Fur Co. which was destined to !
ause the death of Vanderburg, leader of Z
he n. A. Company, as has been frequently :
elated. While encamped on Bear River =
he Rocky Mountain Company, discovering =
hat the North American Company's repre- :
entatives were close on their trail, decided
o leave that part of the country to their
iyaIs and try to elude their pursuit. I'm d
Rockway chief, who accused Sublette y
nth having insulted his daughter. In the =
Sublette was wounded badly
nough to unfit him for travelling. The =
est went on, with the exception of Meek,
Tho was chosen by Sublette to remain with n
i'm in the capacity of nurse if he lived, Y
r to bury him should he die.
During Sublette's convalescence for he
id cOnvalesce, Joe Meek was his general
ictotum. He acted as cook, hunter, guard,
urse, and in any required capacity for the
ere able to leave Bear River in an at
mt to rejoin the rest of the party. The
nforced delay had been extremely irk J
1me to the wounded man, who was re- I
,iced at the prospect Of resuming his old
tanner of life in the company of his
artners.
They rode without adventure to a fork
Green River, where they ran onto a
and of Snake Indians, or Shoshones. These hi
! seeing the white men charged, yelling W
, they came, and Sublette and Meek, in or
cad of retreating, rode straight into is
le village, where they took refuge in a to
edicine lodge, which afforded them sane We
lary for the moment Their being in the in
edicine lodge must have been the reason Of
nv they were not at once killed Instead, an
Conference was called of the Shoshone Al
arriors, to determine the fate of the men
ho were now in reality prisoners. ur
The lodge was soon filled and the discus G.
on began, without the accused being per- Nj
tilted to offer any evidence in their own CT
half Not a word was addressed to them, no
# Sublette understanding the Shoshone eli
nguage could follow the arguments, ne
hich were apparently all for the prosecu-
IN. with a solitary exception. Chief Gotta ra