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ASTORIA. OREGON:
O. C. IREIAXI Ertilor.
-FRIDAY MAitCU 7. 1879
Appropriations for River and Har
' bor Improvements on th.Q
Pacific Cout.
Dispatches
from Washington,
lirfnrl March 3d, state
that the
river and harbor bill as passed by
'the senate provides that the follow-in"-
increase in the amounts grant
ed by the house for thq Pacific
coast imprevements: Sacramento
river, insreased from S,000 to the
full amount of the department
estimate. Canal and Locks at the
Cascades of the Columbia from
-$50,000 to $100,'. 00. For improv
ing Coos Bay entrance and harbor
increased from -10,000 to 800,000.
The following sums were inserted
by the senate. For the commence--nient
of a brake water and harbor
of refuge at such point between
San Francisco, Cal., and tho Straits I
of Fuca as a majority of the board
of engineers for the Pacific coast
may determine, the ireneral and
"local interest of commerce being
considered, 8150,000: to continue
the survey and tidal observations
at the bar of the Columbia river,
5,000. The senate also reported
new items providing for accurate
hurveys of Alsea harbor and bar
and the Umpqua river. Other
Pacific coast items in the house
bill remain unchanged, except that
on motion of Sargent, the senate
inserted the requirement that the
$0,000 granted for the continued
improvement of Oakland harbor
should be returned to the U. S.
treasury on the 1st day of next
July, unless the right of the estuary
and training walls be secured at
that time free of expense to the
.government, "by making the date
September 1st instead of July 1st.
The items which have been agreed
to by both houses, Willmington
liarbor, 812,000; lower Willamette
and Columbia rivers from Portland
to the sea, 845,000; Upper Vril
lamette, 82,000; Upper Columbia
and Snake rivers, 820,000, and also
-provides for a survey of Pstaluma
oreek and for a survey of the Col
ombia river at the Dalies, including
plans and specifications for locks
and a canal arcund said construc
tion The Mt)ral and Religious Aspect of
the Indian Question.
A Letter Addressed to General JoJm Eaton. De
partment of the Interior, liuieau of Educa
tion, WatJiinjton, D. C.
Olxky, Clatsop Co.. Orkgox, )
December 1, 1S78. j"
"Honoked Sir: 1 cannot at this
moment lay Jtuy hand on your let
ter, inviting correspondence with
myself, and others I might Jiame,
on the Indian question m our
country.
In looking over our daily 'Orego
nian of the 27th November, 1 find
.a short article if rem a gentleman
-from Umatilla, and, also the editor
of the Oregoiuans remarks on the
question, which I ta.ke the liberty
to forward to you with my views
.after a visit Gf several days during
the month of June of the present
jaar among the Nez Perces, and
at Walla Walla just at the com
mencement of wrut was called the
bannock -war which .should have
Heen called the Umatilla or Cayuse
war. Those Indians have for a
whole generation been, .trained by
their religious, .teachers to regard
the American settlers in Oregon as
intruders, thieves, and heretics
coming into their country to rob
-and destroy them.
While among the Nez Perces I
tfriade careful inquiries as to the
war witih .Joseph's band, and found
that the whole difficulty originated
in the sectarian sentiments incul-,-cat-ed
during the occasional visits
of the Jesuit Priests, and by
the supersticious worship of im
.ages extended to their medicine
men, now called drummers, in
cluding the impression that it
iwas of no ,use, for them to
go
upon the reservation, for If they
did. thev would not be allowed to
keen their homes or improvements,
as the heretics (Americans) would J
steal them irom them. j
Another fact I learned and was J
much surprised to find that the
Quaker policy or experiment of ;
rivinodifiVrnfc trihps nf Tnrlinns i
" "n I . ,. . ,
to tJie exclusive religious teach-; military post. One of the Law
ing of different sects, was being yers sons is now a licensed Pres
wantonly violated by the estab- j byterian preacher having received
lishmentof what is termed a Catho- most of his education from Rev. II.
lie mission, about ten or twelve
nines irom tne iez rerces agency
on the reservation which 1 was
careful to visit, and found a respec
table sized church building, sur-
rounded by a picket fence, and on
entering, by invitation of a man ;
called Father Morillo, a Nez Perces
nnoiiisr. we unmet a raimior with
banisters extending through near j had the best improvements of any
the center of the building with a j natives in the country,
curtain suspended from the cei- Allow me to say, it was not dif
ling to the railing, and down to j ficult for me to draw from all
the floor cncli siii the altar, upon j parties, both white and Indians a
either side of which stood a male j full statement of their complaints
and a female imase, the female i and difficulties in reference to the
, -. --
having the image of an infant in
her arms, we were told was the
Viririn Mary with the infant Jesus
in her arms, and the
Joseph the husband
male was ,
of Alary.
