The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-11-30
'RECOLECTIONS OF MID
COLUMBIA INDIANS
"a paper by Capt. II. c. Coe)

influence was the least of their troub-
les. They had no duties to perform, no
noxious chores to attend to-the whole
day was theirs from sunrise to sunset.
They were early taught the use of the
bow and arrow and how'to build snares
for trapping animals. never knew
of case of corporal punishment.
Fishing and Food Resources Fish
ing was the main support of the Will
lamette and Wasco tribes. During the
spring freshet in the Columbia river
salmon In vtst numbers entered its
waters making their way to the spawn
ing grounds in the upper reaches of
the stream. At. the Cascades. the
Granddalles and Tumwater, or Cello
Falls. the Indians from all over the
country would gather to secure their
salmon. generally by buyingIthem from
those having stands at favorable points
in the rapids; hot only at the places
mentioned, but at any point along the
river, where there was a swift current,
but in no such quantities as at the
great rapids.
In early days before the day of can
neries salmon would come up the river
in unbelievable numbers unless actual
iy seen. One year | operated sailing
establishment at the Five Mile rapids
at The Dalles. One dip net took out
8, 500 in 10 hours. The farmers from
the back country would come in to put
up fish for the winter, which sold to
them for five cents each, many of them
being royal chinooks and weighing
from 80 to so pounds each. In the fall
Of the year after spawning time the
old salmon would die and millions of
them would float down the stream. At
that time the farmers along the river
raised many hogs, which were allowed
to range at large, and they, Of course.
fond the dead salmon on the river
banks. Feeding on them they became
very fat. But the flesh was ruined for
| the year. being thoroughly impreg.
mated with the salmon odor, even the
flesh being eolored with a pinklsh hue. |
In the fall came the steelheads and
the white salmon. or dogfish. These
latter fish swarmed in countless mill
ions in the smaller streams west of The
Dalles, and very singular fact in his |
connection was that only the streams |
coming in from the north were used by |
them, being the Big and Little White |
Salmon and Wind rivers, with the ex- |
ception of Lindsey creek near the Cas-
cades. have seen the latter stream
so packed with them that one could |
have walked across il on their backs |
dry shod. =.
The Indians valued these fish for the |
fact that they were not SO oily as the |
chinooks, steelheads or silversides. |
Another source OF fish supply came |
from the lamprey eels. These, how
ever, were not used to any great ex- |
tent, except in case of shortage of |
the salmon run. They were strong and |
oily. Sturgeon were also used fresh. |
These fish were caught with hooks or
frequently in dip nets when fishing for |
salmon at the rapids. Many of them
were of immense size, and were the |
terror of the swift water dipnetters.
Many an Indian has lost his life by |
being jerked from his platform into |
the raging waters of the rapids by one
of the leviathans. These fish now al.
most extinct in the Columbia river.
we're in the early days OF an incredible
size. One year something happened.
What it was was never known, but
dead sturgeon foated down the river in
vast numbers and of prodigious size.
One that lodged on the sandbar oppos-
ite the mouth of the White Salmon,
measured. The head alone was FIVE
feet long, and the body l3. making
total of l8 feet. 1t must have weighed
over 1900 pounds. One year saw two
of these monsters shipped to The
Dalles. They weighed 900 pounds each.
Another source of fish supply was
obtained from the smaller streams by
trapping the salmon and dollyvarden
trout. These fish we're not put away.
but were sold fresh and brought many
a pretty penny into the sellers pocket,
selling for from Is to Is cents each at
The Dalles. The method employed in
obtaining these daintles was to build a
V-shaped dam across the mouth of the
stream. when the water was low and
shallow. so as to raise the water from
three to four feet. and at the lower
point to build weir of cedar stats.
The impounded water would rush
through, falling through the stats,
leaving the unfortunate trout high and
dry, to be later strung on withe and
sent to market. As many as three or
four dozen would often be taken in one
night. Other food SOURCES came from
game. berries and roots.
Acorns were used in large quantities.
They were gathered in the fall and
taken to the river bank where clay was
to be found. Thev we're then piled in
large conical heaps of perhaps eight to
10 bushels each. covered over with
grass and green stuff and then layer
of mud. A slow fire was built over
them and continued until they were
roasted to a black coal. A pit was
then dug close to the waters edge and
the blue clay and acorns were thor.
oughly mixed They we're allowed to
remain for a month or more in the
Shiny hole. They were then taken out,
washed and dried and put away in
sacks for winter use. | never consic-
cred them a great dainty. Many times
l have tried to enjoy them. but tone
bite was more than sufficient to satisfy
my curiosity.
As soon as the white man imported
vegetables and fruits the Indians rele-
gated the acorn crop to the hogs. |
always felt that they we're like the
Iamprey eel, used only when other food
was scarce. Camas was obtained from
Camas Lake across the river in Wash
ington. This was root about as large
az an English walnut, and when washed
and cooked az the Indians cooked it, it
was a most palatable vegetable.
Another singular article of food was
wild sunfower roots. In the early days
this plant literally covered the ground
everywhere. 1t had a large mealy
root, something like a parsnip in
shape, when young, but became tough
and woody as it aged. 1t was a great
nuisance to the ploughman. In the
summer the tender root was taken,
washed and cooked by digging a pit in
the ground and heaping wood over
them. 1t had sweet syrupy taste.