The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1917-08-24
AN INTERESTING PUBLICATION

| oplawn of Yakima, at that tima one
OF the best known pioneers of eastern
ashlhgton, made brief visit to Orc.
vile, called here by the serious i'll.
ness oil brother under treatment
at the Oroville General hosnital
Whlle mere, MIR. Splawn TO all outward
appearances, seemed TO be in excel
ienl health. lie certainly was in his
usual cheerful and genial spirits. and
from all visible indications his friends
were led to believe that he was good
lor another score OF years at least.
but human life is exceedingly uncer-
tam, Tor Mr.. Splawn survived his re-
turn nome from Oroville only a few
days. When here Mr.. Splawn an
hounced that he had just sent the
MANUSCRIPT OF book he had written
dealing with the early history of the
state, to the printers, and the Gazette
MENTIONED the fact, adding that the
book would treat of Mr.. Splawn's early
day experiences, consequently it
would be intensely interesting. espe-
clally to the early settlers of Eastern
washington, where the author had
spent so many years OF his life. and
had contributed so materially toward
the building up of the present pros
porous commonwealth. Mr.. Splawn
ana not live to see his literary effort
produced in book form, but it has re-
Gently appeared from the press and is
being distributed by the widow. The
title OF Mr.. Splawn's book is "Ka-mi-
akin, the Last Hero of the Yakimas"
and the review of the work as pub
llshed below, taken from a Yakima
paper, Will give the reader an idea
OF the general contents of the book.
The volume can be obtained by ad-
dressing Mrs. A. j. Splawn, Yakima.
and 1t ought to be in the hands of
every old friend of the late lamented
A. j. Splawn living in the Okanogan
country:
'ka.mi- akin, the last hero of the va
Xmas, by the late Hon. A. j Splawn,
winch is Just off the press, will fill un-
ique place i'll the photography of the Pa
enc Northwest. 1t is the story of the
settlement of Oregon Washington and
ldaho from the red mans point OF view,
ana oI the development OF Central Wash
ihston by one who took an active part
in it at every step
From the time when. a lad of lG. Just
up from his home in the Willamette m,
Indian herder took him to a height and
showed him the Yakima Valley which
mad but one settler then, Mr. Splawn
was loyal friend to the valley and it's
Indians. He came to feel from talks with
old chiefs and from his reading of such
history as was written of his part of the
country and government documents and
the like, that the Indians had not been
fairly treated; that their side of the mat
ter had never been presented.
Though his adventurous life had re-
quired him to play many roles it is quite
certain that he never expected to be call
ed on to be an author He frankly dis
claimed any qualifications for this book
making business" and undertook the
work in very humble spirit He shows
himself however, the possessor of n mar
rative style which calls for no apology.
Without any desire of intention of
writing history, Mr. Spawn was most
anxious to record, before the data was
lost the Indian side of their war period
and negotiations with the whites. The
only available sources of information on
Washington history were from the docu-
ments of white officials and army officers.
These took frequently an unsympathetic
what Mr.. Splawn firmly believed existed.
a real Indian side to all the problems.
In Ka1mi-kn, the Yakima chief who
formed the confcaeracy of Indians de-
signed to sweep out the white settlers in
order that the Indian hight live and en-
joy his country, Mr.. Sp.awn found hero
to whom he accOrds great admiration
and the facts of Who's life he has res
cued from oblivion.
The Indian argument finished like all
pioneers, Mr.. SplaWn fils into reminns-
eences and they are raninisCences bear
ing closely on the development of sew
eral states Old timers and new comers
alike will be interested in the accounts
of cattle drives through the Yakima,
Wenatchee and Okanogan countries in
tered white settlers or less, in the Brit
ish Columbia mines, or through the
Priest Rapids country to Idano and Mon
tana
Mr. Splawn's brother, Moses Splawn,
discovered the Boise basin, and the book
contains an account of the discovery as
Moses tells it
Historic places are touched upon. In
dian legends of local Significance given
and many eloquent appreciations OF the
cowboy from the man who spent so many
years of his life in the saddle.
The charm of his character and the
adventures of his early life are apparent
from the autobiography Mr.: SplaWn
later gained a wide reputation as Il
stockman and held many positions OF
trust and honor in his county, among
them the first mayor of North Yakima
under the commission form or govern
ment, president of the State Fair. ana
livestock commissioner Tor the state III
the San Francisco exposition