Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-05-15
The SimcOe Reservation.
Yakima Republican.

ScN' HliItS from llkl'ua SltN
through fertile Jut almost entirely
uncnltvatrd country, chiefly adorned
~ the dropping and monotonous
sashbrush, rs you 80 up the hillside
You Lehold large, bright grove of
oak trees, covering probably hund.
red acres with the roofs of houses
v>ibl from distance above the
tres. The fort is laid out as most of
ouI garrsons or posts. A quaGian-
gle for parade ground, and the bar
racks, and officers quarters, com
mlssary stores, ETC., facing from diff
ttrent sides.
But SImcoe is no longer a fort.
1t long ago laid aside the garb of
war aud is to-day consecrated to one
of the IN pst honorable of the avoc-
ations of pease. Little remains to
remind one of its former use. These
block houses remain, one Il little dis
tance from each of three corners of
quadrangle, the fourth having
burnt down some years ago. These
block houses ere well worth examin-
ing. They are not works of art or
even of more than ordinary skill,
but the port holes are there-the
same port holes through which in
early days our brave soldiers watched
with loaded rifle for the advance of
the dusky Ied skin who to-day is a
peaceful ward Of the nation. The
last body Of troops stationed at Sim
coe, was under the command of a
Major Garnett in 1860, and upon
the outbreak of the war the troops
were ordered to the front, but their
commander enlisted on the other
side. In one of the first skirmishes
of the war Major Garnett was killed
by soldiers in the division Of General
Milroy, and General Milroy raised
a monument upon the remains OF
the man whose place in the wilds OF
Washington Territory he was des
tined to occupy at the close of the
struggle. Strange fatality.
The buildings il use at Fort Sim
coe are we'll built and handsome
structures. The residence of Gen
eral Milroy, the agent, especially, re-
minds one of the old Southern man
sions which are fast yielding to the
innovations of modern high art. .
This building cost the Government
So, 900. 1t is large, roomy house
with great old fashioned fire places
and walls, which at Mt one time were
solid enough to defy the most pierc
ing wind.
The school house is large two.
story building capable Of accommo.
dating l75 pupils and the dormitory
and recreation rooms for boys takes
another large building and the dor
mltory for girls and the refectory
takes third.
At present there are about hun
dred children, ranging in age from
eight to twenty years, in attendance.
The school is conducted by Mr.
Price, assisted by Miss Lamson
Mrs. Price and Mr.. NewHn and al
of these ladies and gentlemen take
great interest in their work. The
scholars of course are slow in learn
ing as the language is foreign one
to them, but they do better than ont
would imagine. Sketching ant
drawing is an art in which some dis
play considerable aptitude, but arith
metic and the mysteries of fractions
square and cubic root and arithmeti
cal progression are what break tn,
savage heart.
There are several buildings whicl
contain various supplies furnished
by the Government and are dis
tributed by the Agent to the Indian
rs their necessities require, and
blacksmith's shop, carpenter shop
and saddler's shop, where unde
skilled mechanics the Indians ma,
c learn something of the useful trades
The Yakima Reservation contain
100000 acres of land, 100000 o
which cannot be surpassed anywher
for agricultural purposes and tn
balance is splendid pasture, and
D great portion of it average farmin;
;. land. Living, and entitled to liv
upon this vast tract of the choices
d land in our Territory, are 5000 adu'
Indians. At present only l 800 ar
=, actually on the Reservation, the res
being scattered through the country
A few of these Indians have larg
It and fairly improved farms; but tai
ing tie amount of land actual
l. farmed, there is an average of onl
e about Eve acres to each Indian. TIL
II Reservation affords pasturage to bt
tween eight and twelve thousan
head of horses belonging to Indians
and to about five thousand head {
E, cattle. A few white men own stoc
: at large on the Reservation, and pa
for the privilege of grazing there on
dollar head per year.
Gov. Milroy has moulded the loci
government of the Reservation unit
it if now pretty nearly perfect for a
|, purposes. There are five Justices
3 the Peace, elected in the differel
= precincts by the votes of the Indian
" three Superior Judges, sitting as
; Supreme Court in banc to hear al
= peaIs. and the court of las. resort
:. the Agent himself, whose powers a,
~ almost unlimited. A District Alto
ney, Sheriff and the police force o.
, elected by the Indians, and Boal
:, OF Reservation Commissioners who
"a duties and powers are somewh
n similar to those of our County Cor
~ ~ issioners. Fines and taxes are
., voted to the support of the neet
and improvements of roads al