The Washington times., 1907-03-31
PYGHIES ARE A MYSTERY
a Race Of Little People Said to Have
Once Lived in the State
of Oregon.

fover the mountain that lies as a silent
witness TO the superstition of the IN
dian Tie trail is Overgrown with brush
and shrubs II Is scarcely perceptible
any more. No indian has set foot upon
1T for many a year and none can be per
ssuaded 20 so over II as in the days
when it afforded a short cut to the
hocean.
Major T. J. Bulford. for years Indian
agent at the Siletz reservation and one
of the few men Of the West who have
really got TO the inside of Indian life,
feelings, and aspirations, tells the story
of the neglected mountain path in the
Chicago Chronicle. He adds many other
observations Illustrative of phases Of
.Indlan life that are generally misunder-
stood
Il remember" said the major, that
one day when 1 was in charge of the
reservation Charlie Smith-that was the
name he had picked up somewhere
along the trail OF his life-came to me
and pointed out the shrub-gTown way
that l could just discern in the under
growth on the mountain side. He tOld
me- in his own language that several
years before he and some OF his friends
had gone over the trail 10 the top Of
the mountain one day and that just as
~-ANg were Ltt5 4i4AlaAia ~ NANs~NAAA va NAA~
other side they saw half a dozen little
people. He described them as having
the same kind of legs, heads, arms, eyes
and noses as the Indians. only much
smaller He indicated by his hand that
they were not over three or four feet
'in height.
Neither Charlie nor any Of the IN
dams with him ever had seen such peo-
pie as they described and they were ter
ror-striczen at the sight Not one of
them had the courage 10 investigate
They could think OF nothing else than
that the other side of the mountain had
suddenly become populated with strange
spirits. They hurried back TO the res
ervation, and to this day not an Indian
has dared set his foot on the abandoned
trail, although il would save them a
dozen hard miles TO the ocean.
There is a possibility, Of course, that
the Indians may really have seen q
band Of dwarfs in that region, and that
there IS today in the mountains Of the
states or provinces Of Canada a race
OF little people, but I am inclined 70 be
lieve from my knowledge of the Indian
psychology that they saw some kind
OF animals in the distance, and that
their tmaginations did the rest. The
Indians have wonderful faculty for
conjuring up fancies and once their SUI
perstitiOus fear Is touched IL is almost
impossible to undeceive them. Other
wise economy of effort and time would
have brought the old trail back into
daily use years ago.
The Indian is true to his likes and
just as true 10 his hatred of men. II is
the greatest mistake In the world 10
speak or the treacheTy of the Indian
as If that were one OF his peculiar char
aeteristics. The fact is that there is no
truer friend In the world than the In
dian. So long as he is treated we'll and
honestly. there IS no truer friend in the
world than the Indian. It is when he
learns that an injustice has been done
TO him that he turns and fights back.
He IS relentless in the pursuit of an en-
envy. He never gives up the idea Of get
ting even, and he will follow his purpose
OF what he considers righteous revenge
70 the death.
III L were given my choice OF having
authority over !, 000 Indians or 600 white
men I would take the Indians every
time. They give less trouble Let them
know that there is set of rules and
regulations TO be Obeyed and show them
you can count on % per cent of honest
adherence to the rules. The 8 per cent
of violators will sffer the punishment
of a breach of the regulations without a
whimper.
MY experience in an Indian agency
is that exact justice must be meted
out 10 every man. Favoritism Of any
sort is fatal Punish the big man OF
the tribe in precisely the same manner
you punish the little fellow for the sans
Onense.
Il had one OF two superior Indians in
my charge-men who had high order
of intelligence, much mechanical in
genuity and the ability 10 do eXacting
work. These men, Ike their white
brother, had a tendency to feel that
they could do certain forbidden Things
with impunity-for instance, going of
the reservation without pass or bring
Ing a bottle of whisky home after a
trading trip 10 town. I used TO warn
these men that any infracJiOn of the
rules by them would mean prompt and
1uu penalty III the way Of jail sen
tCnCe.
1.-THE other members Of the tribe used
TO watch very closely what / was in
ci1ued TO do with the higher class OF
offenders. They would make II theil
business TO keep espionage over them
inspired somewhat, / doubt not, by jeal
ousy, and let me know whenever they
violated the rules. To maintain nay
win the confidence Of the rank and flt
IN my imparuality and justice ! was
particularly Observaut to let no charge
OF favoritism be made against me. And
now that am out of the service anC
never expect TO return To il / may bt
allowed 10 say that 7 left the reservation
with the friendship and lOyalty>Of every
man and woman.
Tile Government Is doing vastly bet
ter work for the Indians new than 4
formerly did. Less attention is given q
teaching the children of the tribes tn,
things the white pupils learn in tn,
punhc schools and more to their educa
ton lndustrlally. They are being taught
how 10 do things. 1t is better for tn,
Government and for themselves. They
do not go from the schools to the res
eryauon spoiled children, to breed Z
spirit OF discomfort in all those witt
whom they come into contact
1t IS q very sad thing but true tbat
the lie or the Indians was highly mora
before the white man came amODe
them. The family relations were mor5
sacred and more .igidly hOnOred thar
the same relations among the so-caIlet
civilized peoples of The earth wiz.
was specially SAFE from neral contain
iuation. Whenever IL was found that 7
mans wife had been false Ia him sb,
was either put 10 death at once with ia,
sanction of the tribe or she was sen