An illustrated history of Skagit and Snohomish Counties; their people, their commerce and their resources, with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 17

Author: Inter-state Publishing Company (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1172

USA > Washington > Skagit County > An illustrated history of Skagit and Snohomish Counties; their people, their commerce and their resources, with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 17
USA > Washington > Snohomish County > An illustrated history of Skagit and Snohomish Counties; their people, their commerce and their resources, with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 17

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"Towns, cach as yet little more than a claim and a name, but cach in the hope and firm belief of its founders destined to future greatness, were just started at Steilacoom, by Lafayette Balch; at Seattle, by Dr. E. S. Maynard, H. 1. Yesler and the Dennys; at Port Townsend, by F. W. Petty- grove and L. B. Hastings ; and at Bellingham bay, by Henry Roder and Edward Eldridge.

INTRODUCTORY

"Save the muddy track from the Cowlitz to Olympia and thence to Steilacoom, and a few local trails, roads there were none. Communication was chiefly by water, almost wholly in canoes manned by Indians. The monthly steamer from San Fran- cisco and a little river steamboat plying daily be- tween Vancouver and Portland alone vexed with their keels the mighty Columbia : while it was not until the next year that reckless. harum-scarum Captain Jack Scranton ran the Major Tompkins, a small black steamer, once a week around the sound. and had no rival. Here was this great wooded country, without roads, the unrivaled waterways without steamers, the adventurous, vigorous white population without laws, numerous tribes of Indians without treaties, and the Hudson's Bay Company's rights and possessions without settlement. To add to the difficulties and confusion of the situation. congress, by the Donation Acts, held ont a standing invitation to the American settlers to seize and settle upon any land, surveyed or unsurveyed, with- out waiting to extinguish the Indian title or define the lands guaranteed by solemn treaty to the for- eign company, and already the Indians and the Hudson's Bay Company were growing more and more restless and indignant at the encroachments of the pushing settlers upon their choice spots. Truly a situation frought with difficulties and dan- gers, where everything was to be done and nothing yet begun.

"It is a great but common mistake to suppose that the early American settlers of Washington were a set of lawless, rough and ignorant borderers. In fact, they compare favorably with the early set- tlers of any of the states. As a rule, they were men of more than average force of character, vigorous, honest, intelligent, law abiding and patriotic .- men who had brought their families to carve out homes in the wilderness, and many of them men of educa- tion and of standing in their former abodes. Among them could be found the best blood of New Eng- land, the sturdy and kindly yeomanry of Virginia and Kentucky, and men from all the states of the middle west from Ohio to Arkansas. Most of them had slowly wended their way across the great plains. overcoming every obstacle, and suffering untold privation ; others had come by sea around Cape Horn, or across the isthmus. They were all truc Americans, patriotic and brave, and filled with san- guine hope of, and firm faith in, the future growth and greatness of the new country which they had come to make blossom like the rose."

Governor Stevens, in the proclamation by which he gave inception to the work of organizing the territory, designated January 30, 1854, as the day for electing a delegate to congress and a local legis- lature. Columbia Lancaster was the choice of the people for the difficult task of representing the young commonwealth in Washington. The legis- lature chosen at the same time convened, pursuant

to the governor's proclamation, on the ?? th of Feb- ruary ensuing and proceeded to transact such busi- ness and enact such laws as were necessary to put the territory on a fairly sound footing. The mes- sage of the governor was an able and statesmanlike paper. It gave a glowing description of the unde- veloped resources and commercial importance of the territory: referred to the unfortunate status of the public lands, arising out of the fact that In- (lian titles had not yet been extinguished and advised the memorializing of congress concerning the con- struction of needed public highways, the surveying of lands, certain amendments to the land law, the early settlement of the San Juan dispute and the extinguishment of the Hudson's Bay and Puget Sound Agricultural Companies' titles to certain lands claimed by them under the Treaty of Limits. The message also called the attention of the legisla- ture to the necessity of providing a public school system and an efficient militia organization.

