Kamiah Idaho Ter.
Dec 11 1879
Rev J.C. Lowrie D.D.

Dear Sir
Sometime ago I sent you a ‘postcard’ giving my change of address besides this Mr Deffenbaugh probably told you of the removal of my school to Kamiah. He accompanied us and very kindly helped what was in his power in ‘fixing up.’

I did not hear definitely about the (new) building for the schools until near the last of Sept. (Mrs Perkins letter was dated Sept 16th ) so could not make any move in regard to it or know certainly where my school would be located this winter. Looking daily for tidings from the East in regard to it. I could not tell my Kamiah pupils what preparations to make. If we come to move to Kamiah this fall, I did not want them to bring their families and goods to Lapwai, and them ‘pack’ them back to K in a month or two. So I did what I could of work at Lapwai and waited. The Agent finally gave me the use of the Spaulding house for the present at least for my school. If the new building was to be at Kamiah it was best to be there while it was erected I think. I wrote to Dr Lowrie the dimensions of the Spauling house and the one I occupied at Lapwai shewing that neither of them would possibly do for two schools. When my sister came there was no house for her school unless she should remain in the one at Lapwai and teach until a place for her school could be prepared for her at K which she was not willing to do.

Then the Agent was busy with his team, and could not send us to K until late in Oct. It was too late in the season then to make more than the one trip with the team over the mountains roads so that I left part of my household furniture and all of my school furniture some books, maps &c at Lapwai. And I had to have new school furniture made here and did not get to begin regular school until the 7th of Nov. Then the saw at the saw mill here is broken or at least will not work, and there can be no sawing done until a new saw is provided which will not probably be until next Spring. We have to depend on the mill for lumber - nothing can be done this winter toward the new building. I have had a ‘world’ of perplexity and trouble but there is no need to write any more of it to Dr L. now.

My sister is living with me in the Spaulding house. After much trouble a room was procured for her school in an old log house near us belonging to the Agency. I do not know how long we can have it and we cannot fully carry out the plans for the women and girls school which I sketched out for Dr Lowrie and which we are testing as far as we can and which I still feel is to be the best plan, and practicable until there is a building for it. This house will do for one school if we can have the use of it. If there was only a building sufficiently large for one school an addition could be made to it, if, or when we needed in addition to the one we now occupy. My sister finds a very different state of affairs from that which I found when I came here my pupils were all in squaw dress, and little more than beasts of burden. Now they are in white womens dresses cared for and worked for by their husbands, and as eager to learn as the men. The change is of God, through His Gospel. She has as yet eight pupils six of whom are the wives of my scholars.

I found so many of the Kamiah men hungry to know when I returned to them that I had to limit my pupils to members from my three classes i.e. my first class, the class I had begun just before the outbreak and my Lapwai class some of the whom were from the 1st and 2nd classes. Eleven regular pupils in all (besides three whom I teach occasionally but do not consider regular pupils. They are all ‘picked’ men and all save James Hayes the youngest married men. (Among them are sons of the Kamiah Elders one of whom, Felix Corbett was of my class before the war and is now the Head Chief of his tribe. His wife is a pupil of my sisters. Two of my Lapwai pupils, Abraham Brooks and Noah Bredell, were not able to come to Kamiah to study.

[illegible] or rather M. C. Wilkinson (a personal friend) promises to take James Hays soon (D.V.) into the University at Forest Grove and it may be he will be able to take others of the younger Nez Perces into the home for Indian Youth he hopes to open there. (D.V.) He want very much that S.L. McB should come and help him but she cannot leave her Nez Perce.

Archie and Mark have both returned home. Archie just in time to see his wife die. He and Mark had both been sick with the chills for a long time but are better now. They seem to have done a good work in the Indian Ter. (see the St. Louis Evangelist for Nov.)   Mark, the sweet singer, as well as Archie for he first won his heathen brethren to listen to the Gospel message and taught as well as sang it to them. The converts are principally from Husis Kants band. Joseph still rejects the Gospel.  Husis Kant is the chief who gave us such a scare on the flight to Lapwai in 77 by our crossing his freshly made trail on his way to join Chief Joseph.

Miss McB had escaped meeting him and his band and probably [illegible] true escort of 40 Kamiah men. Now James who was married in Ind Ter. and interprets - writes me that since Mark & Archie left Husis Kant gathers his people together for religious worship and leads them in it himself. James Reuben is not a Christian though anxious for the civilization of his tribe and recognizes the fact that Christianity is the one true civilizer. Will not Dr Lowrie and the Church care for the little band of Presbyterian Nez Perces in the Ind. Ter. who are so looking to them for help as they grope their way into the light?

Mark is studying with me. Archie has gone to Lapwai to help Mr Deffenbaugh who wants him and needs him. In the winter the road between here & L. is often impassible and the nescessary camping on the way always severe, so that often it would be about impossible for one of my pupils to go to Lapwai for the Sabbath to assist Mr D. When the road and weather are (is) better they can go often – if needed.

