The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-07-22

following resume Of the art OF basketry
on this Coast:
"Basket-weaying was done by the IN
dian women of all the tribes on the Pa
cific coast in California, Oregon, Washing
ton, British Columbia and Alaska. The
majority of these baskets are Of a hard
stin weave. made water tight either by
the firmness of the weaving or by resin
Gus varnishes. The exceptions are the
baskets made by the Skokomish Indians
on Hood canal. who weave soft baskets
of rushes, and the Neah bay Indians who
use soft grasses.
The British Columbia Indians used a
weave entirely different from that Of the
Sound Indians. but the shapes of their
baskets are quite the same. They use the
wild cherry bark for their dark colors In
decorations. while the Sound Indians gem
orally used the fern root.
''The stiff. watertight baskets were form-
erly used as cooking utensils, the water
being heated by means of red hot stones.
Many of the older baskets bear marks OF
such usage although this method of cook
ing has been abandoned for many years.
They were also used as berry baskets and
the great majority OF the older ones are
stained inside with berry Juice.
1.-THE baskets made by the Alaska In
dams are of a soft weave. These tribes
the past twenty years. The Yakutat hask-
cts are of finer stitch and are better
in most respects than those of the other
Alaskan tribes.
.The Indians of the interior of Oregon
and Washington generally make only
baskets of soft weave that are practically
bags. or pouches. using the native hemp.
corn husks and similar materials and
weaving in the designs in colored yarns.
Umatilla Indians.
1.-THE question OF designs In Indian
baskets is "A very interesting one and
opens a wide field for speculation. Where.
for instance, did the Indians OF Alaska get
the pure Grecian border with which
great deal of their work Is decorated? /
am inclined to think that It must have
been originally copied from books brought
over by the Russians a century or more
ago, or from the garments Of the priests
of the Greek church In Alaska
THE finest collections of baskets In Sc
attic are owned by Mrs. Fred s. Slim
son. Mrs. Charles r. Burnside Mrs.
Thomas Burke, Mr. and Mrs. Warren l..
Gazzam, Miss Henrietta Hamilton. DIR. G.
w Sharples and T.. s. Curtis Mrs Slim
son has probably the most expensive as
sortmcnt of baskets. one specimen hav-
inr cost her $50 II was made by
Washoe squaw In Nevada. Mrs. Burn
side is an enthusiastic collector. and Sc
cured a great many of her finest baskets
at first hand by making personal visits
TO the Indian tribes
Mrs Burke's Indian baskets are used with
splendid effect In the decoration of her
summer home, "Ilahee." on Lake WASH
ing,on, which was described In a recent
article written for the Post-lntelligencer.-
The Canaan collection. though small is
extremely well selected and contains the
finest specimens obtainable of the work
of most OF the tribes of the Pacific
coast. The gem Of the collection, In
the eyes OF the owners, Is an ancient
basket made by one of the British Co
lumbia tribes. and said to ante-dste the
present century by many years 1t was
formerly used as a cooking basket The