Section 2

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Section two of Across the Plains in eighteen forty four
by Catherine Sager Pringle. This LibriVox recording is in the
public domain. For a week or two, the house at
waiilatpuh was full of company, having no help. Missus Whitman
was too much engaged in household affairs to pay any

(00:20):
attention to us. Very lonely did that large house seem
to me during that time. Being a cripple, I was
not able to join the other children in their pastimes,
and they were too busy enjoying themselves to attend to me.
Seated by the cradle, I plied my needle at simple sewing.

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I saw my brothers only at meal time. Missus Whitman
came occasionally to bring the baby her milk. I thought
I could never be happy where everything was so strange,
and shed many tears in solitude. I became so timid
as to cry if addressed by the doctor or any one.

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School commenced soon after our arrival, and most of the
children attended. In course of time, the company left the home.
Help was hired to do the housework, and Missus Whitman,
having more time to herself, paid more to us gathering
us around her in the evening. She amused us with anecdotes,

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distributing pieces of calico and showing us how to make
patchwork and rag dolls, conversing with us in a kind
and familiar way. On one of these occasions, she gave
each of us a string of beads to wear, with
the understanding that anyone who had to be reproved for
doing wrong must return the beads to her. We had

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long been without restraint, so that we had become quite
unruly and difficult to manage. They were strict disciplinarians and
held the rains with steady hands. Any deviation from the
rules met with instant and severe chastisement. Every effort to
merit their approval was rewarded with smiles. While we were

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held under strict subjection. Every effort was made to render
us comfortable and happy, and to win our love and confidence.
Missus Whitman was particularly adapted to raising children, having the
art of uniting instruction and pleasure. She was a fine singer.

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I have never known anyone who excelled her in this respect.
She soon commenced teaching us vocal music, refined and accomplished herself.
She exercised over our rude natures that influence that refines
and beautifies a home. We soon formed a warm attachment

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for her and fell into the practice of calling her
and Doctor Whitman mother and father as the other children did,
and continued it while they lived. They were careful to
have us remember our parents and would speak of them
with affection and respect. When necessary to administer punishment, she

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would set our fault before us and her own responsibility,
and show that all was done for our own good,
and would ask what we thought our parents would wish
her to do. Doctor Whitman's family before we came consisted
of himself and wife, parent P Whitman, his nephew who

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came out with him in eighteen forty three when fourteen
years old, Mary Anne Bridger nine years old, Helen Marmeek
seven years old, who had been raised from infancy by
Missus Whitman, and David M. Cortes seven years old. This
boy's father was a Spaniard, his mother a Walla Walla Indian.

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Becoming tired of the infant, she cast it into a
hole to perish. His grandmother rescued him and took him
to Missus Whitman naked except a small piece of skin
tied over his shoulders. We were in the school room
from Monday morning until Saturday noon. The afternoon was a holiday.

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If the weather was pleasant. The preparations for the Sabbath
being completed, Missus Whitman took us out for a ramble
over the hills. In inclement weather. We were provided amusement
in the house. The doctor believed in young folks having
plenty of exercise. The Sabbath was always strictly observed, yet

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made so pleasant that we hailed its dawn with delight.
Every preparation was made the day before, and perfect stillness
pervaded the house Sabbath morning. In the winter season, a
Bible class met on Saturday night. All the family attended,
and no effort was spared to make it interesting. A

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subject was given us to prove from the Bible, and
Missus Whitman saw that each child had a proof to
bring in. They were commented on. A chapter was read,
each one reading a verse and giving their thoughts on it.
These exercises closed by singing some Bible hymn. Sabbath morning.

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We were reminded of the day, and all kept still.
Each sat with a book, and those too small to
read were handed pictures. After breakfast, we prepared for Sunday
school that met at eleven o'clock while the doctor held
his service with the natives. Each got seven verses, one

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being learned every morning during the week. This was an
interesting hour spent together, especially when the doctor could spend
some moments with us. At three two p m. We
met for the regular afternoon service. When Doctor Whitman read
a sermon. He was not a preacher, but a physician.
We had to find the text after the service was

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over and repeat it to him. The evening was spent
in reading, reciting the commandments, et cetera. One evening in
the week, Missus Whitman would collect the young around her,
holding a prayer, meeting with them and conversing on religious subjects.
The first Monday night in each month, a meeting was
held in behalf of the missions, and Monday after New

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Year's was observed as a fast day. The housework was
hired done in winter so the children could follow their
studies without hindrance. Missus Whitman and the girls did the
work in the summer. Each of us had her allotted
task and was expected to promptly do her duty. At eleven,

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we bathed in the river. Dinner was served at twelve.
When the work was done, we all sat in a
large room at our sewing, save one of us who
read aloud to the rest. Supper was at five o'clock,
and after that was over. Time until retiring for the
night was devoted to recreation. In the spring, the evenings

