The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-12-26
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
DEAR READERS OF THE NEW NORTHWEST:
The surface Of the country between
Weston and Pendleton is very much the
same in topography as that between the
former town and Walla Walla. There
are the same seemingly interminable
SUGGESTIONS Of rolling, billOwy hills, not
so well watered, perhaps, but quite as
fertile, aud equally well improved, ex-
cept that on our left, as the stage bowled
along, was the far-famed Umatilla res
ervaiion, upon which was never a line
Of fence, garden, house or orchard vis-
ible.
This reservation, which comprises
many thousands of acres OF the very best
arabic land in America, is 10 be given
over to the whites in another year, un-
der the expiration Of the treaty through
which the Indians have held il during
the past two decades. Then the Indian
must be removed to a remoter field; and
long ere that time shall have arrived,
we may look for Indian troubles, such
as we have scarcely thought OF hitherto.
II the savages would fence and improve
the land, the greedy white man would
not cOvet it so strongly; but the red skin
is a natural nOmad, aud will not take
kindly TO hard work, the average In
dian agent or erack-brained philanthro-
pist to the contrary notwithstanding.
By degrees he may be developed from a
camas-digger TO herd-raiser, and the
possibility is that the progression of
ages might ultimately envole him from
pastoral TO agricultural pursuits, but the
work Of eugrafting a cultivated nature
upon stock as wild aud hardy as the
specimens before us, is at best doubt
ful experiment. Not only will the In
dian avoid all physical drudgery, ex-
cept that which he can compel the
women to perform for him, but his ex-
ample is contagious, and many a lazy
white man has squatted within sight of
the red mans rolling and unfeneed
acres, and is literally doing nothing ex-
cept waiting for his chances to pounce
upon some favorite portion Of the Teser-
walton as soon as il shall be open for
settlement. These things continually
stir the doomed race TO anger, aud in-
cite them to revenge. Then there are
/ bad white men as well as bad Indians,
aud the former lose no opportunity to
embarrass aud snrage the latter, steal
/ ing their horses, and occasionally shoot
| ing one or more Of their number, and
when suspected of theft, or other crime,
accusing renegade Indians Of commit
ting the depreciation. AS may well be
supposed, these turmolls do not tend tc
the speedy and peaceful solution Of the
Indian problem, and the many honest
white settlers are in a state Of constant
uncertainty as to what may be their fu.
ture fate.
Pendleton is a larger town than Wes.
ton, and older, though it very much re
sembles it in location and buildings
The Umatilla River, which at the tim,
Of our crossing was so full and rapid
that the stage dipped water aud, as VI
fancied, came nigh overturning, run
merrily alongside the town, at the foo
Of long line of undulating hills.
The hotel is a rambling frame struct
ure, we'll kept by Mrs. Bailey, owne
and landlady, and another Of thos
everyw where-met exceptions TO the gen
eral idea that women are always sup
ported aud protected by men. We wer
agreeably surprised 10 meet many O
our old valley friends, prominent anon
them being Mr.. and Mrs. Hexter, for
merly Of Forest Grove, and Lehman
Blum aud wife, both gentlemen beiu
in the mercantile business. Lot Liver
more is engaged, as usual, with the pos
Office and express, and Mr.. Hathawa.
keeps a notion and stationary depot
, Mrs. Sanford keeps a well-Ordered board
ing house at her residence, aud her hus
band does a thriving opposition bust
ness In the restaurant up town. Nj
aud Mrs. Despair, to whom we were in
debted for many courtesies, are also eacl
engaged in business, the former keep
ing the market, and the latter a board
ing-house. Our old friends, the Pen
niugtons, also reside here with their in
teresting family of daughters. Mr.. I
was a member OF the late Legislature
and agreed with US throughout on tn
woman question.
The Methodist quarterly meeting ha
/ just begun at the time Of our advent
: and knowing the presiding elder, MI
= Strong, to be a good friend to CURSE
: and missiOng we decided not to begi
8 our meetings till his labOrs should b
= over, in order that the crowds nigh
q not be drawn away from the church
AS the elder had told US that he woul
i not protract his meetings after Sun
II day evening, we called upon Brothe
9 Hirtman, the parson, aud asked Del
mission to use the church, which ne,
IS mission that doughty individual r.
fused to grant, bis excuse being, as +
e spoke lazily aud through his nose, tbs
q he meant ''to protract his meeting ever
r night till Saturday" We told him v