Blazing the Way; Or, True Stories, Songs and Sketches of Puget SoundDenny, Emily Inez
History
Blazing the Way; Or, True Stories, Songs and Sketches of Puget Sound
Denny, Emily Inez
Indians of North America -- Northwestern States; Oregon Territory -- History; Washington (State) -- History
Sealth's birthplace was the famous Oleman House, near the site of which
he is now buried. Oleman House was an immense timber structure, long ago
inhabited by many Indians; scarcely a vestige of it now remains. It was
built by Sealth's father. Chief Sealth was twice married and had three
sons and five daughters, the last of whom, Angeline, or Ka-ki-is-il-ma,
passed away on May 31, 1896. In an interview she informed me that her
grandfather, Schweabe, was a tall, slim man, while Sealth was rather
heavy as well as tall. Sealth was a hunter, she said, but not a great
warrior. In the time of her youth there were herds of elk near Oleman
House which Sealth hunted with the bow or gun.
The elk, now limited to the fastnesses of the Olympic Mountains, were
also hunted in the cove south of West Seattle, by Englishmen, Sealth's
cousin, Tsetseguis, helping, with other Indians, to carry out the
game.
Angeline further said that her father, "Old Seattle," as the white
people called him, inherited the chiefship when a little boy. As he grew
up he became more important, married, obtained slaves, of whom he had
eight when the Dennys came, and acquired wealth. Of his slaves, Yutestid
is living (1899) and when reminded of him she laughed and repeated his
name several times, saying, "Yutestid! Yutestid! How was it possible for
me to forget him? Why, we grew up together!" Yutestid was a slave by
descent, as also were five others; the remaining two he had purchased.
It is said that he bought them out of pity from another who treated them
cruelly.
Sealth, Keokuk, William and others, with quite a band of Duwampsh and
Suquampsh Indians, once attacked the Chimacums, surrounded their large
house or rancheree at night; at some distance away they joined hands
forming a circle and gradually crept up along the ground until quite
near, when they sprang up and fired upon them; the terrified occupants
ran out and were killed by their enemies. On entering they found one of
the wounded crawling around crying "Ah! A-ah!" whom they quickly
dispatched with an ax.
A band of Indians visited Alki in 1851, who told the story to the white
settlers, imitating their movements as the attacking party and
evidently much enjoying the performance.
About the year 1841, Sealth set himself to avenge the death of his
nephew, Almos, who was killed by Owhi. With five canoe loads of his
warriors, among whom was Curley, he ascended White River and attacked a
large camp, killed more than ten men and carried the women and children
away into captivity.
At one time in Olympia some renegades who had planned to assassinate
him, fired a shot through his tent but he escaped unhurt. Dr. Maynard,
who visited him shortly after, saw that while he talked as coolly as if
nothing unusual had occurred, he toyed with his bow and arrow as if he
felt his power to deal death to the plotters, but nothing was ever known
of their punishment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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