Copied from the article Early History of Perry, Box Elder News Journal, November 16, 1911.
[From a sketch provided by Mrs Jeanette Tippets of Georgetown, Bear Lake County, Idaho.]
[Circa 1854]
The home that Lorenzo Perry had built and left, was occupied for the winter by four men, all of whom were Gentiles. One of them, Thomas Elliot, had been to California and then went back East to get a herd of cattle, engaging the other men to assist him, and they were forced to remain with us over the winter, as it was too late to venture on farther. The cattle belonged to Elliot. The other members of the party were a young American, whose name I have forgotten, an Irishman by name, Patrick O’Brien, and a Spaniard named Raphael Luteris. They were all very brave men, but kind of disposition, and they were ‘armed to the teeth’ as we way. Upon two occasions during the winter, they fought a whole band of Indians and drove them off, both of which attacks were brought upon them through their love of a little fun and their determination to protect their property.
The first occasion was brought about as follows: An Indian came to their cabin door one day and asked for food. The men had made some soup with drop dumplings, like mother used to make, but the finished article was a disappointment in that it burned, soup, dumplings, and all. The men could eat very little of their meal, so when the Indian came he was invited to help himself, which he did with apparent relish until his hunger was satisfied, then he made off to leave. There was still some soup in the kettle, and thinking to have a little fun, the men drew their revolvers and commanded him to eat it all, which he did with reluctance, but to their great amusement the entire balance of the day. Next morning a large band of Indians surrounded their cabin and the chief informed the men that one of their number was sick as a result of being compelled to eat so much burned soup the day before, and pay was demanded from the men for treating him thus. They asked for flour, meat and blankets, which the men refused to give them and after some parlance, the Indians rode off.
The other occasion was when Elliot threshed an Indian for stealing his calves, cutting his face up terribly. A number of calves had disappeared from the herd, so one night Elliot went out and concealed himself near the corral to capture the thief. In the early morning an Indian rode into the herd and threw a lasso around the neck of a fine fat calf and started off on the run. Elliot dodged around among the cattle and caught up to the redskin who had stopped some little distance away to see if the calf was dead. Elliot pounced upon him and began whipping him, applying the lash until the Indian was nearly dead. His face was so terribly cut up that my mother named him Scabnose, a name that clung to him after that. As before, the Indians came next morning and demanded pay but the four men stood out in front of them and gave them to understand that they could not be so frightened, neither did they propose to sit quietly by while their stock was being stolen. Thus the incident closed, but mother and we children were nearly frightened to death, and I have never forgotten it.