VOL. 12
JULY 1, 1910.
NO. 51
Recording Languages.
To prepare a grammar of the 'lang
uages spoken by each tribe of Indians in
the Pacific Northwest, and which will
he deposited in the archives of the
Smithsonian Institution at Washington,
Dr. Leo J. Frachtenburg arrived in
Portland yesterday on his second-journey
to the wigwams of the original
Americans. Dr. Frachtenburg conducts
his studies while living among the In
dian?, if he finds it impossible to induce
them to come to him, and has become
;in expert in a number of the tongues,
neprl bv the rod men.
He srent last year among the Co s
tribe of Indians, and made the discov
erv that thooe Indians have a large
claim against both the state of Oregon
find the Government of the United
which would enrioh the living
numbers of the tribe hevond their
t'randppt drearm of wealth if it could
r,e collected.
When seen at the Hotel Portland,
r. Frachtenburg said:
The Srnifbuonian Institution hap
' tnerl it wipe to gather and nreserve
,hp langnnrrrp 0f tbp American Tndianp.
V(1 l'np detailed a number of men to
that work. This is my second trip to
Oregon, as I spent last year with the
Coos Indians.
"We have been engaged in the work
for a number of years- and probably
will complete the Pacific Northwest
division in 1911. I not on'lv learn the
language of the tribe with which I am
working, but prepare a grammar which
is to be preserved along with a historv
of the tribe and the great events in
which its mmbers participated. These
become available to the neople through
members of Congress, who can obtain
them a other public documents are
secured.
"Thic vear I will begin with he Mo
lal'a trihp, which i naotioiHv extinct.
T have information -of onlv three living
members. Thv are Wolalla TCafe
Williams, who lives on the iletz Reser
vation; Molalla tTnrv, at. Oregon C!itv,
and tevpns lavage, residing somewhere
on Xortb Rivr. T will endeavor to
get one or more of these Indians, who
speak good Fnglisb, to translate for me
and will prepare n report after carefully
cboeking the information with othr In
dian? of the same trihe. After finishing
(Tontinnei on paeR.-)