The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-12
Once Powerful Indian Tribe II
Dwindling in Numbers.
ABSORBED ~ WHITE RACE.
Their Descendants Of Mixed Bloea
show Far More vitality and Are
Increasing - Government Agent
Lynch Gives Some Interesting Sta
tistics-Reservatfon Lands Leased
to Many Of the white Farmers.

VIII the Yakima Indians In another gem
Grafton be absorbed by the whites? VIII
the fullbloods pass into history with naught
but their descendants Of mixed blood left
to recall a once stalwart race of rsdmenf
Such possibility Is spoken Of by jay Lynch.
Indian agent Of the Yakimas. who 10
guest Of the Stevens.
Mr.. Lynch Is here In connection with
business coming up before tho United
States court. In speaking Of affairs at
the agency last night he said:
I'VE have now about $500 Indians on the
reservation. The number OF fullbioods Is
q large increase every year. believe that
within another generation the Yakima In
dams will be absorbed, and therein lies
'oSt epn Is ew 3, tSe Sood esasn live
It seems that they are not properly cared
for by their parents and therefore die
young. Education among Indian women
has tendency to lead them to prefer
white husbands. This Is apparent moro and
more each year Judging from the increased
number of such marriages. The children Of
large number Of haifbreed children on the
reservation. In my opinion the days OF the
Yakima Indian Of unrnixed blood are short:
I'VE have about twenty *. a;.... q
I think. was contracted during hop picking
season. All cases are quarantined and
anticipate no further spread Of the disease:
been made. In all about $500 Indians have
received eighty acres each. Under law
passed by the last congress many have
ie ve Years ans the great trouble il nov 70
irrigate the lands. With the reservation
lands properly supplied with water an the
allotments could be leased. We expect to
arrange for irrigation. however. and expect
the first steps to be taken at the present
session Of congress.
over and above the present surveyed
A.. IA .y,lS an~~o
Of adjoining land which the last survey cut
Off from them During the past summer
Mr.. Barnard, of the United States geoaogi-
cal survey: made 2 rsssrvey o. the VEST est
make his report to the department OF the
interior shortly after the new year. This
report. understand. will be favorable to
the Indian claims and will recommend that
the disputed land be added to the reserva-
ton.
'The Indians themselves are disposed to
relinuuish their claims to the land for a
fair consideration and hope such settle
ment will be acceptable to congress. the
land will then remain In the public domain
With the money received Tor this acreage
they propose to erect an irrigation plant
sufficiently large to put water over tho en-
tire allotted strip.
with an abundance OF water there VIII
be 100000 acres Of Indian lands leased and
under cultivation within two years. The
reservation land is as rich as can be found
anywhere in the state and there Will be a
AFTER seven years spent with the Indians
1t is my opinion that the government should
spend more money on reservation schools
and less on outside Indian institutions. In
the way of appropriations they should be
treated more equally. Our school - far too
small Only last week I had to send fonr-
teen children to the Chamawa school at
Salem, Or, because I had no room nor
them.
~ am glad to see Indian relic collectors.
The more we have the better. The INDIAN
is fast disappearing and with him he Ia
Soon they will be lost and forgotten Ok.
cept where preserved by those who do their
collecting now"