, 1877-07-21
SATURDAY ....,....JULY 21, 1877
East Of uIie Cascades.

Mr.. A. NJ. McGee, who has lived about
four years in Eastern Oregon, was in
town few days ago. He has travelled
aver great extent of the country in
Washington Territory and Oregon, East
of the Cascades, and appears to be posted
on the country and familiar with the In
dians.
He herded stock, which he took with
him out of the Willamette valley, the
first few years he WAS there. He then
cold his band and has since been trap
ping, hunting and prospecting the coun-
try. He has been among many OF the
tribes, and was there at the time of the
late outbreak. His opinion is that near
ly all the Indians east Of the mountains
mean fight, and that nothing will pre-
vent them from joining the present
hostile bands, but for the people
there to be prepared tor them. He says
they have been making preparations for
long time, that some Of the chiefs
told their tribe last spring, "that they
need not plant anything ior they would
have all they needed from the whites"
They have been procuring ammunition
and arms, and OF late has been unusually
insOlent. Most of their women, children
and old men have been sent away. The
settlers in the Yakima and Kittitas val.
leys are more or less alarmed; some hav-
ing confidence in the Indians while
Others expect an outbreak. Nothing
will, in his opinion prevent general
outbreak but timely preparation on the
part of the settlers Moses and his band
are the most to be dreaded. He regards
n general outbreak as imminent unless
Joseph and his band are speedily whip
ped. Any more Indian successes will be
a signal for general uprising.
He regards the country as better
adapted to grazing than farming as a
whole. That in time, as the country
settles, it will be sell sustaining and have
plenty for export. Below the Yakima
valley stock requires little or no feed.
On the Columbia above Priests Rapids,
for over two hundred miles, stock can
ne wintered without any feeding at all.
The Indians have plenty Of stock and
they never feed it winters.
On the Methow river, one fork Of which
heads opposite Frazier river, is valley.
nnoccupied by whites, which he regards
as the finest he has seen east OF the
mountains for stock or gram. mNs
river ascends to the summit, from the
south east, by an easy grade, the eleva-
tion at the summit is much less than by
the Snoquslmic route, and if the decent
to the north west, is as gradual ss on
the east, it would form the best pass in
the Cascade range for wagon or rail-
road. He is sure. almost, that this pass
is unknown to the whites, is not the
Skagit or the Cheian pass; and he was
informed by the Indians no white men
had ever been through it. He went to
the summit nearly in the month of Janu
ary last, and found no snow except on
north hill side. Was told by the Indians
that the decent TO the Frazier was as
easy MS it was to the south easr. In this
valley, timber, water and grass are
abundant; but it is so tax north he
thinks stock would have To he fed part
of the time jh the winter, though it
could have wintered without last winter.
The Indians are scattered all through the
North Eastern par, of Washington Ter
Iitory, though in no very large baEds,