The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-07-26

YAKIMA CRY, w. T.,
July Sth, 1877.

To THE EDITOR OF THE INDEPENDENTS:
All quiet on the Yakima; excitement be-
low par. Farmers have returned to their
homes; business of all kinds has been re-
sumed, and it is almost impossible to find
person who is or ever has been panic
stricken.
Among the Aborigines, however, matters
are somewhat different They have caught
the infection. Rumors are rife in their
camps that the whites in this vicinity, being
now ''well-heeled' with needle guns, serious
ly contemplate an outbreak, ostensibly to
anticipate an expected aggressive movement
on the part of the Indians, but in reality to
drive them off the reservation and occupy it
themselves.
I think it will require Peace Commission
from Washington to pacify them, but if they
knew the exact condition of affairs here they
would have little cause for alarm. The
county, in getting those guns, has evidently
caught an elephant They claim that they
cannot lawfully distribute them unless
volunteer militia or home guard company is
formed, and the people are too much scat
tered and too much divided in opinion to
unite on any one thing, even though the OBJ
iect is self-preservation. Therefore, if the
Indians are careful in taking the guns out of
the boxes, they can easily obtain possession
of them without serious risk to themselves,
Moses and Smohalla say they will not fight
unless an attempt is made to force them to
come ON the reservation, and l understand
that petition will be circulated asking the
government to allow them to remain where
they are, in order to avoid the impending
trouble. l sincerely hope that the signers of
that document will be pressed" into the SER
vice and then detailed to march those two
refractory chiefs aad Their dusisy followers to
the reservations; for, although the govern
ment has been unaccountably lenient toward
this race, l cannot think that after her de-
cree has gone forth, she VIII allow herself
and her mandates to be set at defiance by a
disahected band of one or two hundred In
dams, who ought to have been on the reser-
walton two or three years ago; and who, if
INDUCED in their present whim, will ere long
demand acessiono of territory from the United
States, and fight if they don't get it. But it
would be useless to bring them on the reser-
walton unless the government leaves sutf-
cient number of troops here to disarm them,
and the balance of our guardians, and
keep them where they belong.
Our scare subsidized in time to not seriously
interfere with our Fourth of July celebration,
which was held in shady grove on the At
tannum, few miles above Yakima City.
Numbers from the city and the adjacent
country were present. Mr.. w. L. Stabler
officiated as presiding officer, and surprised
the audience by introducing as Reader Mas
ter Lot Durgan, a boy 10 years of age, who
had to be placed upon a chair in order to be
seen above the speakers desk. There were
some misgivinCs rs to the lads ability to rem
der it satisfactorily, but he proved himself
fully equal to the task. His voice rang ont
clear and distinct, and sufficiently loud to
have b cen heard by an audience of a thousand
people | have seldom seen the effort sur
passed by men.
Mr. James Imbrie was next introduced as
Orator, who discharged his duties i'll a man
ner that met with the repeatedly manifested
and just appreciation of the entire assem-
blage. By invitation Mr.. Ballard followed
with a few appropriate and patriotic remarks,
after which we adjourned for dinner, and
may be compelled to live on such fare the
balance of my natural life. After dinner
those who were so disposed amused them
selves by dancing on platform built for the
purpose and shaded by a brush awning. In
the evening the attractions in the city were
fireworks and grand ball at the Centennial
Hall, which was a complete success. Au
revoir. BOSTON.