Mt Idaho Dec 12^th 1887
Rev F.F. Ellinwood D.D.
Wm Rankin Esq

Dear friends,
May Miss McB. acknowledge in one hasty note, today the reciept of Mr Rankins kind letter of Oct 27^th with its enclosed check of $300.^oo my salary to Dec 31^st and Dr Ellinwoods very welcome note of Oct 31^st announcing that the WFMS of Northern N.Y. had pledged the $200.^oo for my ‘helper’. Many many thanks for both.

Harry Hayes is helping me this winter. His salary falls due Jan 1st /88 (as I should have notified Mr Rankin sooner, and tried to and could not). $50.00 of the $200.00 is due him then. Will Mr Rankin please send it to me for him. I think the check had better be made out in my name so that if at any time a change is needed or a change made (as in the last year) Miss McB need not have or give so much trouble. Will that be all right? I will have Harry acknowledge the reciept of the money to the Board (D.V.). He started on the new (school) year in faith as did his teacher he going in debt for supplies trusting to pay by the first of the new year. Moses understanding the ‘sign language’ better would be a better helper with the Crows & Shoshones should they come.

I have six sometimes 7 pupils residing here besides those who ‘come and go’ from the Reserve. Ten in all were here last week. Our boys are studying as never before (through the help given them) looking out to the work awaiting them among the heathen – if God please. Miss McB is still in the ‘whirl’ with school, families, lately come Missionary boxes and work from them. The Christmas Tree for the Kamiah S. School expected daily and needing to pass through her hands &c &c. If you only could know the ‘whirl’. (She frightened our boys one day lately by fainting at the close of school.) If our boys go down to Kamiah for Christmas, as they hope (there is Communion in the Church there Dec 25^th) she hope to find time – if she has strength - to glance at the internal history of the past months. She does not begin today, Only this:

When we heard that the six Crows had come to Lapwai, Robert (at my request) went down to L to help Mr D. select my two pupils, and to bring them to me. The Evangelists did not go near the Community from which I wanted my pupils. The Crows had never heard of the school at Mt Idaho, of course. They were warriors, the chiefs of two bands, their Sub Chiefs, and servants. They came by the invitation of the Rev Archie Lawyer (as they understood from him the purpose of the visit for the "Tinit and ‘Pihipt’ (gift making and heathen feasts) by which in the days of the old Sun worship (the worship of the Crows still) two allies or friends tribes ‘helped’ each other to strengthen their Chieftainship by an added degree of Knighthood. And the worship of Josephs followers today and the worship to which the Nez Perces returned when their first missionaries left them, and in which the whole tribe remained up to 1870 (less than 3 years before Miss McB saw them. The drums of Nez Perce Sun worshipping warriors (like the Elder William Wheeler among them) gave her many wakeful nights). Please remember this when inclined to underrate the peril of Archie & mixture – i.e. heathenism mixed with enough of form of Christian worship to enable him to keep the help of the white friends thro whom he is now held in place and power and enable him to draw a salary from the Board until he can gain the much more highly prized power and ennoblements of the old heathen Chief – if he cannot unite and continue both. The Nez Perces have no Chiefs now. The chieftainship was abolished by the government in 1880

"He (Archie) told us over there that he was a mighty Chief and this Silas was his Sub Chief." The Crows told when they came to Lapwai that his (As) miohatowit (dominion of his Chieftainship) extended from below the Earth (or ground) clear thro to the other side of the clouds (‘ipelikinn kaau’ a heathen expression) and that he had an older brother, who was one with him, or even greater than he, that he and his brother had held and held fast and safe in their four hands the lands of the Nez Perces against the whites and he exhorted us to make a ‘strong chieftainship’ so that we too could let hold fast and safe the lands of the Crows against the white and all their secret work to rob us of if. "Where is his Chieftainship?" they asked the Lapwaians. "What has he done?" The only Chieftainship which amounts to anything comes from raids (titkain) and the cutting, scalping, wounding &c and killing in the war. (I wish you could see that last sentence spoken in the ‘Sign language’ It would give you some idea of the word ‘savage’.)

