The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1891-11-21
Blood River 6lacier.
MAGNlFcENr Sw1NDL&

pected the country drained 10y Wind
river and the Cascade range contig-
uous thereto, became mprGSsed with
the advistbility Of having a portion of
that country set aside for the use Of the
Indians, for several reasons. Situate
almost directly north of the mouth of
Wind river, aud distant about fifteen
miles, are large berry patches which
furnish food for II large number not
only of the Columbia river Indians but
the Yakimas aud others who congre-
gate there in large numlcrs during the
berry season. Near these berry patches
are fine mountain meadows of several
thousand acres In eXteut, which furnish
abundant pastumge for the Indians
ponies. Without the pasturage the
berry patches would be of little use to
the Indians, and it would be very easy
for one stOckman with his herds TO ruin
the pasturage In a' year or SO at the
most. In view of these facts, Captain
Coe wrote to Senator Squire of WASH
ington, laying the matter before him,
and was requested by that gentleman
to write the secretary of the interior
concerning IL. This was in August.
In the latter part of Septe mber one
Chapman gathered the Indians known
as the Cascade tribe at the Cascades
and obtained from them the agreement
appended. Each Indian was given Il
copy of the agreement and cautioned To
keep the matter secret. The agreement
speaks for itself, and it suggests some
very ugly things. Ii these Indians are
entitled TO anything from the govern
ment they are entitled to it without
cost, and certainly without giving up
one-third of the value of the tract to
Oscar Foote or any. one else. That the
whole matter is II gigantic fraud is self
evident. The tract asked by Captain
Coe to be set aside would be not to eX-
eeed ten miles square, and would con-
tain all the Indians need. The tract
proposed to be captured by Oscar Foqte
is an unknown country to the Indians,
except for short distance up the
streams. They have no trails through /
it, and it is impossible to reach the bal I
anee of it from Clequash mountain,
where the berry patches and PASTURES
are situated. Besides, it includes the /
finest body Of timber on the coast east
of the Cascades, and this is what Oscar
Foote wants and will not get. 1t will
be seen also that FOote proposes to have /
the value of the fisheries ut the Cas- |
cades fixed, and the Indians paid for
them. We do not know that Senator
Squire is interested in this matter, but, /
to say the least, 1t is peculiar that Oscar
F'oote of Washington, ID. c., three
thousand miles distant from these
lands, should have information con-
,erning them as soon as Captain Goes
etter reached Washington. We have
been all over the proposed reservation
andSknow what We are talking about,
and we unhesitatingly pronounce the
scheme of Mr.. Oscar Foote deliberate
attempt to rob both the government
and the Indians. We append the
agreement:
"This agreement, made and entered
into this I'D day of October, in the
year of our Lord one thousand eight
and ninety-one, between John
Slowetea there follows the names Of
seventy other lndians], adult members
the Cascade tribe or band
of Indians, labOrers and fishermen by
occupation, of Skanania county, State
of Washington, parties OF the first part,
and Oscar Foote of the city of Wash
ington, District of Columbia, party of
the second part witnesseth, that the
parties Of the first part in consideration
that the party Of the second part shall
secure to them, for their sole use and
benefit, the lands and fisheries en-
braced within the following described
bounds, viz:
Beginning at a point in the channel
Of the Columbia river opposite Wind
thence down the channel of
said river TO point opposite Castle
Rock. known to the Indians as Che
che-ap-tan; thence north twenty-five
miles; thalce east to the top of the
ridge dividing the waters Of the Little
White Salmon and Wind rivers; thence
along said ridge to the channel Of the
Columbia river opposite Wind noun
tain, the place of beginning; all in
Skamania county, Washington, and
that in c;lsc they are permanently de-
prived of sad fishing rights and lands
Of which they are now dispossessed by
the encroachnents of settlers and 9TH
ers, then to secure to them Il certain in
demnity i'll money from the general
government in lieu thereof, they the
parties of the first part are to pay to the
party of the second part fee OF one
third (5) of all money received from the
general government as an indemnity,