The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-08

s..sial Dispatch 70 the Post-Intelligencer.
WAsHINGTON, June The secretary
! s.te interior has transmitted to the SEN
Z. a letter from the commissioner OF In
. =, affairs. and accompanying papers,
| -sf,ye TO the examination by f. c. Bar
~ OF the geological survey, OF the dis
..,ss western boundary line OF the Yak
- indian reservation. The letter. with
~ accompanying papers, have been re-
Ard 10 the senate committee on Indian
.eslrs Of which Senator Thurston is
sa.rfnan.
esrre,ary Hitchcock also transmitted n
80, OF n bill prepared by HIS direction
ranting authority for the detail by the
~cretary Of the interior of an Indian in
rfetor 10 negotiate an agreement with
~ yakima Indians for the adjustment of
,ssIr claim for the lands embraced in the
,r.ct claimed BY them. containing 2a3, s37
.e,ss MS shown by Mr. Barnard's report.
Mr. Barnard first gives an account OF his
40 over tho present western boundary
"a over the country IN dispute, and de-
.ryfbes the physical and Typographical
,satures bearing upon the subject After
suoting article 2, Of the treaty with the
Yakima Indians, concluded June ., 1855
hoeribing the reservation boundary, Mr.
ssrnard then gives his conclusions upon
a. matter NJ issue. The essential points
srs quite conciseiy stated by him. He
N.Y.:
Mr.. Bnrnard's Report.
ne important clause OF this treaty Is
rat the summit of tho Cascade noun
alns should form part OF the western
boundary.
Certainly the existing boundary line does
sm reach the summit OF the Cascade
FOUNTAINS AT any point. and cannot be-
nese that the ridge along which the pres
al boundary lire runs was considered
he summit Mt the time the treaty was
made. as even then the Indians were in
W habit OF hunting and gathering ber-
rss on what Is now we'll understood to be
,ae summit OF the Cascade mountains.
A. evidence That II was the main sum
Mt Of the Cascade mountains spoken of
b the treaty OF 1855, | would refer to the
scompanying map. which is a tracing of
ras White Swan map now on file at the
Yakima Indian agency, the said White
swan map being tracing of part of
MAP made by the direction of Gov Ste
wns In 1851 to show the Indian rescrVa-
tons In Washington territory At that time
This map certainly shows that what Is
row considered the main summit OF the
Cascade mountains WAS a portion OF the
western boundary line of the Yakima In
aan reservation
Sanding on Signal peak and reading
ssr the treaty or with the map before u.s.
mere IN no possible way OF making tho
wording Of the treaty agree with the
geography Of the country. with the evil
asnce, however collected In the field cor
fpborating the testimony OF Stick Joe and
Chief Spencer who Were shown part of
The boundary lines by authorized govern
nent agents, | believe e Is possible Ia de-
vrminc quite accurately what the inten-
ION OF the treaty was and where the
hnndary line Of the reservation should
b.
Prom the imperfect topographic knowi-
edge Of the country II was believed that
h,sh tile Atanum and risco rivers reached
10 tho summit Of the Cascade mountains.
bat such IL not the case. although from q
hsfanCe Il would he n fair presumption
Now, in regard to what the Indians ex-
mcted, they had for several years pre-
nous TO tho treaty been Ia the habit Of
srnting I'm the valley OF the Klicktat and
; the vicinity Of Goat rocks which are
Rominent points. $500 feet high. and
nod landmark, ana where mountain goats
we're numerous; also 81 making annual
ucuraions 10 the vicinity of Wslp to
ssther berries. and berry patch is con
sidered very valuable possession by the
Indians The Indians would therefore
desire 10 have these localities
Included IA their reservation.
From the head OF the South fork Of the
A,nnum river. az II does not reach the
s9mmit 81 the Cascade bv some twenty
niles, IA boundary line should then fol-
hw the divide around the headwaters OF
he klickitat river. passing over spen-
GERS point TO Goat rocks, which Is on the