Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1914-10-16
Charleston, Washington

We have been having our annual |
ewiston Charleston Fair this past :,
week To an easterner the splendid
ruit and vegetables would be espec-
aIly interesting: No where L have
,ver been have | seen such pump
,ins, m Ions, beets, grapes etc: | ne
Iez Perez Indian exhibit from Lap
val was especially interesting;, this
exhibit showing the handiwork OF
he old time Indians and also that
# the Indian of today. Very beautl-
mi indeed is their bead and feather
work, their corn husk and elder
berry fibre bags. their snow white
deer skin robes trimmed with elk
teeth colored green from being bur-
led manv years with Gopher; one
beautiful spotted fawn skin coat ,.i
was shown, made very much IKE
the sack coat of today, which the
Indians say is over one hundred
years old. Its condition IS such
that one would think it probably
was made a week or two days ago.
The process theIndlans use IN tan
ming skins with the hair on Is sucn
thaf moths never get in them.
have never seen such perfectly tan
ned skins anywhere as among THESE
Wez perce Indians. In this exhibit
was an elk tooth dress for when
So 900 has been offered and refused:
At Lapwai is the government
school and tubercular sanltarhm'
also the northern Presbyterian MIS-
sion for the Nez Perez Indians, un'
der the care of Miss Kate Nc betn'
| a most remarkable woman, "nom
| / have had the pleasure OF meeting
several times. She came to this
mission as a young woman, she is
now eighty-five, having spent more
than sixty years among this tribe
Sae has the most wonderful con,
troi and hold upon them. Her Woro
is the court of last resort with them
and notwithstanding her age heI
mind is as clear and be-. I'd ri digment
}as perfect as you could find in any
1one. She is very firm but kind to
them, and once having said anything
she never changes it. At Lapwai
was the Spalding mission, which
perhaps some of your readers have
read about in the article entitled
The First White Child born West
of the Rockies" which appeared in
one of the winter numbers of THE
Ladies Home Journal. Eliza
Spalding, the child mentioned in
that article, was born only twelve
miles from here at Lapwai.
Miss McBeth succeeded Rev. Mr..
Spalding at this mission which he
founded; this mission and the one
at Walla Walla under DR.. Marcus
Whitman being the first mission for
the Indians founded west of the
Rockies.
= In the modern part of the Indian
exhibit were beautifully made
Presses, that any dress. maker might
feel proud to have made, which
he domestic science class of In
Iian girls made as part of the school
work. There was much canned
fruit, preserves, jellies, bread,
cake, etc., made by Indian house
wives, also rugs and baskets. The
agricultural exhibit by the Indians
took nearly all the first prize.
Mr.. Swartz, the government agri-
cultural expert employed at the
agricultural station at Lapwai, has
achieved some wonderful results
from his work along this line with
the Indian men and boys. My
idea of an Indian until I came here
was that of savage in war paint
and feathers carrying a rifle either
on the war path or engaged in
hunting or fishing. Among the
wild Indians here. by wild, I mean
those Indians who have not en-
braced christianity, their manner
of life is somewhat after this stvle;
not the warpath part, but they
spend much time in hunting, fish
ing and berrying, and are addicted
to gambling and drinking, but
among the christian Indians their
manner of life is very similar to
their white neighbors. They want
to live and be like us.
Mrs. Chambers Burns of Voilaer,
accompanied by her daughter,
Kathleen and J. G. Cours ey spent
fair week as the guests of w. H.
Wallace and family.
Misses Maud and Ella Wallace,
who have been visiting friends in
Virginia and Michigan since July
are expected home next month.
Mr.. Rexrode of Highland, who
has been in Lewiston for several
having come here from
Montana, expects to leave shortly
for his home in Virginia.
Miss Lula Wallace is teaching
school in Charleston this winter.
This school is considered one of the
best schools in Washington, having