The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-08-31
M0DOC INDIANS TO RETURN
TO MOUNTAINS AND LAKES

reserve. This change was not at all
displeasing to the portion of the
tribe which accepted the agreement.
| klamath reservation is like the Mo-
| doc country, q land of lakes and hills
and even more pleasant than the re-
gion they we're asked to leave. One
faction of the Modocs, headed by
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. to western lore as
Captain Jack--obj to the trans
| fer.
This branch Of the Modocs. num-
bering probably not over 225 per-
sons-warriors, squaws and babes
hated to leave their lava beds and
leaping rivers They went to the
klamath reservation under protest
and ere long made the protest strong
er by declaring that they could not
live in amity with the Klamaths.
kientpoos begged permission to re-
turn whence he came. The govern
ment refused his plea with red tape
and some more red tape. Kientpoos
made further protest. Then Kent
poos and his men took action, cut
ting the Gordian knot in the Indian
way. They fled from Klamath reser-
walton, jumped back to their form
er home-aud the war was OH
The story OF the fight Kientpoos
made against the power of a nation
has often been told The Modocs
whipped everything the government
sent against them and week after
week they fought for independence.
At last peace commission was ap-
pointed to deal with the Modocs, and
here the warriors of Kientpoos over
played their hand They murdered
the commission, headed by Gen. Can
by, and from that day their doom
was sealed.
Uncle Sam sent new forces, and
the Modocs, retiring to that hell on
earth known a. the lava beds, cheer
fully shot them to pieces from the
shelter of the rocks. More soldiers
came, and also Warmly Spring In
dams, old enemies Of the Modocs, in
cited by prospects of revenge and
white mans pay The Modocs con-
tinued to whip everything that came
near them. but hunger did it's work
and at last tho tribe surrendered.
Kientpoos and his councillors were
duly hanged on klamath reservation.
Then his tribe, 140 strong, were
shipped to Quapaw agency. Here
they were assigned to a reservation
and set to learn the arts of civiliza-
ton. They learned them too They
became Christians, farmers. good,
hard working citizens They gave no
trouble. They never created even the
least disorder-and they faded away,
one by one and ten by ten.
THE Modocs say they can raise no
babies here was the way one agent
spoke of the dwindling tribe.
But the government kept them
herded in the climate of Oklahoma
very good climate for those who like
it, but very bad for mountain In
dams. The years went blythe tribe
passed on. Al last it was discovered
that the original generation of fight
ing Modocs were all dead-and the
government decided that their chill
dren, if they 50 desired, could all go
home
And here was shown the strength
of blood and family tradition. The
young Modoc, had never seen the
mountains and the lakes. They were
settled on atlottments Of good land,
making their living in the white
mans way. The country of their
fathers was only a story to these In
dian Youths story told at night in
the shanty cabins But it was a
story that held their hearts and drew
them back % the lakes and noun
tains.
Only 40 Of he tribe remained
Just 35 per cent OF the number first
taken from their far OF homes The
40 packed up their slender baggage
and the government sent them safely
home. The bones of the warriors who
followed Ktentpoos rest in the hot
dry soil of Oklahoma-the children
of the warriors are with relatives
whom they had never seen, with
kindred whose names are strange
and new.