Around the walls of the church ! teachers understand the Nez Per
wcrc numerous cheap pictures of jces language, could speak it read
men and women, said to be saints, ily and explain to the native pu
There was but a small effort at nils the meaning of every word in
cultivating
a garden
about the
. i
premises.
We learned while at Lewiston
that the contributions for the es
tablishment were received mostly
from that place; as an effort t .
head off the Protestant mission
among that tribe.
(Jn arriving at the place we
found no one about, till one,
who is called Father Morillo,
appeared as we were approach
ing the rear door to the
entrance of the church, who ook
us to the front door and led us to
the interior. While the curiosity
of our ladies and the two children
were being gratified, our guide
-
I appeared to be struck with horror
and the want oi reverence in be
holding the images and pictures,
he having crossed himself rever
ently on entering, and as we retired i
bowed his head to the floor, cross
ed himself and retired with us.
After examining the garden and
its vegetables, the ladies plucking
a few Sowers by permission of our
guide, we were invited into a log
house for a short rest.
The house appeared to be used
for a dining and sleeping apart
ment, with a kitchen and store
house. In a short time after en
tering the house, a dark looking
voung man, called Father Gazoli,
a roman patrician and doctor,
made his appearance. The old
French servant made an effort to
introduce us, but so indistinct or
embarrassed was he, that we did
not at the time catch his name.
The patrician or physician ap
peared not to be able to converse
with our party, as be apologized
by saying' he did not understand
the English language very well.
After remaining an hour or so at
the place, meeting nor seeing but
two Indian men no women we
proceeded on our return to the
agency.
We noticed quite .a number of
fence posts, and was informed that
fences had been made at govern
ment expense, und that the boards
had been removed by, nobody
could tell whom. There were no
signs of cultivation for several
miles, except at a place located by
a white man with a Nez Perce
wifftjlfll we reached Craigh's place
and a short distance below. From
thence down to the agency, we
were informed by tho Indians, that
they belonged to Mr. Spauldings
church, and were glad he had
taught them to cultivate their land
as well as his religion.
You will bear in mind, my dear
sir, that six years of my early life
in this country, from September
1836 to October 1842, was mostly
among the Nez Perces, Cayuses,
and a short time the Sjokanes and
Flatheads. That cur srisit among
them last June was partly in con
sequence of your inquiries on the
Indian question; to'learn from per
sonal observation and such infor
mation as I could gain from the
Indians -themselves, their enemies
and friends on the ground, to give
to you a more conclusive statement
on that question.
We. did not visit what is called
the Lawyers band, some sixty
. miles
above the agency, on the
Clearwater river; but from my
earlv nnd nprsnnnl nrnuaintance
with him. mid frnm friends and
enemies of his band, J learned that
his people had been true to our ;
American principles, and his band
had made equal if not more pro-!
in-eSs than the families located im- j
innrKanlir nU.f lm on-onnv nnrl i
" -j txuwuu uiv, "fo"v
H. Spauldrnsr. The Lawyer his
Indian name Ish-hol-hol-hoats
boats, he discarded, and chose the
name he received from the Ameri-
can hunters, with whom he was al-
ways a true friend. It was claimed
by "all whom I had conversation on
the subject, that the Lawyers peo-jhe
n n ww Un. Unat. mnnnni . :mn
.v V.. V HIV, www ,...w... --- I
Indians while with them.
In visiting the agency school cf
about fifty boys and srirls, we were
quite favorably impressed with
the manner of teaching. Both
. . .
both languages, and by this means
make the study of our language
an easy and an interesting exer
cise.
They all seem quite ready in re
citing, and interested in the school
and manual labor department con
ducted by the teachers for the
boys and girls.
At this point permit me to state
my experience, observation and
views of the policy of taking
native children from their tribe,
educating and returning them to
instruct and civilize their several
tribes, which I see is strong
ly Teeommended, and appear
to meet with favor.
We now turn to a net less im
portant subject, the education of
Indian children and youth. Edu
cational facilities have been con
siderably increased, and fifty boys
and girls selected from various
tribes have been sent to the Hamp-
ton Normal and Agricultural insti
tute in Virginia to secure
an
ele
mentary English education and
and practical instruction in farm
ing work, and to return to their
tribes after the completion of the
course. An increasing interest is
felt by the Indians in this course
of education, and they would sup
ply thousands of children could
they be provided for.
