The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-06-26

the medicine men gradually lost their
power and influence. Old and young
today are devout adherents of the Ro-
man Catholic religion. The men devote
themselves to athletic sports and games
between the ceremonies, being especial
ly fond of baseball and horse racing.
Indian officers maintain a vigilant po-
lice system, and offenders are punished
| by Imprisonment in the Jail at De Smet
Drunkenness is not tolerated
Pierre Wildshoe, chief of the tribe,
and successor of Andrew Seltice, who
died in 1902, while not the wealthies,
is one of the most respected and influ-
entail men on the reservation. Pierre
Moctielma is sub-chief, and John Da-
venport, who was raised by a white
merchant of the same name at Colfax,
Wash, is head of the Indian police.
They are respected by all who know
them.
Louis Mitchata probably is the
wealthiest of the Coeur d'Aene Indians
He is reputed to be worth at least SIS
coo, of which $4,000 is in money at in
terest. He lives in a house which
would be no discredit to any farmer in
the country. and has a good barn for
stock and convenient outbuildings. A
grove of trees surrounding large fish
pond is pretty feature of the prem
iSes. Lo-lo, who lives near the gov
ernment sawmill, a few miles east of
the mission, has possessions in live
stock and cash TO the amount of $4,000.
Chief Wildshoe is worth $4,000, and
others have from 81, 500 to $4,000.
The great age reached by a number
of these people is a matter of interest.
Father Caruana, of De Smet mission,
says that Charles, who died there few
VIC, OF crn .I1r,
old. He was totally bind for years be-
fore his death, and was waited on by
his daughter who died later, deaf and
blind, at the age of 80 years. Coo-Na-
Cha. a Occur d'Alene squaW, died re-
Gently at the age of 96 years, and Vic
toria, of the same tribe, is supposed to
be in her 90th year. Scam m-taI-am-to, a
Spokane squaw, who lives on the reser-
vation, is. 81 years There are several
others past the four score period
The reservation is situated wholly in
kootenai county, Idaho, and contains
approximately 625 square miles, or
100000 acres of land, of which two
thirds is cultivatable and capable of
high development. The rest is heavily
timbered with white and yellow pine.
cedar, fir and tamarack, and is subject
to entry under the homestead laws at
its appraised value. The cost of these
lands has not yet been determined
While the principal crops produced are
wheat, oats and hay, the soil has proved
itself to be admirably adapted to the
cultivation of potatoes, sugar beets and
other root crops, also tree and vine
fruits.
The Indian population of the reserva-
tion is soc Occur d'Alenes, of whom 255
are males. There are also ninety-seven
Spokane Indians. A census taken early
this year shows the sexes are nearly
evenly divided. These people each own
100 acres of land and have $500 head of
horses, 1,200 cows, 600 hogs and 175
sheep. The reserve is traversed by the
Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound
railroad and the Tekoa-Burke branch of
the Oregon Railroad & Navigation
company. the latter carrying all mem
bers of the Occur d 'Alene tribe free of
charge between Tekoa, Wash, and Ca
taldo, Ida, fiety-seven miles, as the re-
suit of contract made when the Har
riman people secured a right of way
across the reserve in 1889. The main
line of the Milwaukee is reached bv
steamer on Occur d'Alene lake from
Occur d 'Alene