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were spent in the garden putting in seeds. Otherwise we
did as we pleased. Sometimes the boys would bring horses
for us to ride. At times we would go with
the doctor to visit the lodges where Indians were sick.
Missus Whitman was always with us in all these occupations,
adding to our enjoyment. She was very fond of flowers,

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and we assisted in taking care of her flower garden.
Each season, our time flowed on in one uninterrupted stream
of pleasure. We were kept constantly gaining knowledge, and from
morning until night, our adopted parents labored to promote our happiness.
The family was larger in the winter from twenty to

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twenty five, including children sat around the table at meals.
Besides the adopted children, there were others who came to
attend the mission school summers, the doctor was gone most
of the time, so there was only Missus Whitman and
the children. Mister Spalding's daughter attended school with us. She

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came on horseback in charge of an Indian woman one
hundred twenty miles. The manner of living was simple. In
winter we had beef and in summer mutton and fish.
Pork seldom came on the table. Doctor Whitman ignored fine
flour and wheat. Flour and corn meal were used unbolted

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Tea and coffee came to the table only on rare occasions.
This was a matter of economy, as delicacies were not
easy to get in the country at that time. There
was an abundance of wild fruit to be purchased of
the natives, a good garden supplied, plenty of vegetables. Cake
and pastry only were seen on holidays. Milk, butter and

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cheese were in full supply. And thus you have our
mode of living at Wai Lattu. Some may ask how
the washing for so large a family was managed. As
early as four o'clock, all hands were mustard for work
in the kitchen. Missus Whitman at the head tubs, and

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barrels were put in use, and all the implements needed
were at hand. The boys, with long aprons tied around them,
brought the water and did the pounding, while the women
rubbed the clothes. Jokes were currant, and all were in
good humor. By school time nine o'clock, the clothes were
on the line. It fell to the lot of myself

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and brother to get breakfast on wash days. Owing to
the location and the evaporation in the spring of alkali
ponds near by, why a lootpooh was not healthy. The
mill pond was near by, and we were more or
less troubled with chills and fever in warm weather. I

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was very subject to it and suffered every summer of
my stay there, being often unable to labor. As the
eldest daughter, I had supervision of the other girls, and
from being confined to the house so much, I became
the constant companion of Missus Whitman. An attachment near to

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that of mother and daughter existed between us. From this
constant association to me, she told all her plans for
the pleasure or improvement of the children, as well as
her fears and troubles concerning them. When the doctor was
long absent. I sat with her and read or conversed,

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and was her bedfellow. She set off she could not
get along without me. The spring after we arrived, brother
Francis resolved to run away to the lower country with
those who had wintered there. His reason was he disliked
the strict discipline maintained. The doctor was away, and when

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Francis started to go, Missus Whitman urged him pleasantly to stay,
but he went on the run, mounted his horse, and
was off before the wagons moved which he was to accompany.
She had not succeeded in winning the boy's confidence and affection,
and Francis was stubborn. Efforts were made to overtake him

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and get him to come back, but they were unavailing.
He went to the Willameote and remained there. On his return,
Doctor Whitman talked with John and found he was willing
to remain. He then made a proposal to aid the
boys to get a start in cattle and horse, so
that they would be acquiring property. This was made known

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to Francis by a letter and a horse sent for him,
so that in the fall we had the pleasure of
again becoming a united family. In the spring of eighteen
forty five, the Caiuses were embroiled in war with the snakes.
A Caius family named Prince was going to the Buffalo

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country to hunt, and on the way camped on a
small stream in the Snake region, opposite a camp of
snake Indians. One morning, Prince with his servant, rode over
to see the other camp. His horse stood all day
tied at the snake lodge, but the mother did not

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go to learn about him because her daughter said it
would be foolish. Toward night, the horse disappeared, and during
the night, the snake camp also disappeared. Going over there,
the mother and daughter found the dead body of servant
and master. War resulted in which many Cayuses lost their lives,

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including some of their chiefs. We saw them come home
from their war raids, and heard and saw them singing
war songs, dancing their war dances, and then they would
change to a funeral dirge for their dead warriors. After
a successful raid, they would spend days in celebrating their

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victory and reciting the prowess of their own warriors. The
beating of drums and their war whoops and songs filled
the air with savage sounds. The monotonous tones of the
Indian flute mellowed the horrors of the din a little.
One Sunday morning in the autumn of eighteen forty five,

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two men arrived at the station. One of them, Andrew Rogers,
was a young man of about twenty five to pall
and slender, sandy hair and sallow look that betokened ill health.
He sang hymns and played the violin, so the seceeders
to which church he belonged, turned him out. His gentlemanly

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appearance and intelligence won the admiration of doctor and Missus Whitman.
He came to procure room and care for a friend
who was ill with consumption. He succeeded in this and
was also engaged to teach school the ensuing winter, going
to you Matilla. He soon returned with his friend Joseph Finley,

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who took board with the family of mister Osborne, his relative.
He had made the journey to Oregon hoping for improved health.
For a while he improved and seemed stronger. Doctor and
Missus Whitman became much attached to him. He was one
day taken worse when at their house and never left it.

