Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-11-11
"Reminiscences of a Woman
Pioneer of Treasure State

The COWS had TO be MIXED and the
horses had TO be fed. Besides, II the In
dians came TO the ranch SOMEONE would
have to be there to prevent their looJlng
it. No, she was not afraid OF the IN
dams. She and her children would wait
for their coming. And 1t would be all
right, she assured them. She knew IN
dams, had met up with them before, and
she was not apprehensive over their
prospective visit.
Wild tales came floating over the
tryside. Bloody. gruesome tales. The In
dians were pillaging, footing, destroying.
killing. torturing. Each httle VINO
seemed to carry to the ears OF mag
NATIVE passers-by the widest stories OF
their terrible doings. But Mrs. Periman
knew Indians. and h knew now the
whites could exaggerate the tales OF tor
ture which half-crazy gossipers would
relate of them. :
On TO Deer Lodge went the last of
the settlers, but the little woman n
the three little Riddles remained in the
ranch cabin. The moments seemed long
as the youngsters peeked through the
curtains watching for the approaching
redskins. The woman busted herself with
her ranch work, and the Riddles played.
But mostly they waited.
Four keen little eyes peered past the
edge OF the shades IN the window facing
the front fence.
"Ma-ma-mal They're here-coming up
the hill-coming right straight for the
house! Now they're gettin' of their
horses-they're tytn' 'em up at the
fencel"
Terrific excitement beat in the breasts
Of the little ones. They were curious
and filed with wonder at these things
called Indians, Of which their friends
had told such awful stories. But there
was no fear in them. for their mothers
calmness eliminated from their minds
any thought Of danger.
Up to the door came the Indians
Twelve of them. Mrs. Perinan opened
the door, and with a grunt, they filed in.
They shuffled about the cabin, and one
OF them sat down On the floor with his
back against the wall. TIL Others fol-
lowed suit. Then one of them recog-
nized Mrs. Periman. She had lived at
Lewiston, Idaho, near the Nez Perce res
ervation, where the Indian
seeing her and recognizing her as one of
the whites who did not modest the ma
tives.
Indians Talk Freely
Everything then was all right. The
Indians talked freely of the events which
were happening n told their friend
what they intended to do. Mrs. Periman
handed them hunks of bread and gave
eaCn OF Lnem IL DOWl u llilh. AhSJ A"N
asked her for something to eat.
No harm toward any of the whites was
intended by the Nez Perces. Mrs. Smith
says her mother afterward told her. Iney
had been treated SO cruelty by the Idaho
settlers that they were desperately trying
to get away from them. BY some mys-
terious means of communication with
which Joseph kept in contact with the
struggling bands fltering northWard,
word had come to the band Of IL to turn
back toward their reservation. Evidently
the rush toward Canada n its prom
Used freedom from outrages had peen
called of, and now they were to go pack
to their starting point peaceably and
quietly. From the Periman ranch they
had intended to go south and join the
other bands in the Big Hole.
The Reds Leave
Friendly "Hows' and waves OF the
hands were the last remembrances OF the
doomed Nez Perces. Before their father
returned home from his trip to BeartoWn.
a mining camp near Garnett, the story
of the Big Hole battle had drifted back
to the western Montana settlements.
Indian scares passed out of the chill
dren's daily rounds of wonders, and the
next big thrill in their young lives was
the leaving of the old ranch home and
the taking up of q new abode in Bear
town. 1t was in Beartown that the kid
/ OleS DtCalilt dCCAStOiilCQ w l1Cdi AAAC
morning greeting. We'll. we got meat for
observation-disclosures another dead one down
the street a ways"
Not many years later Mrs. Smith moved
Idaho. She was accompanied by a man.
He, of course, was her husband. How
she assisted him in supplying the needs
of themselves and their belongings is
illustrated by this incident:
To Salmon City, where they lived,
there came all the settlers Of the region
for the annual picnic and day Of jubila-
ton. They came on horseback, afoot, or
in carts and wagons. The women, after
miles of travelling, would gossip and boil
the coffee, and some of them would help
the men drink the whiskey. And the
strenuous contests in which the women
| engaged would put to shame the cavort-
ings of the modern girl who makes q
great deal Of fuss about athletics. One
of their contests was a mile race. Thts
race brought the whole program to a
climax. From Snake river the settlers
had brought a young champion whose
fame had spread throughout the terri
tory, and her admirers bet their very
grubstakes on her. Salmon City's entrant
was practically unknown.
Wins Load of Hay
Cor howled the bewhiskeyed starter,
and the runners scampered away. Nip
and-tuck they were lost to sight. In a
lew minutes Ine odiInon SlIy rooteis
went almost insane with cheering
yowling and coarse exclamations-their
runner was first in sightl 1t was Mrs.
Smith who rushed first across the finish
line, and whose husband received the
load of hay which was the winners prize.
Believe me- she said the other day,
that came in ~handy-hay was worth $25
a ton in them days"
At q Labor day picnic. held In Green
ough park at Missoula August 8, 1925,
she won another race, a 100-yard dash
Her older sister came in second. First
prize was a gallon of ice cream.
II never before nor since had SO many
visitors" she remembers, "as / did after
they brought that ice cream down to my
house. And l never did get but about q
spoonful of 1t for myself"
And she laughed-it was a joke on her,
And that's the thing she does best-she