The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-05-09

mother and babe had been buried To-
gether. Around the mothers neck her
rosary had been placed while even vet
the infanfsle skeleton retained about its
aeShiezs neck the jstty beads placed there
by some living hand In the long ago.
Traces Of the mothers lorg. black braids
stiii remained About the child had been
placed its favorite toys and with them
had been placed punches OF ribbons once
gay with color. most OF them were wrap
ped fenderly and tearfully about the play
things OF the little one that she might not
miss them and that they might gladden.
her heart In her spirit home.
The last burial at Skyae took place
about eight or ten years ago the dead
person being the son of old Tatabe who
was tamanamus man. or medicine
man. The white railing about this last
grave shows conspicuously against the
mass OF living green just above the beach.
The present cemetery II a more or less
modern affair. situated upon q bills lie
hack Of the mission and overlooking the
sound In Its midst stands huge roug h
cross fashioned from logs of red cedar.
To those borne To their last resting place
Ii spreads wide its welcoming arms. and
over the grief stricken hearts leaving
behind them their beloved dead. IL extends
it's arms in mute benisons of sympathetic
peace and auiegude.
But the new cemetery looks upon mod
ern cerernoniais. In the olden days when
an Indian felt that his life was drawing
TO its close ne. or his family. sent out
notice of this fact to all of his friends:
IL was tacit invitation TO pay the dying
man a last visit and the obligation to do
so was very strong. Indeed ii was never
neglected, except upon the occurrence OF
some very urgent cause for detention.
Very often the dying man was commis-
stoned by his friends with various mes
sages 10 those who had gone before into
the spirit world. 1t was custom full of
pathetic and poetic beauty. this whisper
ing OF messages into the ears OF the dead.
As soon as the sick man had drawn his
last breath crying and wailing Of the most
deafening penetrating and persistent va
riety became general Then begun dis
tribution of the possessions OF the de-
ceased among the Indians present. con-
stituting what was termed a potlatch. In
this way the wife and children of the
dead man would not infrequently be left
entirely destitute. even though the dead
man had possessed considerable means
and influence In the communicate fact
the greater the wealth the greater the OBJ
legation TO give lavishly. To such an ex-
tent was this custom formerly carried
that the government was finally forced to
step in and forbid IL by law.
After a few days the body would be
wrapped in blankets and encased in a
box made of rough boards of cedar or fir.
or. as often as not. even of cedar shakes.
After the advent OF the white man. pack
ins cases were frequently forced TO do
final duty as collins. There is a skeleton
nox at Skyue entombed In packing case
years old and plainly bearing the San
Fbncisco stamp. II is a relic of earliest
agency days and the box once contained
annuity goods shipped to the Indians by
the government. After the body had been
placed in it's case. box or coffin, II was car
ried to the cemetery and either placed
upon the surface of the ground or else
upon a very low piece of framework or
scAffold. IL was then covered and pro-
tetted by a tent-like shack of rude cedar
stakes and was in some instances even
surrounded by picket fence.