The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1881-01-01
Indian Affairs-A Different Story.


collected. is reported To be highly
gratifying. They are extensively en-
gagged in agricultural aud stock raising,
cultivate eight thousand acres of land.
and last year raised thirty-fve thou
sand bushels Of wheat, besides various
other products, including LOCO tons
of hay: 3,30O Of them now wear
civilized dress. They have built a
handsome church and a number of
first class farm houses, and less than
ten per cent. Of their wants are now
supplied by the government. Their
complete civilization under the excel
lent management of their old agent,
Father Wilbur, is believed To be near
at hand. Attention Is called to the
fact that the treaty provisions provid-
| ING for the support and civilization Of
the following tribes expired last June,
viz, Walla- walla, Cayuse and Una
tllla tribes In Oregon, and Dowamish,
Makahs, Quinaults. Clallams and Yaki-
m S in Washington territory. The
report says the present condition Of
these Indians renders 1t important that
I the aid and assistance heretofore eX-
tended be continued, and that early
steps be taken for their permanent
settlement upon lands in severalty.
and for the sale of so much Of their
respective reservations as may not be
required by them. Many of these
| tribes have made cOmmendable pro-
gress in civilized pursuits, IN the past
few years and there is an uneasy feel
ing and great anxiety ON the part Of
many Of their leading chiefs to know
what the policy of the government will
be toward them.
The Yakima Weekly Record Of
Christmas day, published ION the
spot" so to speak, denies the accu-
racy of the statements contained in
the telegram and appears to have
taken pains to inquire into the
truth of il, so far as Yakima Is con-
cerned. Those who are informed
upon the subject unqualifiedly in
dorse 1t as a stupendous falsehood,
with just a grain of truth in it
enough to make it the more glar-
ing to those informed upon In
dian affairs, and dangerous to
those uRinformed, as it is apt 10y
its specious reasoning to mislcad
To false conclusions. The Record
saws:
The statement in the above as t0
the number of Indians ON this reserva-
tion is the most stupendOus falsehood
ever perpetrated. There is not one
thousand Indians all told, and those
informed upon the matter claim a
much less number. What object there
fore those in authority had in view,
when this glaring error was promulga-
ted, we confess We are unable 20 per
ceive, unless il is probable the inten.
tiou was to draw rstions for all In.
dians who have departed for the hap,
py hunting grounds during the last
half decade. But this Is improbable
and it is more probable that having
acquired the habit for which Baror
Munchansen was so celebrated they
simply erred through force of habit
At least we shall charitably suppCs,
so. Again it is said that they ar,
extensively engaged in agriculture anC
cultivate 5000 acres, and that they
t raised 81, 900 bushels ef grain. w,
can find plenty of men IN this coun
2 ty who will wager from one to nv,
hundred dollars that the above state
= ment cannot be proven. With a verl
! few honorable exceptions the lndian
here are vagabondish in character
lazy as well as rhriftless. They don
D work only when forced by starvation
/. and we say it with sorrow tn,
2 only civilization, If 1t can be 81
termed, which they are attaining j
, the bleaching of the race 10y admixt
ure with the blood of the whites
, |, 1t is said that 1000 tons Of hay wa
! raised. In this we discover the grain
:, of truth, and yet no great credit
r due therefor. The lands they posses
5 are so rich all they have to do is t
: put up a common rail fence to keeI
I out stock and in a season the land
, covered with a luxuriAnt growth q
wild hay. Even much Of this is neve
L cut. 1t is true there may be eigh
thousand acres under fence, but ]
!, they call cHltivating little patch o
!. land of four or five acres within a
enclosure cultivation, that is tn
- whole Of the land enclosed, then it i
possible the assertion may be true
g 1t is said $500 wear civilized dress
e That lie is multiplied by ten. Tn
traditional breech clOut is still IN e1
s'ence smong them, and were 1t ma
l, for the blankets they keep einche,
around their bodies their nakedDes
would be eXl'Osed. 1t is said the
e have built a handsome church ant
+ many frst-class farm houses. Was
- them or Uncle SAINT Did they per
senally superintend the construction
n of those houses or we're they put up b
n white labOrl There's the rub. Whel
these houses are put up for them the.
are rarely occupied except IN winter
i Most of the race still prefer thei
n wick eeups and during the summe
months they are found all over tn
vallev In tha concludiuo aar-so raDl