East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-01-04
INDIANS ENJOY HUGE
new YEAR FEAST
9s1 GATHER AT
COOPERATIVE DINNER
Great Gathering of Red People at
Tutuilla Mission TO Celebrate Ad-
vent of New Year-Many Visitors
Prcsent--Speechcs and Services
Close Encampment.

AS announced the people OF the Tu-
tuiila Mission began to camp again
on Thursday. Dec. 80. And with them
came many friends from the Yakima
and Lapwai reservations and from al
ong the Columbia river. The regular
services were held each night and
morning. A committee consisting of
Amos Pond. Joe Allen and Allen Pa
tiwa was appointed to collect money
Tor the New Years feast both from
Indians and any white friends. These
also were empowered to make the
purchases OF the food from town, and
to attend to the distribution of the
meat and stuff to each camp to be
prepared for the dinner. For this
was, as always, n cooperative din
ner. For the feast the committee
gathered $59.75. most OF course from
the Indians Besides this each one
donated OF his own stuff what things
mat are not In the market, those
things that are good to eat that n
white man knows nothing about, for
he has not educated his taste up to
that point All this was needed for
when the plates were counted as the
people ate II was found that 201 were
filled, and that. too, not once as at
a so-called 25c chicken dinner, but
many times. and each one carried off
for supper what was in sight and
reach OF the things that he could not
eat This custom too, is n courtesy
that the less enlightened white peo-
pie are strangers TO. For white peo-
pie would call this "swiping" things.
But the Indian says to II Happy New
Year" and thinks you are not COM
Portable unless you do so at these big
dinners. II makes one think of the
old song, For one day of turkey
there are six days OF hash"
There was much interprandial talk
and witty passes especially by our
friend Charlie Skumit, of Yakima,
which kept all in happy spirit all
the time. But the postprandials had
10 be given in the church where the
people assembled just after dinner
since there were plates for only IS
TO sit down at time The first
tables repaired from the old church
building to the church where the
young people invested the time sing
ing gospel songs. and the older ones
in social talk. Only those from a
long distance hastened home. BY
2:30 p. m. the last bell rang, and 10
OF the crowd gathered to listen to
five well seasoned and spicy talks
from some Of the visitors AMI local
folks.
The visiting speakers were. Corbett
Lawyer. n Nez Perce now of Pine
Ridge, s. D., stephen Reuben, Lap
wal, Idaho, and Charles Skumit Of
Stwireville, Wash. The local speak
ers were Philip Minthorn. long
time elder Of the church. and Philip
Jones, one of the trustees. Many
were the hand-shakes during the day
and Happy New Year" greeted one
on all sides. For no season OF the
year seems such happy dime as this
season The Saturday evening SER
. vice was put into the hands OF the Of
ficers of the temperance society of
the church and at that time num-
Der OF temperance speaches were
heard which would have made any
"Prohl" orator green eyed, and
boot logger" resolve to quit his bus
mess. And 1t was not just vain talk.
and beating the air, for during the
service six came forward to sign the
temperance pledge.
The Sabbath morning service was
Of the nature OF New Years mes
sage. and instruction to communi-
cants before the celebration OF the
ordinance. There were II partakers
of the communion present, ana
number away from this reservation
and in some OF the non reservation
chools A New Years thank offering
was made for the benevolent work or
the home mission board amounting
TO 1927. Following the Saopath
school in the afternoon n business
meeting of the temperance and
Christian Endeavor societies was held
to elect officers for the next three
months. The children from the gov
ernment school have been out during
the holidays. and 1t has been hap
py time for them. 1t was with re-
luctant hearts that they came to
Sabbath afternoon for they had to
be returned to the school then. ready
for school Monday morning. The
people returned home from the camp
at the church after an early prayer
service this morning and most of the
visitors will go to their respective
homes today.