Before I became acquainted
with the natives of this country,
and the fact and result of taking
several active and intelligent boys
from this coast to Red river, giv
ing tliem a fair education, at least
such as would enable an Ameri
can boy to follow a respectable
calling" among his own people.
These Indian youths came back
to their own tribes, and I know of
but two boys, even among the
half natives ovho have risen to
commanding positions. These
were educated, one in Massachu
setts, the other in Maine. Of the
full natives taken from their people
as proposed and returned, not one
has met the expectations of his
benevolent friends and patrons.
I am not surprised at this result,
but am at the short sighted policy
that attempts at the .present day
to cary out so hopeless a plan in
reference to our Indian population.
In illustrating my views and
'bringing them to bear upon this
question of the special education
of Indian children, you will excuse
me when I say that having before
me in this country, flie result of
that experiment among the Indians
for many years, and having a young
family of my own, with no pros
pect of educe&ion half equal to that
of our own fireside; but by the
time our own were reaching the
period of intellectual development,
the socical surroundings were such
that the question came home to us
in this land; then so far distant
from educational privileges with
peculiar force.
We were prepared to educate
our own children to our own stand
ard. But how teas it with our
neighbors? Theirs must advance
with ours, or ours would descend
to theirs. The common school was
our only hope for all together, and
to-day, if- this coast has any thing
.it can-poiBilto with unalloyed sat-
jisfaction, it istlie high and noble
stand it took in sustainingits corn-
mon schools. Its children go from
us fearing they will fail to meet
the superior eaucanonai aavant-
ages of their kindred on the Atlan-
lie side of our country and return
bearing equal honors with their
onstern associates. ill it be thus
with the native children: the
answer comes back with the ex
perience of forty-three years by
.. ,
no means.
The surroundings of the native
child have been, and are to-day
such that he must descend to the
level of his people, or assume, as
he o-enerallv docs, an intolerable
and disgusting superiorilv over his
! hindred, losing all his influence,
disappoints the expectations of
ms lricnos in uiiwiuvu lhu l-uiiui
- x
tion of his tribe. As we proceed
with this question we will adduce
facts in proof of our position.
After visiting the school and
their farms and receiving a most
cordial greeting from all the old
and young natives during the week
-trays, we met a large number of
them on the Sabbath; during the
exercise, we were carried back to
the years of 1S3G-8 and 9, when
Rev. Mr. Spa ulding used to gather
them into his log church and
school-house, and teach them to
sing in their own language, the
songs he taught them. Not only
thisT but a young native, who had
been licensed to preach by the
Oregon presbytery, went into the
pulpit of the agency church, open
ed the exercises with a fervent
prayer, using a few but appropri
ate words in his own language,
which to in' surprise, having been
3G years absent from them, 1 could
fully understand; after which
a hymn in english was read and
sung by the whole audience of In
dians and employes of the agency.
He then opened Ins english testa
merit and read a few verses, turned
to his Nez Perce testament and
read the same in his own language,
as translated by Rev. Mr. and Mrs.
Spaulding. The subject of his
discourse was ''Salvation by Jesus
Christ alone," which he impressed
upon his crowded audience with
true native eloquence. After a
short prayer and singing, what ap
peared to be the regular exercises
of the morning service, to which
the older part of the audiencegave
the usual native assent naoh, for
amen.
Immediately after, several of the
old men and some ot the women
made remarks relative to the re
ligious views they entertained, be
fore Mr. and Mrs. Spaulding came
to teach them. They said they
were like people going in the dark,
they did not know where they were
going, but the talk of Mr. Spauld
ing and the books he gave them,
and what he showed them
about digging their lands, and
getting plenty to eat from it made
their hearts glad The general
opinion expressed was. that if they
continued to worship Jesus Christ
as God, and labor as Mr. Spauld
ing taught them, they would be
happy, have plenty to eat, and be
clothed, (we notice that all of them
had on American garments) that
they would be happy in the world
to come. The frequent allusion
to Rev. Mr. and Mrs Spaulding was
undoubtedly made from the fact
that my wife was with me on this
visit, and present, as we have been
with Mr. and Mrs. Spaulding in
the commencement of his mis
sion. Most of the speakers ex
pressed a wish through the inter
preter, Mr. P. Whitman to hear
what I had to say about them, and
requested Mr. Whitman to inter
pret for them what I said; which
was: That I knew they had many
friends who were pointing to the
improvements they had made, and
we had oome from our homes near
the salt water to see for ourselves.
