Miscellaneous Notes from Sue McBeth’s Notebook
Height of my pupilsGoliah’s height; 11 ft 6 in +
Mark Williams6 ft
James Hays6 ft
Archie B. Lawyer5 ft 11 in
Peter L. Lindsley5 ft 9½ in
Abraham Brookes5 ft 9½ in
Rev. Robert Williams5 ft 9 in
Silas H. Whitman5 ft 8 in
Enoch Pond5 ft 7 in
William Wheeler5ft 6 in
Noah Breedell
James Hines
James Lawyer
Mr Deffenbaugh5ft 7½ in
Enoch3439
Solomon3740
Silas3640
William3332arm: 22 ½
Robert3631
Silas – shoesNo. 7 ½
Martha shoesNo. 5
Silas hatNo. 7 ½
Brief Journal Entry
It is not known if kept a journal during her tenure in Idaho. The following material, found in a ledger book, contains only two entries.
Lapwai, Idaho Terr. Nov 1873
I reached Lewiston on the 10 of last month, and as I started from home on the 11th of Sept. I was just one month (save one day) on my journey. The trip to San Francisco by R.R. was wearisome until we came into the region of the Rocky Mts & the Sierre Nevada’s. All weariness took flight in the midst of their magnificently sublime scenery. The week spent at the Grand hotel in San Francisco with Mr & Mrs Bredel & Minnie, Rev. & Mrs Condit et al including the Chinese was delightful. And I enjoyed the ocean voyage to Portland. I was not in the very least sea sick and the trip up the Lewis (or upper Columbia river to Wallula more than [the segment abruptly ends]
Nov. [Editors note – the following entry may be from Nov. 1873]
This week the Commission. It has been in session two days and the community goods are to be distributed to the treaty Nez Perces tomorrow. Last week the Indians begun to come in and pitch their tents in the valley. I can count eleven lodges from my window besides those near the Agency and up the Lapwai & down the Clearwater. There are hundreds of Indians on the ground. Sabbath the church was crowded, and the woods around were swarming with those who could not get in. When I went over, the vestabule was packed to the doors with women & children sitting on the floor. I sat on the steps for a time & then came home. In the afternoon I found a seat inside. After Mr Ainslie had made a short address, which James Reuben interpreted, he gave the meeting up to the Kamiah Indians, and Lawyer and his two sons & some of the others made addresses & prayed &
sang in Nez Perce.
Monday & yesterday they came trooping in on their ponies. Joseph & his band & Eagle from the light & his band of the Nontreaties. The last is the most influence chief among the Non’s. He has been in the buffalo country for several years and has not been at their councils.
The Non treaties are the heathen party of ‘drummers’ & last night & tonight the drum is beating & they are uttering their peculiar cries of worship or revelry in tent near us.
[The entry ends]
Nez Perce Stories
The heathen Nez Perces say that the large bones (of a mastidon, as I think) found on the border of the Reserve are the bones of the evil one below. (the Uninokiniku or devil) That he is dead, as these bones shew, and there is no need to be afraid of his power to afflict in animkinikai, or hell.
Kamiah July 1876
James Hines, who is cutting wood for me has been telling me the Nez Perce tradition of their origin. Long ago, there were no people in this country, they say, man was not created. A monster, the iltswaitsih or Earth beast, occupied the Kamiah valley and constantly reclined, or was unable to walk. He does not know which. Its head was so high it could eat tops of the highest trees. Its heart, rested on the hill near Archies house. Its mouth was six miles up the river. Its hinder parts many miles down the river. Its body occupied (filled) rested in the Kamiah valley. His eyes were like two suns, its breath like a strong wind. It drew its food into its mouth, with its breath by strong inhalations, and swallowed it whole. It devoured in this way all beasts who came near it and birds. Every living thing feared it, save the coyote. It was without fear and it was the wisest of all created things. It approached the iltswaitsih unseen until immediately in front of it, and then stood up, and the monster drew him down its throat by its breath. In the belly of the monster coyote found many other animals and birds starving. He traveled along the interior of the monster until he came to its heart, then he took a knife which he had concealed and with it cut his heart in two, and killed it. (“Where did coyote get the knife, James?” I asked, if there were no people.” “I don’t know,” was the answer)
After the beast was killed the coyote made, or there sprang from the flesh of the beast, the Sioux, the Snake Indians (the enemies of the Nez Perce) and whites. All the people outside of the Nez Perce country. Afterwards, the fox asked the coyote why he had left the beautiful Kamiah valley uninhabited. The coyote took the heart of the beast in which a few drops of blood still remained, and squeezing out the blood sprinkled it on the Kamiah valley, and from these drops sprang the nemipu, or Nez Perce people. That is the reason there are so few of them, and that they are better than the tribes made from the monsters flesh. Some, of the heathen, still believe this story. “I believed it myself” said James “until Mr Spaulding came and taught me the truth.” Some of the people still fear & reverence the coyote (One man I know, who lives up the river says that altho he knows it is not true, still whenever he sees or hears the coyote, he is afraid a little in his heart, still.)
The following poem was written by Sue McBeth during the 1850’s. It is included on this website because of its relevancy in understanding Sue McBeth’s personality.
Write ABook Emma
Write a book Emma: Iam dear Sister
Writing it day by day:
And the characters traced in that writing
Can never pass from scroll away;
For the parchment is part of the infinite,
The soul is the vellum given
On which with the pen of my life I write
A record for hell or heaven.
Oh a fearful gift is this Author;s life,
For the lowliest [illegible]
Of words, and looks, and deed that leave
Its trace on the hearts of men.
And arelessly oftent he record is made
And lightly we pass the thought
That we must account for theill we have penned
And the good we have written not.
Not among the planets that shine my Sister
In the galaxy of fame
That is bounded by changing time, deear Sister
Do I sigh to rank my name;
For the dust of earth is oppoon the stars,
And the brightness will pass away,
When eternity ushers in the light
Of that sinless clime of day.
Oh then may my writing be apprpoved
By that searaching eye of Him,
In whose visible presence the sun shall fade
And the glory of earth grow dim.
Ma he write my name in the book of Life
With the dear ones he has given
And I crave no [missing]
In the fame of earth of heaven.