The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-20
MAINE MANI N THE FAR WEST
THE STORY OF FRANK r. CONxELI,
FORMERLY OF DAMARIsCOTTA.
His Home Kear Tekoa, Wash--A MAJ
Whom the Indians Trust and Who
Trasta Them-Farmers' Life Vastly
DiMercns From That Of the East.

TEKOA. WASH. Dec. 4-Wheat growing
canno; be better illustrated than ny the
operations OF Frank r. ConneA a GENE
man who upon leaving scnool COVE ~ n
the good old town Of Danzriscotta, ~ tne
state OF Maine went 20 MASSACHUSETTS,. W
tending 70 seek business there. out Wa
Immediately taken with the war lever anu
enlisted In the Eorty-fo0rih AassacaasrIss
volunteers. serving through me war anu
sharing with his regiment all IFS nsro-
ships and periis. Returning 10 basa Me-.
al It's close. he foook the position OF hfe
man on one CT Patterns ships, bound TOT
San Francisco. where In due time in is9a'
be landed. After living here some lHhe'
he removed to the Niaiarne1ts Fa4te.' y.
Oregon where he became engineer ana
pilot upon various steamers plying upon
tie Columbia river.
Always having a taste for the law. dur
Ing idle moments he studied for tnss pro-
fession, bur realizing that for the best In,
fcrests OF MS health an outdoor lie woolo
te better. twenty-five years ago ne caiile
up the valley and bought claim or ise
acres and with no previous knowledge Oh
farming, went to work, with no neignoo,s,
often for weeks ana monrns never speak
Ing to a white man. and surrounded bF
semi-hostile indians. He seemed 10 pos
sesss a peculiar faculty Of inspiring conf
dence In these people. and as the govern
ment was making great efforts TOWARDS
their civilization. he began supplying theiII
with houses and such farming implemenis
and machinery as they needed. He soon
anne 10 realize their high sense of honor.
The Indian in those DAYS before he became
contaminated by association with the bad
white man. or had felt the degrading sI-
fects OF whisky, was the ssoal of honor: his
word was sacred and his friendship loyalty
itself
When IL was known that the government
had decided to buy their lands. these In
dams arranged with Mr.. ConDen TO fur-
nsh them with the kinds of harvesting
machinery they needed. Tie purchased
large invoices of machinery and delivered
them 20 this tribe. and when all were sup
piled they were owing him s3.Wo With
out scratch of pen or pencil from them 10
show that they owed him angthing. ne
patiently waited two years until the gov
ernsnent sent the money 10 pay Tor their
lands to the local hank at Tekoa- 1t rs one
of the most remarkable facts IN Indian
history that not a member of the tribe
would take a dollar of his money unless
Mr.. Conneli was present. The Indians
signifed 20 the bank cashier TO pay the
money TO Mr.. Connel. and IN the presence
OF Mr.. Connneli, the cashier and the In
dams Il was counted our. When in Mr.
connelrs hands he would count out what
the Indians owed him. and I'm another the
pointed TO one pile. this. mine and
pointing 10 the other. that yours" The
Indian answered with an Ugh and the
hundreds Of individual payments. the In
dams being utterly unable 10 count or
know the value of money. They relied en-
irely on Mr. connell. and 1t Is to the credit
of the Occur d Alene Indians that no one
OF them repudated his debt
In many transactions. covering several
years and representing many thousands OF
dollars Mr.. ConnelI did not lose a cent.
and TO this day his advice and counsel is
sought by them in all matters OF import
ance. and when given Is religiousiy re-
spected.
But to come back to wheat raising. Mr..
Cornell. like many another farmer. kept
bllsiIy at work. raising crop every year.
When the marks5 d price sn,sa II nr he
too low. he fed II to hogs and stock. and In
this way always got a profitable prise for
his crops. His purchase OF sddditionai
now gives him go acres. about 20 acres OF
which Is put in wheat each year. his crop
this year being 6.9oo bushels. 5eae of which
he siIil holds and watches the market.
Spring wheat Is sown az any time from
March Is to June I, and winter wheat from
June to November. Harvesting operations
spring about fifteen days later Tn wet
seasons these dates may be varied ten or
twelve days. a matter Of Judgment as 10
when the grain Is ;horoughly ripe.
When ready 20 harvest the crop. first
comes the header and necessary wagons,
with fourteen horses and seven men.
This machine cuts of the tops. containing
the grain. leaving the straw standing. A
days work for this outfit Is 70 cut and put
in stack thirty acres, for which the farmer
paws 81 per acre In stack ready for thresh-
use the binding machines instead OF the
header for the use OF which s. per acre IL
charged. Following these machines comes
the steam thresner manned by twenty
men. each Of whom has his special station
on the machine which for a days work
turns our sao9 bushels OF grain. and being
run by traction engines. moves about the
field from stack 20 stack with great rapid
ity. considering its hulk. until the lob il
done, The wheat Is then run through the
separator. which removes al imperfect
4 l.. - I..-&
sooon MS tins Is done II Is immedia teiy nut
TITO sacks Of two bushels each. Then a
flooring of straw Is made In the field and
the sacks are compactly piled upon Il. and
wheat Hes ill ready to 60 TO the ware
house. So securely and nicely Is Il piled
sands OF bushels lie in the field til mid
winter. and ALWAYS comes out as bright
and dry as when thrsshed.
Connected with the steam thresher Is 3
cook house and tent, whore all meals are
prepared. and at night the men roll them
selves M In their h1anke.a and sleep under
tire machines or In some handy straw
slack so that the farmer actually has
nothing 10 do with the men or machine
during harve sting, excsns 10 paw the owner
when he n through with the work
Tire men 60 70 work at the first sign 81
day and from that time on there Is no rest
except for dinner at Il o'clock. until the
darkness OF night has covered all. Never
,heieSs with all The hard work the men
or Tow life. After man gets used 20 work
tng on one ~ these machines kraek
comes with Y and n IS rnt half as hard ss
y looks When she day is cane thew smoke
and crack their Jokes and helm themselves
20 fruit from the farmers orchard II a
farmer objects 10 this they go right on
eating r. bur make hts life 4 burden while
sNsv say go that the oid-tifre farmers say
nothing and iet Che clen do as they please
When the grain fs fuliy ready for the
harvest The machine and It's workers IL a
most welcome sight and ne farmer cries
Long live the king when the machine
fenarfs ne Is equally glad ani shouts
'sfsod save the king" THE wages paid 10
the men uron these machines vary accord
ing - the station ranging from $3.50 70
s. ~ per day ana hoard
To The Car Eastern farmer Il nav seern
strange. hut 81 great y the amount ~
straw left IN The faid thar e Is practically
w l1e'ess ana hundreds 81 thousands ~
tons IN stack are burned every wear 10 get
rid ~ II. The straw left standing after The