Soon after the adjournment of the legislature, which acted in harmony with the foregoing sug- gestions from the executive, Governor Stevens set out for Washington city that he might report in person on the survey of the northern route and press upon the attention of congress certain matters re- lating to Indian affairs, the northern boundary and the quieting of the government title to lands. He, with the help of Lancaster and Delegate Lane of Oregon, secured "an appropriation of thirty thousand dollars for the construction of what was known as the Mullan road from the Great Falls of the Missouri via Coeur d'Alene lake to Walla Walla : of twenty-five thousand dollars for the con- struction of a military road from The Dalles of the Columbia to Fort Vancouver; of thirty thousand for a road from Fort Vancouver to Fort Steila- coom ; and eighty-nine thousand dollars for light- houses at various points on the coast. Liberal provision was made for the Indian service, in which was included the sum of one hundred thousand to enable Governor Stevens to treat with the Black- feet and other tribes in the north and east portions of the territory."

Governor Stevens lost no time after his return to Washington territory, in using the funds and the authority bestowed on him for the purpose of ac- complishing one of the main features of his Indian policy,-the extinguishment of the Indian title to lands. Without pausing to narrate the story of his negotiations with the Sound tribes, let us follow him in his trip to the Walla Walla valley, under- taken for the purpose of inducing, if possible, the vigorous and independent tribes of the interior to treat. He had sent runners to these various bands, apprising them of the intended council and inviting all to be present. At the suggestion of Kamiakin, head chief of the Yakimas, a spot in the Walla Walla valley, which had been used by the Indians

EARLY DAYS OF WASHINGTON

as a council ground from time immemorial, was chosen as the site of this conference also.

Early in May the governor set out for the ap- pointed rendezvous. At The Dalles he found General Joel Palmer, who was to represent Oregon in the negotiations, awaiting him. The general was faithless of a successful issue of the undertak- ing. "So doubtful," wrote Governor Stevens in his diary, "did General Palmer consider the whole matter of the council, that it was only the circum- stance of a military force being despatched which determined him to send to the treaty ground pres- ents to the Indians. He stated to me that he had concluded to send up no goods; but, the escort having been ordered, he would send up his goods. At this time the Oregon officers expected little from the council, and evidently believed that the whole thing was premature and ill-advised."

The escort referred to was sent by Major C. J. Rains, and consisted of a detachment of forty sol- liers under Lieutenant Archibald Gracie. With the command was Lawrence Kip, whose diary pre- sents an interesting account of the external and some of the internal happenings of this strange con- vention in the wilderness.

Stevens reached the council grounds May 21st. Two days later came Lieutenant Gracie with his soldiers. At that time no Indians were in sight. but the next day came the Nez Perces rushing to the rendezvous with impetuous speed, decked out in gorgeous attire and riding ponies painted and caparisoned in accord with their savage notions of style. Upon their arrival and appearance, Kip thus comments in his diary :

Thursday, May 24th. This has been an exceedingly interesting day, as about twenty-five hundred of the Nez Perce tribe have arrived. It was our first specimen of this prairie chivalry, and it certainly realized all our concep- tions of these wild warriors of the plains. Their coming was announced about ten o'clock, and going out on the plains to where a flagstaff had been erected, we saw them approaching on horseback in one long line. They were almost entirely naked, gandily painted and decorated with their wild trappings. Their plumes fluttered about them, while below, skins and trinkets of all kinds of fantastic embellishments flaunted in the sunshine. Trained from early childhood, almost, to live upon horseback, they sat upon their fine animals as if they were centaurs. Their horses, too, were arrayed in the most glaring finery. They were painted with such colors as formed the greatest con- trast : the white being smeared with crimson in fantastic figures, and the dark colored streaked with white clay. Beads and fringes of gaudy colors were hanging from the bridles, while the plumes of eagle feathers interwoven with the mane and tail fluttered as the breeze swept over them, and completed their wild and fantastic appearance.

When about a mile distant they halted, and half a dozen chiefs rode forward and were introduced to Gov- ernor Stevens and General Palmer, in order of their rank. Then on came the rest of the wild horsemen in single file, clashing their shields, singing and beating their drums as they marched past us. Then they formed a circle and dashed around us, while our little group stood there, the center of their wild evolutions. They would gallop up as if about to make a charge, then wheel round and round, sounding their loud whoops until they had apparently

worked themselves up into an intense excitement. Then some score or two dismounted, and forming a ring, danced for about twenty minutes, while those surrounding them beat time on their drums. After these performances, more than twenty of the chiefs went over to the tent of Governor Stevens, where they sat for some time, smoking the pipe of peace, in token of good fellowship, and then returned to their camping ground.

