The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-11-16
RECOLECTIONS OF MID
COLUMBIA INDIANS
"a paper by Capt. H. c. Coe)

for the Hood River Pioneer Associa-
tion and read at the annual reunion
here recently by Prof. l.. F. Hender-
son, as one of the most comprehensive
and interesting documents ever com.
piled on the mid Columbia aborigine as
seen by the, early white men. The
writer 10 a son of Nathaniel Coe.
founder of Hood River and planter OF
the apple .community's first orchard,
the trees Of which were set before
1860.
The paper written by MIR. Coe, now
in the archives of the Hood River Pio-
neer Association, follows:
When we made our home at Hood
River in the fail of 1854. good many
Indians were located there. never
counted them nor did l ever know of
any enumeration of them having been
made, but there must have been some
is or l6 camps, ard FIVE or six at what
was known as "Polally llahee" Pow
der or Sand Land, now known as
Ruthton and later taken up by John
Marden and Amos Underwood. Each
camp contained from 10, to ..l5 adults.
These Indians were undoubtedly an
overflow from the Willamette valley or
Chinook tribes which had extended as
far east as The Dalles on the south
side of the Columbia river. At the
Cascades they had crossed to the
Washington side, but east of there the
land was claimed by the kickitats,
and the Wascos, as the local tribe was
called, religit usly refrained from en-
croaching on the territory Of the strong
tribe. The Wascos as we'll as the
Chinooks were known as fish eaters,
and were far inferior to their northern
neighbors. They were as rule II
squat. i'll favored, filthy crowd, reek-
ing in dried salmon fumes and d.alive
with vermin of various kinds. have
often seen mothers picking lice from
their offpsring and cracking them in
their teeth, their reason being retail
iation," or.as one squaw said, "Clasks
mucimuo nesiks, nesika mucimuc
clasks." (they eat us, we eat them).
Slavery was common among the
Indians. There were a number of
slaves here when We first came, but
do not think they fell to the share of
the heirs at the death of their masters.
the general custom being to free them.
The slave was generally obtained from
the Snake Indians who lived east of
the Blue mountains, a cOwardly set OF
cut.throats and robbers who in large
bands occasionally made portrays on
the tribes in southeastern Oregon such
as the Klamaths, Watwashes and
Modocks, capturing hunting or fishing
parties and isolated families. killing
the adults and taking the children cap
tives, selling them to the northern
tribes. And truly they were slaves,
owned body and soul by their masters.
Even their lives were in their owners
hands. The slaves were required to do
all the menial work, such as bringing
the wood and water and digging roots.
They were hired out to the whites to
labor in the fields and gather fruit and
vegetables. The most profitable trade.
however, came from the traffic in girls,
who were required to sell themselves
to whoever wanted them. Old Wal
lachin, chief of the Polally tribe, once
told me that from the services of two
girls belonging to the Watwash tribe
he had during the early mining days
taken in over $1,000 in two seasons.
One of these girls will be remembered
by many pioneers as "Old Jenny" ="
who after the death of old Wallachin
married another slave named Jack.
They both died of consumption in Hood
River many years ago.
Marriages The marriage ceremony
of the Indian is certainly very brief
and, as rule, very elastic. Yet am
free to say that a separation was ex-
ceedingly rare. Girls we're sold to the
highest bidder and poIygamy was prac-
ticed by anyone who could afford to in
dulge in it. 1t as a matter of curiosity
to the early pioneer to learn why as d
rule the old and in many cases decrepit
buck had a young and comely wife or
wives, while some stalwart young man
might be mated with woman old
enough to be his grandmother. The
explanation, however. was simple-the
old man had the price, and the luxury
was his. while the young man had to
take the faded flowers. The bargain
thaving been made and the purchase
price paid, the bride with her belong.
ings-usually just the clothes she
w0re-followed her lord and master tC
his wigwam either on foot or horse
back, and his home was her home unit
is majesty chose to make some change
which indeed was seldom. As expen
sive piece Of properly as a handsome
young woman was not to be discarded
without provocation, and, indeed. as
have said before, the marriage tie wa
rarely broken, even though the Wife
beauty had fed. But the HUSBAND
was, as in the case of the slave, tn
lord and master. The wife of his pur
chase was Just as much slave as wa
the poor Watwash captive. The powe
of the slave master was his. and ther
was none to question his act shoul
that act carry his wife's spirit to tn
Happy Hunting Ground, unless indeed
which is unusual and rare in the sam
tribe, a powerful relative could seen
a possible gain by demanding repars
tion for the loss. Corporal punishment
was very frequently resorted to.
was administered as cure-all for a
misdemeanors-infidelity. disobedienc
and laziness.
An instance of wife beating tnat ha
serious results occurred in Hood Rive
in the early days. The camps had n
regular chief, but man named "Bail
or "Bill" had two mives-one an ugly
coarse grained old woman whose fac
was partially paralyzed, but who ha
the distinction of having borne him
son. The other was good lookin
woman, but without issue. The youn
woman had for some reason unknow
to US been so severely beaten that he
arm was broken. She was then kicke
out of doors one cold. rainy night, an
was finally taken in charge by broth
er, who secured the services of
prominent medicine man. The woman
however, died. The brother instead O
shooting the guilty Bail shot the med
cine man. in his own camp. The mai
ter having been thus satisfactoril
settled peace again reigned.
The question of having the author
ties at The Dalles take the matter U
was talked over. but the court. or whs
there was of law in those days, refuse
~ "a;