The Nespelem tribune. [volume] (Nespelem, Wash.) 1934-1936, 1934-11-21

OU 1llllSS GlldG 1llSIlG.
I think it was in 1902 or '03 that
the interior department. ruled that
the Indians were to send their
children over to Fort Miles to school
and to close the Indian school at
Nespelem. It was simply freak
order from Washington, made like
ly by one of the officials who did
not know the condition of the In
dams or of the country. Thomas
McCrossin was in charge here at
that time, good fair man. He
knew it was not for the best, either
for the Indian children or their
parents.
Visualize it yourself. You live at
Nespelem, you are ordered to take
your children of school age SO miles
east and leave them there for the
winter. Between your home and
them is so miles of Cat that tirne)
mountainous wilderness. There was
a sort of a trail but hardly pass
able road over the mountains to the
San Poll and Keller, the old Cache
creek trail or road. With snow
from one to four feet deep winters
and zero weather, it was a hardship
to be thus separated both for par
ents and children.
Of course the commissary pro-
vided rations as required no matter
where the Indians were located. Nc
Crossin could only see order carried
out, but he did it unwillingly.
Joseph advised his people to dis
regard the order. I was in Mr..
Couplings store one afternoon, get
ting supplies. This and Mr..
Daugherty's store were the only ones
here then. McCrossin had a round
florid face. I noticed he had a
! shoulder holster on with probably a
six shooter under his left arm. A
young Indian women, speaking good
English was evidently blaming him
for another order which was that,
''The rations being drawn by the
parents obeying Joseph's order,
were to be cut off, She said, "Your
face is round and fat. You have
plenty Muck-a-muck. We starve"
However he was not to blame. He
wished to be fair with whites and
reds.
The next summer, when my wife
| and I were on a short vacation, on
| a Occur d'Alene lake boat, we met
a government agent and his wife,
| who, hearing me talking to Captain
Mcdonald about the reservation,
where I met him in 1900, came up
and introduced himself and wife,
saying he was going over to Mes
pelem SOON to check up the books
of Mr.. McCrossin, and asked me
many questions regarding the res
ervation. He had just returned he
said from New Mexico and Arizona.
I told him we had good man and
gave no one black eye. AS soon
as could get pen and paper I
wrote Mr.. McCroSsin letter tell
ing him to get his books ready for
the Big Shot was coming. Mac new
err forgot that and was very CRATE
full to me. This official and his
wife were from New England, both
highly cultured and entertaining
people.
Joseph made one trip to Wash
| ington from here, and returned
| looking worn and weary bowed. His
health and strength were leaving
him. He spent much of his time
in his camp on the west side of the
| Nespelem river.
In his talk once, with Mckinley,
Joseph gave the following parable
of how his land was taken by the
government. He said: "a man wants
to buy my horses. I say I no SELL
He goes to my neighbor and says,
Joseph has fine horses and I want
them but Joseph will not SELF and
my neighbor says, 7 will sell them
to you So he comes back to me
and says, 7 have bought your
horses"
September 2, in the afternoon, he
sat outside his teepee, looking