Saturday, May 26th, came the Cayuses, about three hundred in number, according to Kip. "They came in whooping and singing in the Indian fashion, and after circling round the camp of the Nez Perces two or three times, they retired to form their own at some little distance." Next day be- ing Sunday, a religions meeting was held by the Nez Perces, Timothy preaching. Stevens attended. "Timothy." observed he. "has a natural and grace- ful delivery, and his words were repeated by a prompter. The Nez Perces have evidently profited much from the labors of Mr. Spalding, who was with them ten years, and their whole deportment throughout the service was devout."

Monday, May 28th, the governor sent A. J. Bolon to meet the Yakimas, and from this emissary. who soon returned, he learned that Peo-peo-mox- mox was professedly friendly. That chief, together with Kamiakin and two subchiefs of the Yakimas. with a following of their men, soon came up and shook hands cordially with the commissioners, re- fusing. however, to receive tobacco from the whites.

.At two o'clock on the following afternoon the council opened, but nothing was done further than to organize and swear in the interpreters. The council convened again on the 30th at one P. M. "It was a striking scene," wrote Kip. "Directly in front of Governor Stevens' tent, a small arbor had been erected, in which, at a table, sat several of his party taking notes of everything said. In front of the arbor on a bench sat Governor Stevens and General Palmer, and before them, in the open air, in concentric semicircles were arranged the Indians, the chiefs in the front ranks in the order of their dignity, while the background was filled with women and children. The Indians sat on the ground (in their own words), 'reposing on the bosom of their great mother.' There were proba- bly one thousand present at a time. After smoking for half an hour (a ceremony which with them precedes all business), the council was opened by a short address by General Palmer. Governor Stevens then rose and made a long speech, setting forth the object of the council and what was de- sired of them. As he finished each sentence, the interpreter repeated it to two of the Indians who announced it in a loud voice to the rest-one in the Nez Perce and the other in the Walla Walla lan- guage. This process necessarily canses business to move slowly."

In such tedious manner the patient and pains- taking Stevens explained the treaties he wished the Indians to sign, clause by clause and item by item.

INTRODUCTORY

At this stage of the negotiations the commissioners contemplated two reservations,-one in the Nez Perce country for the Nez Perces, Walla Wallas. C'avuses, Umatillas and Spokanes ; one on Yakima river for the Yakimas, Palonses, Klickitats and other bands. Two days were consumed by the long speeches of the commissioners upon the various provisions of the treaty and the price offered by the government. The third (Friday) was at the re- qttest of Young Chief, given up for a holiday, but the Indians who theretofore had indulged freely every evening after adjournment of the council in sports of all kinds, remained quiet all that day, no (loubt deliberating upon the proposals of the com- missioners, and in the case of the Cayuses at least planning mischief.

The next day, they met as usual. After some further talk upon the treaties the commissioners urged the Indians to speak their minds freely, and some short speeches were made in opposition to parting with the lands. The speech of Peo-peo-mox- mox was especially noteworthy as a sarcastic ar- raignment of the whites, a delicate intimation of his distrust of the commissioners and an expression of reluctance to accept goods in payment for the carth.

That evening. Lawyer, head chief of the Nez Perces, came to Governor Stevens with informa- tion of a vile plot and a suggestion as to how it should be averted. Having become suspicious that mischief was brewing in the camp of the Cayuses, he sent a spy to discover their plot, and by this means found that for several nights the Cayuses had been considering the advisability of falling upon and massacring all the whites on the council ground. They had, on the day Young Chief had secured for a holiday, definitely determined to strike as soon as the consent of the Yakimas and Walla Wallas could be obtained. The massacre was to form the initial blow of a war of extermination against the white race, the second act of hostility planned being the surprise and capture of the post at The Dalles. "I will come with my family," said Lawyer, "and pitch my lodge in the midst of your camp, that those Cayuses may see that you and your party are under the protection of the head chief of the Nez Perces." By so doing, Lawyer averted the danger to Stevens, his party and gnard, for the treacherous plotters were well aware that an attack on the whites could hardly be made without the killing of one or more of the Nez Perce defenders, and a consequent war with that numerous and powerful tribe. Hav- ing quietly caused the arms of the whites to be put in readiness against a possible attack. Governor Stevens proceeded with his council. Monday, June 4th, was consumed for the most part in Indian speech-making, but during the next day the commis- sioners were again the principal orators. Steachus, the friendly Cayuse, in a short speech, declared his unwillingness to be removed wholly from his own

country and stated that his heart was in one of the three places, the Grand Ronde, the Touchet and the Tucanon.

