The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1908-07-24
INDIAN AND AGENT
Umapine of UmatilIas Claims Interest
On Deposits is Withheld.
BY McFatridge.

A Pendleton desratoh to the Spokes-
man Review says:
That Major A. E. McFatridge, agent
of the Umatilla reser walton, is with
holding Indian interest which it draws
from the banks was the declaration
made in this city today by Umapine,
head man of the Umatillas.
Umapine came to Pendleton with
the belief that Secretary of the Interior
Garfield was still here or was to return
soon, for conference with the Indians.
Learning that the big man was not
here and would not be again Umapine
declared that he would probably leave
for Washington in few days to again
present the grievances of his tribes
men to the white father at Washing
ton. This will not 10 the first trip for
the old Indian. 70. 10 went there few
years ago on a similar mission.
Umapine refuses to believe the agent
is acting under orders from the depart
ment to the effect that the Indians are
only to be paid a certain sum each
month in order to prevent their spend
ing all their money at one time and
then being reduced to beggary the re-
mainder of the year. He says the
educated Indians who know Just how
much is coming to them have no trou-
BILE in getting their money, but that
the old and ignorant ones are given
about one third of the money paid into
the agency for them by the white
renters.
This is the first open charge that has
been made against McFatridge since
he superseded Major Edwards, who
left the service about year ago. 1t
has been generally believed that his
administrat has been satisfactory to
the Indians
1t was rumored few days ago that
McFatridge had asked to be relieved
from duty, after j. r. Garfield, Sec
retary of the interior. had made a
ruling directly opposed to his recon-
mendation, as we'll as those of Com
missioner of Indian Affairs Francis
Il. Leupp and Special Agent Tinker,
who was here for several months in
vestigating the conditions ON the res
ervation. Leupp persuaded him to
withdraw his resignation.
1t is believed by many who are ac-
quainted with the status of Indian
land leasing. that there is nothing to
the charges. So far as renters in this
section of the reservation is concerned,
McFatridge has used them fairly, and
it is the universal opinion here thatthe
Umapine charges is lot of trumped.
up rot, given out for publication with
a purpose, and that il investigated,
the source of the Spokane papers in
formation would lead to parties who
are interested In farming more than
$40 acres of land on the reservation
men who wouldn't hesitate at grating
the Indian burial ground into a lease
were it possible to do so. and then
scrap for the agency garden.
Every indication points TO McFat-
ridge being a man with marrow enough
in his lack bone to conduct reserva-
tion land matters on the square, some
thing that has not Teen done for years,
if you are to take the word of men of
small means who have tried in vain to
lease piece of reservation land.
The mall with pull could get what
he desired, and the sidewalk ranoher
was amoug the big "it's." With,Mc-
Partridge came the order of land lease
Limitation Of GAO acres, with the pro-
vjso that the lessee must establish reg.
idenoe thereon. Then the fur began to
fly. and it's been falling ever since.
The big 'uns are after the agent, aud
well, an injun will say anything.
with proper coaching.