The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-05-04


no distinction between uplands and
tide lands. The island is not under
cultivation and the twenty-five Indians
who make their home there live along
the beach in float houses and make
living by digging CLAIMS. catching |
salmon and raising oysters. They
have no money nor any need of any.
They have for years been cultivating
the oyster beds, keeping them clean,
until now they are valuable.
Perhaps no one would ever have paid
any attention to the Indians had not
interest been awakened in oyster cul-
ture during the past year or two.
Since it was announced that the state
proposed introducing the Eastern
oyster in the waters of the Sound,
people suddenly awoke to the TACT that
there is money in the business, and
there has been scramble ever since to
secure oyster beds.
The state has been selling off the
tide lands during the past year and
some Olympia parties discovered that
a good many oysters were coming
from Squaxin island. They proceeded
to buy up the tide lands until now the
Indians have made that place their
home since birth can neither get On
nor off the island without crossing the
tide lands, which they have just dis
covered belongs to the white men.
Judge Wickersham has told them that
they have no remedy at law and adj
vlsed them to submit peaceably to
what seems to them an injustice.
'In the treaty of 1854" said Judge
Wickersham last night. "Squaxin
island was mentioned by name and set
apart as a reservation. There was
nothing said about tide lands and the
Indians naturally supposed that the
land uncovered by the going out of the
tide belonged to them as we'll as the
uplands. In fact, it was the beach on
which they made their living. The
land is not cultivated; there is no
water there, and the Indians have to
get their supply of water from the
mainland. Taking away the beach
leaves them homeless and helpless 1t
is taking their living from their hands
and it is no wonder they were indig-
| nant.
"They left me with the intention of
seeing Agent Terry to see if he could
not afford them some relief. The only
thing that can he done for tlle Indians,
III my opinion, is for them to buy
back some of the lands, which they
had always supposed belonged to them.
But that will not he an easy matter.
tried that some time ago and the
Olympia man approached would not
even listen to proposition. He had
obtained possession of the tide lands
and meant to hold on to them. If the
Indian, who was born and reared there
had to starve just because the state
had sold his home from under him.
that was the Indians lookout.
During the time the t:eaty was
pending there was lot of talk among
the white men about what good thing
would be done for the Indian if he on
~ signed the treaty. There was much
talk about the horses, CATTLE, clothing
and sawlni)l which were to be pro-
cured for the Indian if he would inst
give his consent to the treaty. After
the treaty was signed, however, the
white man forgot all about the horses
and cattle and sawmill, nut it was diff
ferent with the Indian, To this day
l have had Indians come and tell me
about the things that were promised
them forty-six years ago and wonder
when they were to get them. The
Indian was foolish enough to believe
everything was true the white man
told him. | do not think there will
be any trouble with the Squaxin In
dams though they were quite hostile
when they came to my Lied
ger.
The ancients believed the rheuma-
tism was the work of demon within
man. Any one WHO has had an
attack of sciatic or inflammatorv
rheumatism will agree that the inflc-
ton is demoniac enough to warrant
the belief It has never been claimed
that Chamberlain's Pain Balm would
cast out demons, but it will cure
rheumatism, and hundreds bear testi-
mony to the truth of this statement.
One application relieves the pain, and
this quick relief which it affords is
a'one worth many times its cost. For
sale by G. v. Dunbar.
,tOfnach and II