As affording a glimpse of the inner workings of the council, Kip's report of the proceedings of Thursday, June 4th, is here reproduced :

Thursday, June 7th. Mr. MeKay took breakfast with

ns. lle is the son of the old Indian hunter so often men- tioned in Irving's "Astoria," and whose name is identified with pioneer life in this region.

The council met to-day at 12, and I went into the arbor and, taking my seat at the reporter's table, wrote some of the speeches delivered. There is, of course, in those of the Indians, too much repetition to give them fully, but a few extracts may show the manner in which those wearisome meetings were conducted day after day.

Governor Stevens .- "My brothers, we expect . to have your hearts to-day. Let us have your hearts straight out." Lawyer, the old Nez Perce chief .- The first part of his speech was historical, relating to the discovery of this country by the Spaniards, which is a favorite topic with the Indian orators. In course of it he thus narrates the story of Columbus and the egg, which he had heard from some of the missionaries :

"One of the head of the court said, 'I knew there was such a country.' Columbus, who had discovered it, said, 'Can you make an egg stand on its end?' He tried to make the egg stand, but could not do it. He did not understand how. It fell over. Columbus then showed them all that he could make it stand. He sat it down and it stood. lle knew how, and after they saw it done they could do it." He thus described the manner in which the tribes of the East receded at the approach of the whites :

"The red man traveled away farther, and from that time they kept traveling away farther, as the white people came up with them. And this man's people (pointing to a Delaware Indian who was one of the interpreters) are from that people. They have come on from the Great Lake where the sun rises, until they are near us now, at the setting sun. And from that country, somewhere from the center, came Lewis and Clark, and that is the way the white people traveled and came on here to my forefathers. They passed through our country, they became acquainted our country and all our streams, and our forefathers used them well, as well as they could, and from the time of Columbus, from the time of Lewis and Clark, we have known you, my friends; we poor people have known you as brothers."

He concluded by expressing his approval of the treaty, only urging that the whites should act toward then in good faith.

Governor Stevens .- "We have now the hearts of the Nez Perces through their chief. Their hearts and our hearts are one. We want the hearts of the other tribes through their chiefs."

Young Chief, of the Cayuses. (He was evidently opposed to the treaty but grounded his objections on two arguments. The first was, they had no right to sell the ground which God had given for their support unless for some good reason.)-"I wonder if the ground has any- thing to say. I wonder if the ground is listening to what is said. I wonder if the ground would come alive and what is on it. Though I hear what the ground says. The ground says, 'It is the Great Spirit that placed me here. The Great Spirit tells me to take care of the Indians, to feed them aright. The Great Spirit appointed the roots to feed the Indians on.' The water says the same thing : 'The Great Spirit directs me. Feed the Indians well.' The grass says the same thing: 'Feed the horses and cattle.' The ground, water and grass say. The Great Spirit has given us our names. We have these names and hold these names. Neither the Indians nor whites have a right to change these names.' The ground says, 'The

GOVERNOR ISAAC INGALLS STEVENS (First Governor of Washington Territory)

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR, LENOX TILDEN ENUNDATIONS

EARLY DAYS OF WASHINGTON

Great Spirit has placed me here to produce all that grows on me, trees and fruit.' The same way the ground says, 'It was from me man was made.' The Great Spirit, in placing men on the earth, desired them to take good care of the ground and to do each other no harm. The Great Spirit said, 'You Indians who take care of certain por- tions of the country should not trade it off except you get a fair price.' "

The other argument was that he could not understand clearly what they were to receive.

"The Indians are blind. This is the reason we do not see the country well. Lawyer sees clear. This is the reason why I don't know anything about this country. ] do not see the offer you have made to us yet. If I had the money in my hand 1 should sec. I am, as it were, blind. I am blind and ignorant. I have a heart, but can- not say much. This is the reason why the chiefs do not understand each other right, and stand apart. Although I see your offer before me, I do not understand it and I do not yet take it. I walk, as it were, in the dark, and cannot therefore take hold of what I do not see. Lawyer sees and he takes hold. When I come to understand your propositions, I will take hold. I do not know when. This is all I have to say."

Five Crows, of the Walla Wallas .- "I will speak a few words. My heart is the same as Young Chief's."

