Part 3
Mrs. Jennie R. Nichols, of Tacoma, Wash., Field Worker of the American Humane Society, attended the National Parent-Teachers' Association at Madison, Wisconsin, during Rose Moon. The result of Mrs. Nichols' ten days effort with that body may be summarized thus: A speech before the Assembly which aroused intense interest. Getting through a resolution placing this great body of 100,000 educators solidly back of humane education. A Board of Managers in this Department of Education, Mrs. Nichols, chairman. The newly elected President of the Association pledged her support of this new Departure, realizing that such education means the elimination of much crime and all around better citizenship. Mrs. Nichols' accreditation as the most active field humane worker in the United States is borne out by the success of her indefatigable efforts at the great Madison Convention, was loyally supported by Mrs. C. A. Varney, President of the Washington State Parent-Teachers' Association.
Since Indian children are more in attendance at our public schools each succeeding year, this new feature of humane education is bound to have telling effect on the minds of the youth of the First Americans.
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Out on a rock crowned desert mountain in the Okanogan country, far from water lies the shriveled form of a coyote with one foot clamped in the rusted jaws of a Government trap. The chain, with its triple flukes anchored to a sage brush, is taut and twisted, attesting the awful strugglings of the animal before death came to its release. Trapped in mid-summer, the agony of that coyote can not be imagined, as day after day passed with the scorching rays of a hell-sizzling sun beating down upon it. Obviously a war of extermination against certain predatory animals is justifiable, but there is nothing more brutal than the modern methods of trapping. Notwithstanding, we have the amazing spectacle of Dr. William T. Hornaday, naturalist, advocating that this brutalizing pursuit be taken up by the Boy Scouts; and the suggestion is sanctioned by the executive board of that fine organization. God created man and all kinds of animal life, but he did not create the steel trap.
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The catch of salmon at Top-tut, now known as Prosser, on the Yakima river this year was unusually heavy. Under the Treaty of 1855, it would appear that the right to take fish at this, their ancient fishing grounds, is assured the Indians, but a State law interferes and the authorities tacitly permitted the Yakimas a certain number of days in which to catch and cure a winter's supply of this, their favorite food. The fish is both dried and salted. It is hoped that the next legislature will restore to the Yakimas their right to fish at Top-tut, built especially for them in the beginning by Speelyi.
The State Federation of Women's Clubs, meeting in convention at Wenatchee, Wash., June 1920, unanimously passed resolutions requesting the coming legislature to enact some measure which will permit the Yakimas to take fish hereafter unmolested at Top-tut during the salmon season.
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Pursuant to a recent ordinance passed by the City Commission of Yakima, no dog is to bark, no cow to moo nor rooster to crow within the corporate limits after night fall, under penalty of a fine not to exceed $100 with possible imprisonment. The next sane move is to enact a tamanawit against the cooing of babies and the early carol of robin red breast. The dulcet yodel of the tom cat, the musical purr of the open muffler and the rhythmical chime of the flat car wheel is symphony plenty a-nuff for the city denizens.
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ONE WAY OF LOOKING AT IT
Help on the Yakima Reservation has been extremely scarce during the harvest season this year. A rancher came to Wapato and entering a pool room saw two young Indians taking life easy. He accosted them, enquiring if they wanted work, offering them substantial wages if they would help him a few days. The Indians exchanged glances and one of them spoke: "No! you white people came here, we did not want you. You made all this work, all this trouble. You can do the work yourselves; it is your business."
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"=Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.=" (Matthew 25-40.)
But Matthew, like James was only writing the words of the Master long before Columbus discovered America, before the Injun was even thought of, maybe invented.
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THE SERPENT'S SLIMY TRAIL
A favorite method of swindling is to inveigle the Indian into encumbering an allotment with a mortgage which will seldom if ever be redeemed, thus obtaining the land by foreclosure. The following gives an inkling to this mode of "stalking" by the financial gun-man.
CENTRAL BANK OF TOPPENISH
Mrs. Lucy James Toppenish, Wash., July 2, 1920.
Harrah, Wash.
Dear Madam:
I note that you have received and recorded Patent in Fee to your allotment in section 27-11-18 near Harrah, and in this connection, wish to advise that if you desire to either borrow money on the property or sell the same, we would be pleased to talk with you at any time it is convenient.
We are in a position to place suitable farm loans for three or five years at favorable rates of interest with prompt service.
Awaiting the opportunity of serving you, I am
Sincerely yours,
H. B. MILLER, Cashier.
Mrs. James' deed was filed for record June 29, 1920. Her "friend" lost no time in his offer of financial assistance (?). Nasty intrigue. Mr. H. M. Gilbert is President of the Central Bank of Toppenish.
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"Let the white man get all the water he can in this life, for he is going where it is awfully hot and dry."--=Louis Mann= in =The Continued Crime Against The Yakimas=.
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"Water is Life. =Tahoma=, the =Big White Mountain! the= source of water. When I die, the Earth will take care of my body."
=Chief Sluskin=, the Yakima.
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WATCHMAN, WHAT OF THE NIGHT?