Archie ‘preached’ (Archie Lawyer &c) to the Agency whites the Evangelists told on their return but there was not one single word spoken by Archie to the Crows, or his visit. (so the Crows told at Lapwai) about the Gospel or Christian worship or Missionaries to them - only the ‘Chieftainship’ and talking over the ‘old war times’. "I hear these things today for the first time, and I will hold them fast in my heart" said the Chief to a Christian Kamian. His old friends even he told him about God and heaven and hell in that ‘wonderful Sign Language’ through which Moses Monteith for instance can preach the Gospel (as I tested the other evening) at once on sight to any tribe between here and the Rocky Mts. The visit of the Crows had given me ever greater faith in the value of the Sign Language as a factor in reaching the wild tribes with the Gospel. I am having our boys practice it or teach it to each other (out of school).

Only the Chiefainship are talking over the old war times. He (Archie told us about these things. Of the Gospel & Christian worship "not one little word spoken not so much as would lie on the point of the finger" the Crows told at Lapwai. (You see in Mr Ds letter Archies story to the Crow Agent, illustrating the two sides of Archie – the one turned to the whites, and the side turned to the Indian and invisible to those whites.) For illustration: Mr Boyd (or even Mr D) (see letter) would see only an ‘innocent’ dinner party at James Grants. Even if his eye should fall on the quiet turning of food or dish in the direction of the Suns course (sun worship) it would have no meaning to him. James Grant (or ‘Estamitin’) one of the Lapwai Elders, a nephew of Chief Joseph was an amiable but ‘weak backed’ pupil of Miss McBs at Lapwai (in 1878) until while on a visit to the Lawyers at K he fell nto sin causing her to ‘drop’ him from her school (They are strewed all along the road.) Abraham Brooks, another ‘weak backed’ pupil at Lapwai, is also an Elder in the Church there. Through these and a relative of Archies also a deacon and a member of session I am told) Archie works his will with the Church &c. By the feat (making him participating criminals) James Grant has been entrapped into silence or defense of A to which the "Elder would give weapons."

The $150.^oo of the Boards money (together with a collection taken – Silas, I am told said - how truly I can not tell - from the Crow Agency whites to defray the expenses of the Evangelists was used simply in the interests of the old heathen Chieftainship for himself and Jimmy L through the Crows. Miss McB did not see and talk with the Crows herself, of course, but gives the evidence of common fame, and numbers whom she counts reliable. The same story comes from all. Jimmy L hastened to Lapwai to meet the visitors. They were not permitted to go to Kamiah, or out from the presence and influence of the Lawyers. They expected to stay 16 days they said then they came and I am told were making too many revelations and were hurried home after one Sabbath I am told.

They are to be back in June to help Lapwaians celebrate The 4^th of July my sister writes. Whether the talking over the old war times in the ears of the young Crow braves, and the exhortations of Archie to the Crows , as reported, to ‘make strong’ their Cheiftainship (which is done, usually by raids and war – Ten (10) scalps make a Chief.) had anything to do with the subsequent "Out break" of the Crows only he, they and Our Father know. Still, the friends will know if it is wise not to give a word of warning to the Crow Agent, the impression on whom, of Archies prepossessing appearance, plausible manners and stories and person ‘magnetism.’ The friends who have met A can perhaps understand. I only write this now that the friends may know in time.

As to the Nez Perces (beside the effects on the non-Christian) the Christians are looking on in wonder some in doubt. (As I think I said before they cannot clearly realize that the white friends cannot see Archie as do they – and Miss McB). They - outsiders too - looked for some action of Pres. last spring in regard to his alleged thefts of which at least, they had proved. Instead, he was placed in even greater power over the Lapwai Church in spite of its vote and protest. "You see how the Church trusts Archie" say his friends. "It is Archie, above all the other ministers whom the Church selects to send on its mission to the Crows as it did to Josephs band" and they are confronted by the apparent fact, and the weight and influence of its deduction which are not condusice to trust while the apparent endorsement of the church gives weight to his heathen teachings. For curiosity let us glance hastily at what a few of those formal charges would be:

I enclose a letter recieved from Mr Boyd from the same day I began this. I was not expecting one from him having had an answer to my last (written in Sept) in which was the same extract about Archie from the Boyd Report read to Pres. Even Mr Boyd, from a ‘surface’ view and at his distance can see, now, I think the nescessity of ‘some action’ in regard to the ‘Stated Supply’ at Lapwai (Can a "stated Supply (see Minutes) be placed over a Church in spite of its vote and protest?) As to the Church under that ‘Stated Supply’ the Indian say that very few Lapwaians came to the Lords table at the last Communion. A late letter from my sister says "Mr D is beginning to see that deadness in spiritual things which gives me such a heavy heart." But even if Mr D is beginning to awake from his infatuation with Archie having little further use for him now and in fear, having ‘entrapped’ him sufficiently and, knowing that, in ‘self defense of his own wisdom and judgement, at least, he must needs defend Archie. There is no help in Mr D. I do not know his plans of present relations with the Board, but judging from the past, he will let things slip as comfortably as he can then run away leaving the consequences of his own mistakes to fall where they may.

Please do not let him leave Archie in place and power to continue the work of disintegrating the Church thro the Church. (So large a majority of the tribe are church members that he (A) cannot gain the power he seeks outside of the Church (to which the hundreds money spent upon him has added nothing today in point of numbers (see past minutes - hence the nescessity of its help, until it can be sufficiently demoralized and disintegrated. To leave Archie still invested with the sacred office as a ‘tarnished’ W.C. is to leave him the power to carry as many as he can win from the N.P. churches, into another denomination as Independent Board Church. (And if he knew or suspected he has grown so bold and secure from long immunity the effort to do this would be made to do this before the next meeting of Presbytery. (If he only had been ‘dropped’ as he could easily have been last spring when the Indians dropped him instead of being helped to regain his power for evil. But it is no use to talk of that now.

I know the difficulties into the way of reaching him i.e. lack of knowledge of the language and of Indian character, his kiyi kiyi (craft & subtlety) always leaving open a back door of escape, and a front door of refuge ) his working (sure in the money transaction of course thru others, sometimes 2 or 3 thicknesses of screen (Indian fashion) needing to penetrate before you can reach controlling hand, making conviction almost impossible. His power to silence Ind. Witnesses thru their superstitions (his mother – tho a church member being a ‘big tiwat’ medicine! orr conjurer) of whom even Silas is afraid – But dear friends, we have reached a point when something must be done. It is not a question of the Nez Perce church and mission only, but of the hope of the Gospel for the Crows and other heathen tribes, too. May God forgive the one thro whom such a ‘block or hindrance was raised up in spite of protest and pleading and prophesy of these days

The enclosed letter from Mr Boyd Miss McB understands as a ‘gentle hint’ for her to make the ‘formal charges.’ The vengeance for her doing which would fall upon our boys through whom only, and the Cause she can be made to suffer. The ‘charges should be but will not be made by Mr D who was faithfully warned of the inevitable coming need of them with the most solemn protest to him against Archies ordination. And our boys and teacher too have suffered (suffer) enough already from results of Archies ordination and holding in power by the white friends (Jimmy & Archie are ‘One" as it lays.) Robert Williams has been spitting blood ever since his last arrest, and fearful ride to Lapwai caused by the Lawyers two years ago.

Last fall Roberts growing weakness (caused by harvest work in addition by his Church work) troubled Miss McB sorely, and she sent down word to our four trained elders at Kamiah that Robert must no preach more than once on Sabbath. (He had been preaching twice, sometimes three times since James Hayes left – besides Superintending the Sabbath School and teaching James’ large Bible class). They - the Elders - must take charge of the other services, in the absence of our boys and the Elders have been working as a unit under his directions – letting him regain his strength somewhat. Our boys preaching at the Lakaks outstation (13 miles from here, at K when possible.