We were glad to hear them speak,
and to see them, their children in
the school learning their books,
themselves witb good clothes,
plenty of food to eat and houses to
live in, and to hear them say they
still loved to worship tvnd pray to
tne savior ot us all. J knew they
had many enemies who would de
ceive them and try to make them
the enemies of those who were
trying to help them to become like
all honest, industrious and Jesus
Christ loving people. We were
glad to hear that their young men
were ready to go with their true
friend General Howard to punish
c..l, -fxL.V -I .
0 join them, and to do as we iiad
uvuyi tneir own people as reiusc
seen them doing work on their
larms.
They had good teachers sent to
them by their true friend, who were
ready to help and protect them. In
their speeches they alluded to their
condition when Mr. Spaulding
came to live with them.
We were glad to hear ihem say
that they had plenty of food now,
r t "
of their own raising, without going
to hunt the buffalo, and also Jo
see that they had been cultivating
their lands, so that the catching of
salmon by people oh the river be
low, would not make them starve,
as it did the rovirg Indians who
would not dig the giound, and get
from it a good living as thpy had
done, with plenty toe ell aiid buy
good clothes with, and look as they
did, like industrious, hone, christ
ian people. It made my heart glau
to see thorn with my own eyes,
and hear them speak as the' did,
with my own ears.
While visiting the old mission
house we had an interesting inter
view with a Miws Mt-Berh at the
Nez Perce agency. She- had a
class of Nez Perce young men
who were reading tin orWical
works in connection with "the
bible. She was quite as en
thusiastic and sanguine of her suc
cess in her efforts as are the Je
suits, juding from tln-ir writings.
Another interesting- fact I no
ticed on the Sahhath we were at
the agency, the heat of the sun was
about ninety degrees in the shade,
several of the natives escorted their
wives, as I did mine, under an um
brella to the church.
To bo Continued
3XAKRIED.
At Rainier, Orojion. Maivh X 1S79. ,y
Dean HInnelinrri. Counu J mine, Mr.
Michael Link to Mis Man A. Graham.
NEW ADVERTISEMENTS.
Private Boarding House-
MES.QUINN - - rittVPKIETOR.
"Will accommodate (lav boanlcrs or accom
modate any wilh board and lodjtintr.
Prices reasonable. In Imsiirs buildfnp.
Jefferson street, opposite WellI'argo & Co "5
Express oflice.
BOAT FOUND. A round bottom, double?
ender, which the owner can have by
proving property and paying chanres. Ap
ply within ten days. MAX WAGNE1L
Astoria. March 0. 1S71). 55-lwd
NOTICE. Notice is herein given, and all
persons hereby warned not to pay any
road tax to Thomas Lojran. :is the under
signed is the only authorized person to col
lect within the limits of this district and city.
71 F. WICKHAM.
5."5-3td Acting Supt. of Streets-
DK
J. O'BRIEN.
CURES BILLIOUS AND INTERMITTENT
FEVERS
With from one to three doses of lib harm
less medicine.
Also. Private diseases successfully treatc-d.
Office O'Brien's hotel. Astoria. Oregon.
WILLIAI3 EDGAR.
Corner Main and Chenamws Street,
ASTORIA OREGON-
DBVLKR IN
CIGARS AND TOBACCO,
AND THE GENUINE WOSTENHQLM
and other English Cutlery.
STATIONERY!
FAIRCHILD GOLD PENS
Genuine BleershaTini Pipes, etc.
A fine stoek of
Watches and Jewelry. 31-nzzle and
JSreeeli TiOadln; Sliot Ouiim.
Revolvers. Pistols. Parlor Killers
and Ammunition.
Wilsojj & Fisher
DKAT.EKS IX
LUBRICATING OILS, COAL OIL,
PAINTS AND OILS.
Sheet, Round, and Square Prepared
Rubber Packing.
PROVISIONS, MILL FEED,
GARDEN SEED, GRASS SEED.
Which will be exchanged for country pro
duce or sold at low est r rices .
Corner Chenamiis and Hamilton Street
ASTORIA, OREGON.
MRS. J. KELLT,
Lately of Portland, has set up a
Millinery and Fancy Goods
STORE IN ASTORIA.
All kinds of
I,ace, Frinpe, Velvets, and Btck
Trimmings.
All kinds of
EMBROIDERY TUCKINGS.
A nice assortment of
Woolen and Cotton Canvases ?md
Zephyrs, Silks, Ruchings,
and Corsets.
A large variety of
IKESS BUTTONS,
Of the latest styjc
Also of
NECKTIES AND BOWS.
Come one and all, and examine my stock of
gou.ts. Iv'cxtdaorlo the AbiouiAX Office.
JA&