Fitzgerald, Emily. "An Army Doctor's Wife on the Frontier." (msg 2 of 2)

[Dave Robertson]

More linguistic notes:

Page 108:  Sitka, Alaska, March 14, 1875:  “…Mary rushed in out of breath and said, ‘A squaw picked up our dipper and is running with all her might.’  Doctor…called to the guard to stop the squaw…Doctor says a half dozen squaws gathered around…Mrs. Squaw was marched off to the guardhouse…”

Pages 108-109:  March 14, 1875:  “The greatest tyhee (rich man) of the tribe is Captain Jack, or Sitka Jack as he prefers to be called.  He is worth four hundred blankets and has authority in the tribe on that account…Jack is not a warrior; he is only a great tyhee.”

Page 110:  March 19, 1875:  “These Indians call all Americans ‘Boston Man’, and all English (Hudson Bay Company men etc.) ‘King George Man.’”

Page 127:  Sunday, May 9, 1875:  “Doctor…started off, determined to find someone who could hold baby and run after Bessie, and he got a woman who has just come this morning…But she can’t speak anything but Russian.”

Page 139:  June 19, 1875:  “The Indians were so interested in General Howard’s visit (they call him ‘The Big Chief from Washington’) that they did not bring us as much game as usual and we, of course, wanted more.”

Pages 230-231:  Fort Lapwai, Idaho:  Dec. 30, 1876:  “If you could have heard my conversation with her this morning (in what Mr. Fletcher calls my Russian) you might imagine how difficult it was…I took her in hand, something after this fashion, ‘Jennie, you give me plenty trouble yesterday.  You all same bad woman up in Sitka.  Doctor your friend; me you friend; Bess, Bertie like you, but we no like you yesterday,’ etc.  Now tell me how to reform a woman that you have to converse with in that style?  This reminds me of Bess and Bertie.  They both talk as Jennie does a great deal.  Bess will say, ‘Bertie, you no good boy.  Me no love you,’ etc.  And yesterday Bert came to me to tie a handkerchief over his head, and after I tied it, he said with great satisfaction, ‘All same Grand Ma.’”

Page 247:  May 4, 1877:  “The outside line of Indians around the tent consists almost entirely of squaws and papooses.”

Page 274:  Thursday, July 12, 1877:  Last Sunday night, an Indian (friendly) came in and told that he had seen Joseph’s men and they were coming to ‘clean out’ the post that night.  ‘Maybe in the night.  Maybe in the morning,’ they said.  ‘Only little bit of soldiers here.  Is good time.  Plenty muck-a-muck (food) and plenty gun.’  The Indian is a reliable one, as the good ones go, so every precaution was taken to guard against the surprise.”

Page 349:  July 18, 1878:  [Husband John writing to Emily:]  “Two or three [Umatilla] Indians were waving or flourishing some scalps and talking excitedly.  The Snakes, they said, _hi-u, Clat-a-wa-ie_, ran like pick-pockets, and the Umatillas thought best to come back to meet us.”

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"Asking a linguist how many languages she knows is like asking a doctor how many diseases he has!" -- anonymous



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