Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1909-02-26
GREAT AND RARE COLLECTION
tn BE AT SEATTLE FAIR
LEGISLATURE of State of Washington Is
Asked to Provide for Its Purchase
Was Gathered by Captain Tozier of
Revenue Cutter Service While Along
Northwest Coast-History of Same.

of the United States revenue cutter
service of the Northwest Pacific coast.
Collection of Indian Curios.
Captain Tozier was an enthusiastic
and indefatigable collector, who spared
neither effort nor money in his deter
minatiOn to secure specimens of every
thing made, and in actual use by the
Indians of Alaska, Northwest British
Columbia, and the state of Washington.
His official duties took him, year
after year, into all the bays and har-
bors of three thousand miles of sea
coast. He visited every remote Indian
village of the islands and main land
from the Aleutian isles, our most
northwestern possessions, down the Pa
cifc shore to the Columbia river,
Greys Harbor, Straits of San Juan de
Fuca, Puget sound and Hood s canal
always with the fixed purpose of gath
ering the most characteristic and valu-
able specimens existing in the places
visited, to add to his collection.
1t took him years, in some cases, to
secure particular piece that he want
ed, and only the most indomitable per
severance and patience, with liberal
cash payments, has accomplished his
purpose to make this the most complete
collection of the work of the Indians
of Northwest America, that has ever
been made.
In addition tc the exhaustive Alas
kan and British Columbia collection,
every known tribe of the state of
Washington is represented by its bas-
kerry, carving or bead work.
Many of these Indian tribes are al
ready extinct, while the others are rap
idly passing away, or being merged
into reservation settlements, so that
the distinctive work of the existing
tribal remnants of Indians is even now
almost wholly lost, or so mixed that
the specimens to be found today of
recent manufacture are almost value
less for chronological purposes.
The scientific, chronological and his
torical value of this collection can
hardly be estimated now, and it will
grow more valuable as time goes on, if
it is properly cared for and preserved
as it should be. The few pieces of
ancient Indian work in existence today
are being scattered all over the world,
and it will never again be possible to
get together so valuable a collection as
this represents, because it is made up
largely of the most ancient specimens
to be found in Northwest America.
In the collection are II mammoth
house totems measuring from to IL
feet high and weighing from 600 to
10000 pounds according to Professor
Gilstraps estimate), which are con-
coded to be the best representative
specimens of this kind of work extant
1t is stated on good authority that it
cost the British Museum of London
$4,000 to land only one similar
house post in London.
There are also the largest and best
specimens to be found of war, racing
sealing, fishing and travelling canoes of
cedar, and bidarkkas made of skin and
intestines. The large war canoe meas.
ures 40 feet in length and would easily
carry rs men. A racing canoe is still
longer, measuring nearly As feet from
stem to stern, but as narrow and grace
full in line as a modern college shell.
There are whaling, fishing, war and
ceremonial outfits and paraphernalia
Dancing and ceremonial masks and
head dresses of every known tribe in
Alaska and Washington. Travelling
chests, wonderfully carved and deco
rated, and more wonderfully joined to-
gether. Carved feast dishes of every
variety, many of which are curiously
inlaid and polished Curious old seats
of ancient design. Copper shields and
bead, horn, ivory, shell, copper and
silver ornaments. Black slate carved
boxes, plates, totems, pipes, small fig
ures, etc. This slate collection is alone
a very valuable collectionH
Over 1900 Baskets.
There are over 1900 baskets, ancient
hats, mats and pouches, representing
the work of every tribe of the state OF
Washington and Alaska, and showing
every variety of weave, Irvine and coil
and every stitch used in intoxicating
embroidery and beading known to the
Indians
The study of American art will il
time make this collection notable fol
It's variety of artistic designs. The
legends connected with them are al
interesting as the specimens themselves
and as valuable in thir way because
they are all that can be secured OF
prehistoric American literature.
This collection is far too large to bt
properly cared for in any ordinary mu
scum, and many valuable specimens IL
1T are being damaged and forever los
to the world because of the crowded
and packed condition in which 1t II
beng stored, where moths and destruc
tive Vermin have access to it, and have
already destroyed many things thai
can never be recovered.
The owner realizes that he canno
himself secure for this collection thu
home and care required for its preser
walton, and he desires to have it placed
where it will forever receive care com
mensurate with its value, in order tt
preserve it for the education of oul
children and future generations.
Education for Children.
Knowing that it belongs, geograph
leally and historically, to Northwes
America, he has demonstrated his 10y
atty to the locality in which so many
of the years of his active life were
spent, by making a most liberal otte'
of his incompatible collection to tn
state of Washington for price tina
does not equal one-half the value NJ
would receive if sold by the piece dur
ing the Alaska Yukon-Pacite far