Hon. Cato Sells recently visited the Yakima Indian Reservation ostensibly in the interest of the Indian, but so far as can be learned no Indian was consulted, no tribesman invited to council, none permitted to air their many just grievances. None knew of his coming and but few learned of his going, and this, through a few friendly whites. Perhaps the Commissioner had not the time to devote to his Red Wards. Banquets with officials and speculators in Indian lands could not be foregone. In Toppenish a few of the Yakimas were informed of the stranger's personnel as he and his "escorts," or "body guard," as one observer commented, stepped into the Agency car and was whirled away. One of the tribesmen exclaimed:
"What does this mean? Why does our Commissioner do this thing? I thought he was =our= commissioner, to look after =us=. What is he here for? What is he doing? I know some of those men with him. I know who they are, what they are doing to the Injuns. We want to tell Mr. Sells something about how we are treated, how we are robbed, but Mr. Carr keeps him from us. Why is this? What is wrong with Mr. Sells."
Let Mr. Cato Sells explain his course to this untutored Yakima.
There is "something rotten in Denmark" when an Indian who has a thousand dollars due him at the Agency is compelled to borrow fifty dollars with which to purchase grain sacks before he can thrash his wheat crop.
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"=It is Hell to be an Injun!=" was the rueful self diagnosis of a Yakima allottee as he dejectedly surveyed his torn hog fence and ruined garden, ground and demolished by one of the Government dredges. The crew, finding a bridge on the public road possibly unsafe, had, without consulting the Indian or asking his permission, opened his fence, entered his premises with the many toned machine, passed over a part of his garden, obliterating it, leaving the fence broken permitting his hogs to scatter at large. The Indian was not aware of this occurrence until hours afterwards when he found his hogs wandering on the highway. When the dredge-crew was spoken to he was referred to the Indian Farmer. When this official was approached, he was referred to the Agency Superintendent. Appealing to this worthy, he was informed that he "knew nothing about it." And yet it is expected of the Indian that he be law abiding, show love and reverence for the Flag and the Government--to lick the hand that vivisects him. Surely it is "Hell to be an Injun."
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THAT SAWMILL
The Yakima Indian Reservation has timber valued at more than three million dollars, and yet the Yakimas have no way of making domestic or commercial use of this wealth. Building material must be obtained from local dealers at high cost. The saw mill built by the Government in compliance with treaty stipulations, burned more than a quarter century ago "under very suspicious circumstances," so the Indians declare, and has never been replaced. Under date of April 26, 1909, Mr. C. F. Hauke, Chief Clerk of the Indian Office, in answer to an inquiry, wrote Louis Mann: "The sawmill is to be put into shape for operation at an early date." No move has ever been made to redeem that "black and white" promise. It will be remembered that at that time the Department was over anxious to secure Yakima signatures which would permit the looting of the tribesmen to the tune of undetermined millions. The signatures were not forthcoming and the sawmill promise turned out to be another Indian Bureau fabrication.
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It should redound to the credit of the Yakima Indians who refused to accompany the Pack Train under the supervision of Head Packer Anderson, who served the Mountaineer Club on its outing in the Olympic Mountains this season. Anderson packed for the Club in its tour of Tahoma last year, with three or four Yakimas and their horses. The Indians, usually considered hard horse masters, got their fill of Anderson's mode of over-loading and driving the long stretches of steep and rugged trail, ofttimes occupying seventeen hours without food or rest. The horses, with raw and sore backs, staggered under stacks of dunnage, leaving the trail red with blood from their worn and unshod feet. The personal effects of preachers, professors and teachers were included in those packs. On a previous outing of the Club, Anderson's packers mutinied. The Mountaineers are winning an unenviable reputation for this brutal treatment of its yearly pack-train. What is the Washington State Humane Bureau for that it does not interfere with this lawless disregard of the humane laws?
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:
Text in bold is enclosed with equals signs: =bold=.
Text in italics is enclosed with underscores: _italics_.
Obvious typographical errors have been corrected as follows:
Page 3: expalnation changed to explanation malined changed to maligned summarly changed to summarily gally changed to galley volumnous changed to voluminous oftimes changed to ofttimes potage changed to pottage Page 4: imbittered changed embittered Page 5: consumation changed to consummation wonton changed to wanton connivence changed to connivance on changed to one into changed to in two Page 6: leassors changed to lessors Man changed to Mann refered changed to referred redown changed to redound Page 7: Appropose changed to Apropos refered changed to referred grabbe changed to grab couds changed to clouds tao changed to to dont changed to don't Page 9: journalo f changed to journal of siezure changed to seizure Page 10: compeled changed to compelled Page 11: alhtough changed to although Page 12: incured changed to incurred compeling changed to compelling Appropose changed to Apropos Page 13: useing changed to using Ripirian changed to Riparian Irregating changed to Irrigating assesment changed to assessment useing changed to using Interferreing changed to Interfering Sincerey changed to Sincerely ennter changed to enter Ripirian changed to Riparian Page 14: Irregation changed to Irrigation Irregate changed to Irrigate Dont changed to Don't useing changed to using ue changed to me seal changed to steal con changed to can Page 16: hinderance changed to hindrance pappoose changed to papoose Page 17: effiency changed to efficiency beief changed to belief Page 18: bessing changed to blessing regretable changed to regrettable liviing changed to living Page 19: oftimes changesd to ofttimes outroight changed to outright deelgation changed to delegation resutl changed to result summerized changed to summarize Page 20: reelase changed to release rythmical changed to rhythmical Page 21: rceorded changed to recorded tribesfan changed to tribesman timet o changed to time to Page 22: oftimes changed to ofttimes sevetneen chenged to seventeen
End of Project Gutenberg's The Discards, by Lucullus Virgil McWhorter