Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-10-17
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TALK WITH An INDIAN.

A PosT lNTKLLr0EScER reporter, while
making his rounds yesterday, met an
intelligent appearing Indian. who had
apparently just returned from the mop
fields, rs he bad on a new PAIR OF shoes,
a new hat, and was carrying q small
trunk, which contained a number OF
small articles he had Just purchased.
In reply to series OF questions pro-
ponnded by the reporter, this hop picker
said
~ am King George or British Co
lambda Indian, and my name is Henry
Peter. My homo is at Savich. I25<
miles from Victoria. Fifty Indians live
al Savich, about one. half being men and
the other half women, besides lots of
children. We live by fishing and doing
odd Jobs. Twelve Indians from Sayich
came over 10 White River la canoes TO
pick hops. We helped pick Billy EN-
erson's crop. None OF our crowd were
very fast pickers. and we only averaged
about one box day each. For picking
box we got one dollar. Some crowds
worked faster, and made more money.
There were IS pickers at Emerson's
yard, aad picking lasted a little over
two weeks. There were very many In.
dams at work along White River. Some
of the klickitats brunaht race horses
With them, and there were several horse
races during the picking season. We
worked all day, and in the evening we
NAffiA ~ a.. Il
some played an Indian game called
" slahai." which is played with two
small bones. one of which has black
spo, on it. One OF the players takes
these bones. one in each hand, and
changes them back aud forth from hand
TO hand very rapidly. TIE player be-
fore him can af any time guess which
hand the white bone Is In. III he euesses
right. q peg Is stuck ia the ground 10
front OF the successful guesser, and he
mAnipulates the bones, and 50 on. The
side that Ruesses right twenty times snd
gets twenty pegs first wins the stakes,
which ~ money. blankets or ANYTHING
OF value. some OF the others gambled
With cards, she same as white men do.
reor men would only bet 80 cents at
time. and rich men would bet 8 some
times.
"All the money we made we brought
TO Seattle 30 buy things. Some Indians
pat their money together and bought
horses aud beats. but our crowd bought
shoes, clothing, trunks. hour. blankets,
hats. calico. and everything We could
ind that We wanted, as long as our
money lasted. Sometimes the men
carry the money, and sometimes the
women. Our women are not like the
hydas, who are all bad. Our women
are good. just like white women. After
We Get through picking hors we came "a
town 10 stay few days. joss 60 look
around. bnt we have spent all our
money now, and are going home tomor
row. Some crowds buy whisky, but our
crowd does not.
:" There we're indians from many Diff
fsrcnt tribes on White River. some
came from iosg distance. There were
hiickttats. HydAs, Cayueots. Port Mad.
tsons. Neah Bays, Cowitches. and In.
dams from saany other tribes, bat uaos,
OF them we're salt water Indians. We
viii cctne back next year 60 pick hons
again. Oar crowd are Catholics. and
we went - ehareh every Sunday 10 hear
the prizes, Who breaches on White River.
Oar chief Is an old man named Tom.
lie cannot speak English. bat speaks
vtinoak pretty well. Prices are ABBOTT
We save In Seattle - IN Ytctoria. but
Indians like to buy In seattle hecsrse
thefs ara hi1 stores. and they can get
sonae things here cheaper than in Vic
toria.s