Whenever Miss McB is so wearied and almost ready to give up the long lonely struggle with heathenism, the weight of the white friends with the opposing force is so heavy) she looks down to the brave little band at Kamiah ‘holding the Lord,’ still and with Gods help and blessing even winning from the ranks of heathenism and to her promising little band here, working as a unit, with that at Kamiah, feeling the anger threatening their people. There is much interest in the Church at Kamiah, at present – for which we ‘Thank God, and take courage. Every where Christian women are working with women as never before feeling the need and danger. Three or four men and women from among the heathen have lately renounced heathenism and confessed Christ causing great rejoicing and there are others. That is, Kamiah up to today. What tomorrow may bring of trouble raised or ‘traps sprung’ to try to dissipate the interest (as always before when interest appeared) God knows. She looks down to William Wheeler, a Sun worshipping warrior like the Crows – dancing the heathen dances in paint and feathers (and little else) long after she came to the Nez Perces now, the Christian Pastor at North Fork. Looks over to Enoch, even, among the Spokans, holding out as yet in the midst of fierce persecution & trouble raised by his opposition to the ‘Tulliklikt’ (a relict of the Sun worship in which James Hines (a cousin and helper of Archies) by a heathen surprise movement led the Spokanes (Es congregation) among them last 4^th of July - the monday after communion as at Lapwai. (For protest to Mr D against J. Hines ordination see letter to Dr Lowrie.) She looks over to James Hayes at Umatilla of whom a late letter from Moses Minthorn one of my expected Umatilla pupils (if they are not hindered as were the pupils from the Spokans through James Hines) says "we like our pastor. He is doing all he can to save the soul."

Since Miss McB began writing this oft interrupted scribble she found in her portfolio, a fragment (rewritten but the same in substance) of a letter written to Mr Boyd, while she thought (as she did until his return home the last of Oct.) he was still of the ‘Pres’ at Com.’ She sends it now to finish up the story of the visit to the Crows and the visit of the Crows as known to her. Her sister saw the Crows and some of the ‘doings’ at Lapwai) If she has time ever, she will (D.V.) send a copy of the letter (omitting the fragment) for its internal history of Spokan pupils &c though she has given the friends a peep at the story in this. And it is past, but not her hopes for them - the Crows - and the others wild tribes (To reach whom, I think never before had a church such opportunity & facilities. And I do not think the Government would hinder our boys its Evangelistic work) if the friends will take the ‘bar’ which blocks up (and will block) the way of the Gospel to them, out of its path. Perhaps God meant this episode of the Crows to help them see more clearly for the sake of the Gospel in the future.

Presbytery coming apace, the main hindrances to letter writing (of Miss McB the risk of waiting to write another letter in time) Mr Boyds letter and another letter from my sister since I began this oft interrupted scribble shewing the demoralized state of affairs in the Lapwai church [and gangerene unchecked illegible] causes Miss McB to write such a long letter now instead of the ‘note’ she purposed when she began. So that there is not now time for the check from $50.⁰⁰ to reach here in time for Harry Hayes to fulfil his promise (as our boys must & wish if possible) to pay his debts for supplies, at the 1^st of the New Year. As the delay has been caused by Miss McB (in writing of matters which trouble her - Harry is only a comfort) she will pay the $50.⁰⁰ to him when due out of her fund) for ‘current expenses, (sending, or having him send to the board his reciept to her, and replace the $50.^oo in the Current expense fund by the $50 of Harry’s salary when it comes) as I hope it will soon. Will that do? Please tell her.

And shall not Miss McB please, have few words in answer to this letter? (The long silences make her feel so lonely.) If there is anything more she can do please tell her. If there is anything amiss in this letter, please forgive it. Miss McB has been driven to where she is compelled to speak plainly. If it were only the Nez Perce , but her hopes for the wild tribes are involved too and the friends know what that means to her.   Dear friends, please help for the sake of the Masters Cause among them. And please forgive this long letter. I have addressed it (outside) to both Dr Ellinwood and Mr Rankin not knowing certainly if Mr Rankin is still in charge but hoping that he is and will remain so as long as Miss McB & the Nez Perces need his long suffering kindness. Of course it is to Dr Lowrie too. Pray much for us all.
In a dear Saviors love and work
Yours truly,

S.L. McBeth