Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1895-08-28

= - - s.E
ESQ 600 BUSHELS OF WHEAT AWAITING SHIP
MENT.
world famous Now orchards are being
set, and doubtless this will render them
equally lannon's as fruit growing regions.
According to Indian traditions, the
Clearwater valley was the earliest home
of the red man. In this respect 1t occu-
pies the same relation TO the aborigines
of North America that the garden Of
Eden holds in the history of the white
race Away back at the beginning OF
the century, when Lewis and Clark went
on their famous trip of exploration
through the far northwest, they heard
wonderful stories of this region, where,
the Indians declared, snow was never
seen and the grass was always green. Lit
was and is the belief of the Indians that
the gods part the snowclouds so as to
let the sun shine into this reservation,
as an especial token of favor to the Nez
Perces, and these have until recently
been very loath TO give up tribal owner
ship of the tract Now. however, they
have consented to hold their lands in
severalty and to let the whites neighbor
with them in their occidental Eden.
The Ne. Perces who dwell ia this de-
leotable region are known as treaty
Indians" in distinction from the mon
treaty" tribe who were banded under
Chief Joseph in 1877. These savagcs
were then located in Wallowa county,
and the war was brought about by their
refusal to remove to the reservation.
The Indians now on the reservation
We're settled there in 1856, and have
long been regarded by their white ac-
quaintaisces as among the most progress
i've of ali the aborigines. They are NOS
''blanket Indians, nor do they live in
lodges or wigwams, but in houses Their
dress is the same as that of the whites,
and they cut their hair. In a small way,
too, they have engaged in agriculture,
they raise many horses and cattle and
possess much valuable property, some
of their leading men being very rich as
Indians go-that is, worth from $75, 900
to 800, 900 each. Web Testamen, for
instance, a prosperous Nez Perce OF the
Clearwater valley, has more cattle than
any white ranchman in that part of Ida
no, and an Indian named Luke is noted
for possessing cattle of finer breeding
than are to be found elsewhere III the
far west. These men and others like
them have been at the head of the OPP
position to the opening of the reserya-
ton. Under old conditions their cattle
enjoyed free range, which will not be
the case under the coming regime
In the beginning the reservation was
of considerably greater extent than it
now is. At present it is about 20 miles
in length by 80 or 40 miles wide. 1t
contains 724, 308 acres and supports
1900 Indians. Under the last treaty,
which has been ratified by congress,
each head of an Indian family has tax
EN- quarter section, or 100 acres, each
single person over Is, so acres, each or
phan under is, so and all other children
40 acres EACH These tracts have been
selected at will by the Indians them
selves, and they have generally taken
up plots ON the rivers and streams where
water for stock and irrigation can be
had. Their allotments take up 1872, pa
acres, leaving 544,074 acres for the
whites, and for which the tribe is to re-
ceiye 81 an acre. AS soon as the first
installment of 1926, 222 is paid by the
government the reservation will be
thrown open.
Some notion Of the fertility Of the
tract upon which some thousands of set
tiers are to find homes may be had from
the fact that the Palouse region, similar,
but if anything inferior TO the reserva-
ton, is the greatest wheat growing sec
tion Of the west. For 100 miles it is one
great wheatfield, and the yield rms
from 80 to 40 bushels an acre, the av-
erage being from AZ TO 50. 1t is not I'M
common to see 250, 900 bushels Of Pa
louise wheat awaiting shipment. Wheat
is not its OILY product, however. The
Palouse region IS capable of raising any
product Of the temperate zone, as was
shown BY a farmer at "A recent agricul-
tural fair who exhibited 100 varieties
of cereals, fruits and vegetables, all
grown by himself.