General Palmer .- "We know no chief among the Walla Wallas but Peo-peo-mox-mox. If he has anything to say we will be pleased to hear it."

Peo-peo-mox-mox .- "I do not know what is straight. I do not see the offer you have made to the Indians. I never saw these things which are offered by my great father. My heart cried when you first spoke to me. I felt as if I was blown away like a feather. Let your heart be to separate as we are and appoint some other time. We shall have no bad mind. Stop the whites from coming up here until we have this talk. Let them not bring their axes with them. The whites may travel in all directions through our country ; we will have nothing to say to them, provided they do not build houses on our lands. Now I wish to speak about Lawyer. I think he has given his lands. That is what I think from his words. I request another meeting. It is not in one meeting only that we can come to a decision. If you come again with a friendly message from our great father. I shall see you again at this place. To-morrow I shall see you again, and to-mor- row evening I shall go home. This is all I have to say."

General Palmer .- "I want to say a few words to these people, but before I do so. if Kamiakin wants to speak, I would be glad to hear him."

Kamiakin, Yakima chief .- "I have nothing to say."

General Palmer .- "I would inquire whether Peo-peo- mox-mox or Young Chief has spoken for the Umatillas? I wish to know, further, whether the Umatillas are of the same heart."

Owhi, Umatilla chief .- "We are together and the Great Spirit hears all that we say to-day. The Great Spirit gave us the land and measured the land to us; this is the reason I am afraid to say anything about the land. 1 am afraid of the laws of the Great Spirit. This is the reason of my heart being sad. This is the reason 1 eannot give yon an answer. I am afraid of the Great Spirit. Shall I steal this land and sell it? or what shall I do? This is the reason why my heart is sad. The Great Spirit made our friends, but the Great Spirit made our bodies from the earth, as if they were different from the whites. What shall I do? Shall I give the land which is a part of my body and leave myself poor and destitute? Shall I say I will give you my lands ? I cannot say so. I am afraid of the Great Spirit. I love my life. The reason why I do not give my land away is, I am afraid I will be sent to hell. I love my friends. I love my life. This is the reason why I do not give my land away. I have one word more to say. My people are far away. They do not know your words. This is the reason I cannot give

you an answer. I show you my heart. This is all I have to say."

Governor Stevens .- "How will Kamiakin of Schoom speak ?"

Kamiakin .- "What have I to be talking about ?"

General Palmer .- "We have listened and heard our chiefs speak. The hearts of the Nez Perces and ours are one. The Cayuses, the Walla Wallas and the other tribes say they do not understand us. We were in hopes we should have but one heart. Why should we have more than one heart? Young Chief says he does not know what we propose to him. Peo-peo-mox-mox says the same. Can we bring these saw mills and these grist mills on our backs to show these people? Can we bring these black- smith shops, these wagons and tents on our backs to show them at this time? Can we cause fields of wheat and corn to spring up in a day that we may see them? Can we build these schoolhouses and these dwellings in a day? Can we bring all the money that these things will cost, that they may see it? It would be more than all the horses of any one of these tribes could carry. It takes time to do these things. We come first to see you and make a bargain. We brought but few goods with us. But what- ever we promise to give you, you will get.

"Ilow long will these people remain blind? We come to try to open their eyes. They refuse the light. I have a wife and children. My brother here has the same. I have a good house, fields of wheat. potatoes and peas. Why should I wish to leave them and come so far to see you? It was to try to do you good. but you throw it away. Why is it that you do so? We all sometimes do wrong. Sometimes because our hearts are bad, and sometimes be- cause we have bad counsel. Your people have sometimes done wrong. Our hearts have cried. Our hearts still ery. But if you will try to do right, we will try to forget it. How long will you listen to this bad counsel and refuse to receive the light? I, too, like the ground where I was born. I left it because it was for my good. I have come a long way. We ask you to go but a short distance. We do not come to steal your land. We pay you more than it is worth. There is the Umatilla valley, that affords a little good land between two streams and all around it is a parched-up plain. What is it worth to you? What is it worth to us? Not half what we have offered you for it. Why do we offer so much? Because our great father told us to take care of his red people. We come to you with his message to try to do you good," etc., etc.

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An illustrated history of Skagit and Snohomish Counties; their people, their commerce and their resources, with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 17

Author: Inter-state Publishing Company (Chicago, Ill.) Publication date: 1906 Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1172

Author: Inter-state Publishing Company (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1172