The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-03-01

still has balance OF 500 due from the
government, the money being held
back for an indefinite period because
of some governmental red tape. George
today gets his life's necessities partly
as county charge and partly as being
the ward of number of pioneer fami-
lies. He does not beg now as indis-
criminately from every one as on for
mer years, but limits his aims asking
from his old time friends.
Mrs. Alma Howe, a pioneer of the
valley, today owner of Cottage Farm
summer resort, has probably been the
best friend the Mid Columbia Indians
ever had. For years George has made
weekly pilgrimage to her place to
seek advice, food or the gift of money.
Mrs. Howe tells some amusing incl
dents connected with the visits of the
old redman.
"Several years ago." says Mrs.
Howe. Gorge came to me at the be-
ginning OF winter and asked me if
would take care of his herd of three
ponies until spring time. Thinking
that the reply would rid me of him |
told him that had no one to look after
the animals. oh, that's all right, he
said, George come and live with you
and care for ponies"
On another occasion George was
successful in borrowing 80 cents from
Mrs. Howe. On the next visit follow
ing the financial transaction, his bene-
factor asked him how he had spent the
money.
"Oh, ! bury my brother" he said.
Mrs. Howe was skeptical and pressed
for an explanation. George told her
that he had spent five cents for nails
and rs cents for lumber.
1t was then that Mrs. Howe per-
suaded the old man to invest some of
land allotment remittance in the
purchase of lot at Idlewilde cem-
terry. The old man is very proud of
that plot of ground, before a great
many moons have passed to become
his last resting place. Religiously he
keeps the sod rogued clean of weeds.
1t is rather a pathetic sight to see the
old, half blind relic of aboriginal days,
as he kneels on his memaloose ground,
perhaps, as he mutters in his jargon,
saying some prayer to the Great Spirit
and asking him to hurry the time of
the transition of his soul from the
mundane sphere to that of the Happy
Hunting Ground.
Georges religion is a peculiar COM
posite of pagan superstitution of the
Indian and the faith of the Catholic
and Methodist. 1t is said that he has
bees baptised in the Catholic church.
and he sometimes visits the local
Franciscan chapel. At such moments
as he is made to feel the existence of
an omnipotent being, he will make
the sign of the Cross. But when win
ter days come George devotes all of
his allegiance to the Methodist church
A pew has been given him at the AS
bury church, and he sometimes attends
Sunday school. During the past win
ter, however, George has sought the
basement of the church on Sundays,
and while the services were in prog
ress he might have been found enjoy
ing moments of supreme luxury on a
stool in front of the furnace.
| George has been married three times,
and although he has become a con-
firmed misogonist in his old age, he
forgot his hatred for the gentler sex
last spring. A little Indian maiden
took his eye. Before proposing, how
ever, he asked the advice Of Mrs.
Howe. Little girl can sew and cook
for old Injun," he said, but when his
benefactor frowned on such philander-
ings for a beau four score years of
age, he reached the decision that she
was right, and the subject was for.
gotten.
Last summer Indian George worried
unnecessarily over the right of an
Indian to fish. From some source he
had garnered the idea that an Indian &
right to the streams had been revoked.
He called on District Attorney A. j.
Derby, whose advice was sufficient to
set the old mans mind free, but
George desired confirmation of the
attorneys opinion, and he journeyed
out to the Cottage Farm of Mrs.
Howe. Before he announced his mis-.
sion, he produced roll of crinkled
papers. yellow from age, and proffered
them to Mrs. Howe.
T'You law maker, Missy Howe" said
the old man, "see if that tell Injur
he can fish and hunt"
Mrs. Howe examined the paper tc
find it an original treaty made with
the Warm Springs Indians by the
United States Government. 1t was
signed in 1869 by Andrew johnson.
The treaty gave the Indians an unlim.
tied right to hunt and fish. Mrs. Howe
has since asked old George for the
treaty, but he has acted as though he
didn't comprehend what she meant
She thinks he returned the document
to Indians at the Warm Springs reser.
vation.
| H. l.. Howe, city recorder of Hooc
River at the present time, was 9
pioneer teacher of the Pine Grove
school. Mr.. Howe was accustomed tc
ride to and from his school on a pony
an unfortunate characteristic of which
was to become extremely wild after
having been allowed to run overnight
in the pasture.
'The pony was the gentlest oi
, beasts if kept in the stable" says Mr.
!, Howe, but after night in the open
usually had to call on several neigh.
bors to assist me in catching him
One Monday morning, after the pony
had been ranging on 20 acre pasture
over the week end, | went out to catch
|, him and ride to school. He was wilder
than usual, and after running til
school time, l gave up in disgust anc
, very angry. IN kill you, you foo
} horse, cried. hadn't noticed thai
| had an audience, but no sooner hae
, l uttered these words than some one
, seized me by the arm. 1t was Indial
, George, who had probably been inter
: estedly watching me.
'"Give um Injun tail, he said
! He had taken my angry words liter
, ally. He stated that he wanted tn,
: pony's tail to make hair rope"
The recent jokes that have beel
, passed at Georges expense have some
, how reached the ears of the old man
/ He no longer cares to be joshed abou
Continued on Five Psge)