, 1890-12-25
okanogan Smith, One of tho Bray
est and Best of Washing
tons Pioneers.
How His Presence of Mind Gained
Him the Respect Of the COL
villo Indians.
His Indian Wife and Pretty Daugh-
ters--Big Yarn-Party at
His Cabin.

dressed man with rocky air like
that Of one who has been playing
tho part of u reformed prodigal son.
He was an object of interest, and
the close observer would catch a
glimpse of an eye that sparkled like
an Okanogan gem from beneath a
shaggy, grey eyebrow. A WELL
starched, old-fash loned, long-eared,
linen collar peeped out from the out
skirts of u hairy jungle. He raised
his head and In his eyes was u far
away look.
HE Is dreaming" said ex-Indian
Agent r. ID. Gwydir, dreaming oi
his Indian wife and pappooses. Yes,
that is old Okanogan Smith, whose
name is llsped by every In
dian child In Okanogan, and there
Ia not a more famous character In
the boundaries of Washington"
Okanogan Smith Is q relic. One
OF the lingering landmarks of the
pioneer days of the Northwest. he
is yet game. He clings to his old
stamping ground with the tenacity
Of the native pines. His soul Is
there, his Indian wife, his two
beautiful half breed girls and a
model home surrounded by all the
luxuries that he could wish for.
A story of his first appearance
among the Colville Indians and II
novel method that he resorted to for
the purpose of subduing their hos
tilitlss, gives good example of
Okanogan Smiths presence of
mind. He rode into an Indian camp
in tho Colville woods on a lame
cayuse. Several of the tribes were
acquainted with him, but un-
fortunately he fell In with IA stra2-
CLING band. They told him
that he was a white man, in Indian,
which conveyed the vilest epiihet
that the Indian tongue can muster.
He acknowledged the corn, for he
was In the minority. The redskins
were after his scalp, but when one
of the bravest gathered up his scalp
lock and began q preparatory clog
Okanogan siezed him by the nose
and lips and then opened his hand
In full view Of the braves to display
a set of false teeth.
The Indians took the performance
as straight goods and fled. The
news spread like wildfire that
Okanogan Smith had taken the
grinders out of one of the braves.
and for months he was an object of
awe and needed no sign ON his hat
warning the redskins to keep off
the Grass" Z.
This odd man has lost two or three
fortunes In the mines. His specula-
tions did not cost him so much as
his sympathy for miners who came
to his door in hard luck. For years
his cabin was and IL even
to-day a home for broken-hearted
ill-fated miners. "He did more to
civilize the Indians than the gov
ernment has ever DONE" declares
Major r. ID. Gwydir.
He taught the untutored savage
how to plow and irrlgate, and count
less other benefits that will never be
made public have fallen from his
hand. 1t is said that some of the
tribes have sent their most skilled
medicine men to watch the face of
this strange old man while he
was panning out his gold by the
river banks, and then have returned
TO their wigwams and practiced for
ror in hopes that they might "look
like Okanogan Smith" Some of
them even went 30 far az to build
small mounds of river nuggets,
which they .worshipped and termed
"Okanogan's gold"
He has taken n hand ut the news
paper business, and has worked up
from the ''cases" to the top. One
of the richest ranches In the Okla
hogan country Is his. 1t forms 100
acres Of the most productive soil,
and was taken possession of long be-
fore the reservation was formed.
His wife and daughters own consid-
cradle land besides.
His daughters are said to be very
beautiful and accomplished. Hehas
sent them to convent In Portland,
Or, where they are being care fully
trained In the ethics of the white
man. A report has been circulated,
which Okanogan does not deny,
that he has offered $4,000, 200 head
of horses and 160 acres of land toany
young man of good character and
sound horse sense who will take the
hand of one of his daughters In mar
riage. The opportunity Is still open.
Okanogan Smith was fermenting
with good humor last night, and
told a story of his ranch that out
hooks any fish story that has been
heard for some time.
''One day last summer" said he,
~ was walking through my peach
orchard, and was surprised at find
Ing "a number Of dead salmon under
the trees. l was puzzled. How did
they get way UP there thirty feet
from moisture? They were not born
with the dew. / took one to the
house and dissected ii. The secret
was there. The fish had 1t in his
neck. Why, sir, those salmon could
not stand the sight of those lucious
peaches hanging SO near the stream.
They just scrambled out among the
rocks aud while their nerve was
strung up they scaled the tree aud
Qobbled the peaches. Sad story,
sir, for the salmon were not then as
well versed in horticulture as now.
Those peaches were clingstones, and
that accounts for the fact that they
chung in their throats' until the
death rattle"
For time, he assured the re-
porter, he was Obliged to keep q high
fence along the banks Of the stream
to keep the salmon from desert
ing it.
The cabin of Okano ogan Smith Is
often a scene OF gaiety, and of the