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They made him comfortable and a tended to him as
if he were a son or brother. He died very happy,
bidding all goodbye and thanking his friends for all their
care of him. All gathered round the death bed, and
the scene was very impressive as he gave his last
farewell to all around him. About this time the station

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had a visit from a band of Delaware Indians under
the leadership of Tom Hill, who was very intelligent and
could speak English as well as Cayus. Doctor Whitman made
a feast for them and invited the leading Cayuses and others.
The indispensable item of an Indian feast was corn mush.

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A large kettle was suspended over a fire in the yard,
and the mush was made by putting in tallow and
stirring in meal or flour. When cooked, the kettle was
taken indoors and placed on the floor. The doctor was
master of sarah ceremonies, and the rest came in order
of rank. The doctor and the chiefs dipped their spoons

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in the big kettle, but common people had dishes served
and ate out of them. Some acted as waiters. They
had tea sweetened. We children were looking on, and it
amused us to see what a quantity of sugar they
used all that the tea could hold. It was evening

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and the family occupied a bench on one side of
the big room, which was crowded. It was well lighted
with candles, and they ate in silence except the sipping
noise peculiar to Indians eating. Their performances at the trencher
were so amusing to us that occasionally Missus Whitman had
to send us outdoors to have our laugh out. When

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the feast was over, the room was cleared and put
in order for the speech. Tom Hill delivered an address
that lasted two hours, and it was quite eloquent. We
could understand the Cayus talk, but the Indians did not
know it. We were not allowed to learn it, and
kept as much as possible away from the Indians, but

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constantly hearing the language spoken, we could not help but
learning the meaning of it, though we could not speak
it well. After the massacre, they soon found out that
we understood their talk. Missus Whitman always treated them politely
and kindly, thanking them for every little favor they did
her the next spring, mister Rogers was away much of

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the time at the Spokane mission conducted by Messrs Walker
and Eels. Doctor Whitman was absent at the sawmill or
breaking up land for the Indians and plotting in their crops.
Missus Whitman and the girls spent the time at home
and found enough to employ them. To prevent feeling lonesome,
we studied botany with her and rambled over the country

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in search of flowers and plants. A bad man was
named Tomahas, meaning murderer, as he had once killed a man.
One day, the doctor was at work in his field
when this man rode up and ordered him peremptorily to
go and grind a grist for him. When the doctor
objected to his talking and acting, so he said he

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would grind it for himself and started for the mill.
The doctor could walk across sooner, and did so. Tomahas
came at him there with a club, but saw an
iron bar in his hand. They had a serious time
of it, both with words and blows, but the iron

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bar was a full match for the club, and Tomahas
finally agreed to behave himself and have his grist ground
Exhausted in body and mind, the doctor came to the
house and threw himself down, saying that if they would
only say so, he would gladly leave, for he was
tired almost beyond endurance. It is hardly possible to conceive

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of a greater change than doctor Whitman had worked in
the life of the cayuses. They had now growing fields,
could have good homes, a mill to grind their meal,
and they were taught things of the greatest use. Yet
some of them could not realize that he was unselfish

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in all this. The following winter was very cold, the
coldest ever known in the country, and the Indians charged
the Whites with bringing the cold weather upon them. Old Jimmy,
a Catholic Indian, claimed the power of working miracles, and
said he brought the cold upon them to punish them

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for their unbelief and wickedness. They paid him liberally to
bring about a change, and finally a thaw did come,
and he claimed all the merit of it. The doctor
made his fall visit to the valley, bringing back something
for each one of us. He always remembered the children
when he went to the valley and brought us all

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Some token of his love. He piloted the immigrants by
a nearer and better route to the Dolls, and learned
with apprehension that the last of the train were afflicted
with measles and whooping cough. He knew they would spread
through the native camps and feared the consequences. None of

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his own family had had the measles, and but few
of the others. This fall, Brother John had his horse
saddled to return to the Dows to reside, but at
mister Whitman's earnest request, he consented to remain. Had he
gone there, he might now be living laying aside his gun.

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He now devoted himself to his studies. He rose early
at four o'clock and wrote, But I never knew what
he wrote about, as the papers were all destroyed. After
the massacre, the measles were among the natives, and in
the doctor's absence, Missus Whitman was their physician. All arrangements

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were made for the winter, teachers were employed, and all
things were in order. The emigration had brought a Canadian
half breed named Joe Louis, who was so disagreeable that
they refused to let him travel farther in their company.
Doctor Whitman reluctantly gave him some work. He tried to

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send him below with the company, but in a few
days he was back again. So the doctor reluctantly engaged
him for the winter. He was destitute of clothes and
was supplied. We all disliked him, but he was well
used and kindly treated. Yet this wretch laid the careful

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plans and told the terrible lies that led to the massacre,
and took an active part in murder and robbery, and
of Chapter one, Section two