Robert still continues his studies with me. He has charge of the church here as Dr L knows and makes an excellent pastor. My North Fork pupil, William Wheeler seems to be a ‘born pastor’ if I may use the expression of one which is only in this third year of study. Archie is very prepossessing in appearance and in his manner too, in his intercourse the whites, and I like Archie. If he were alone he would do well enough but he is too much under the influence of his older brother, who was trained to succeed his father in the chieftainship of the tribe. Trained in all the craft and cunning by which the old heathen chiefs obtained and kept the supremacy and who as a middle aged heathen when the Gospel found him, and who still retains his thirst for power and has caused much trouble in his efforts to obtain or regain it. It was he caused the tribe to vote for a ‘soldier Agent’ and I fear trouble through him and Jim Moses, a Lapwai Indian when the treaty expires. But God reigns.

The Presbyterian friends thought that Robert had fed the cause of Presbyterians in this region when he was at Walla Walla this spring. So when I was in Portland and asked about his attending Synod at Seattle in the fall they wanted him to go there. The Synod would pay his travelling expenses. Every such trip makes Robert take a long stride forward and I want him to be the very best minister that it is possible for him to be . Consequently was very glad when they wrote for him to come with Mr D saying that his expenses would be provided for. So, I drew for this travelling expenses there $35.25 from that precious little ‘reserve fund’ in the Portland Bank (what would I do without it?) expecting Synod to refund to me. But for some (Synodical) reason an unusual draft on the mileage fund or something of the kind Synod could not refund it. And, as there is no one else to do it and Robert cannot, the $35.25 goes as a donation from S.L. McB to the Board, or to the Masters cause among the Nez Perces, rather. For, I think the meeting helped Robert to understand Church Government better and so made him come nearer to being among the "elders’ who rule well as well as those who labor in the work and doctrine and he needs to be both here. He gets along very pleasantly with my four helping pupils who were Mr D principal helpers last year. He appointed one or more of them each week to preach on Sabbath evening in neighborhoods too distant for the people to return to evening services in the church they preparing their sermons with me before hand, generally as I wish them to do. (though I am not so afraid to trust to their [illegible] now.

Now then a little business: The last check from the Board was in April last if I remember rightly. Dr Lowries letter enclosing it is dated April 4th. That check, besides my salary, included $100 for a native preacher. In my last statement to Dr. L of the manner in which I expended the fund $47.50 of it still remained in my hands. Let me tell him how I expended that $47.50 while in Portland last summer. I bought for Robert much needed articles to the amount of $8 [illegible] (see list of items). I could get goods so much cheaper there. On my return from P. there had still been no help to him from his church and I found him penniless and quite ill. His sickness induced principally by overwork and the want of nourishing food, and suitable clothing. I sent to him from the Board money $5.00 for nesessaries and a flannel shirt costing 2.50. Mr Deffenbaugh furbished up Roberts well worn best coat last Spring before the meeting of Presbytery that it might not disgrace the assembly. But no amount of cleaning and repairing could make it warm & respectable after his return from the Spokane trip. So that a new suit was important for the trip to Synod and badly needed even if he remained at home. Everything of the kind is too expensive here and coat, pants, vest cost $25.00 more than the Board money. This left him still with a very disreputable looking hat. I deducted $3.95 from my own purse to the [illegible] of the Boards money in my hands for I needed hat, collars &c.

The money sent me still goes to Robert and the others as a ‘gift’ from the Board. It is given them with Mr Ds approval to supply a need. I do not want them to depend on it. So that, if anything should prevent its coming they would feel hurt, or wronged. James Lawyer and James Hines three years ago, depending on the money from the Board sent through Mr Ainsley went in debt and the money did not come (i.e. stopped coming).

My sisters coming does not disturb my relations to the Board does it? Might I ask that the checks should still come as before, i.e., separate from her salary. If it would not trouble the Board too much, doing so would save me much trouble.

So much for business. Is it all right? Please tell me. I have not heard from Phila. for a long time. I hope to write to them soon. At my request, Mr Schensks sent the native preachers some much needed books from the Board of Pubs. for which we thank him. I have rested the printing press in the Masters hands. If he see best he will give it. He knows best. I am too busy to give it more than an occasional (longing) thought. Thank Dr Lowrie so much for his not being displeased with my letter. And, dear Sir shall I not have an answer to this soon telling me if it is all right [illegible] for us? We need it. There be ‘crisis’ days with the Nez Perces, and the church among us. Pray that God would make all things work out to His own glory and the good of this people.
Respectfully yours

S. L. McBeth

List of articles bought for Robert from money sent by the Board.
In Portland
Valise                      $2.50
Saddle bags             $5.00
Handkerchiefs                  .50
Clothes brush                     .25
Shoes for wife              $2.50
Dress for wife             $3.45 (black alpacca)
                                   $14.20
Suit for Robert              $25.00
Money sent him              $5.00
while sick
Flannel shirt              $2.50
Hat                                  .80
                                    $47.50

Names of my present class of pupils
Robert Williams
Mark Williams
William Wheeler
Enoch Pond
Peter Lindsley
Peter Kane
Felix Corbett
James Hays
Silas Whitman
Solomon Whitman
William Parsons

Besides these I teach nearly every day:
Alexander Hays
Philip

Occasionally
Robert Parsons

These are very anxious to become pupils, but I do not yet trust them enough to class these as regular pupils, and the are young enough to wait until they are better tested.
Please address me at
Kamiah
Nez Perce Co.
Idaho Ter.
Via Mount Idaho Idaho Ter.
Via Mount Idaho we can, usually have a weekly mail while this heavy snow may prevent our having a mail from Lapwai for a long time.

S.L. McBeth