____________
____________
Washington Statesman
Walla Walla, Washington Territory
Friday, December 13, 1861
p. 2, col. 5
Mill Creek has again rendered itself obnoxious to many of our citizens, by establishing its main current through their door-yards, and making itself generally familiar with their wood piles and other property which it found in its course in a condition to float. As if to exceed all former attempts at getting "high," last Sunday evening, when it had but barely fallen within its proper bounds and was quietly gliding down its usual channel, it commenced rising, and at day-break on Monday morning its gigantic proportions would suggest to a timid mind at least, the propriety of engaging in an enterprise similar to that which occupied father Noah's attention a short time previous to the flood. Persons who have resided here for a number of years tell us that for the time in the season the creek is unusually high. However, we can see no impropriety about its getting high at present, as it only makes it in unison with other things; but we do think that so much water passing through this city is entirely unnecessary, especially, while so little of that fluid is used for drinking purposes.
____________
Letter from Touchet.
MESSRS. EDITORS: I received the first number of your paper, and feel proud that the town of Walla Walla can boast of a newspaper, and especially such an one as the Statesman. It is just the kind of a paper that is needed in this rapidly growing country. It is much larger than i expected it would be when I first subscribed for it. your paper should be taken by every actual resident in the Walla Walla valley. An enterprise of this kind, so beneficial to every person living in this section, is deserving of liberal patronage. — I hope that the best of success may attend you as publishers and editors of a newspaper.
I herewith send you ten dollars for two copies of your paper, to be sent to the Willamette valley. I hope others may emulate my example and go and do likewise.
We labor under many disadvantages here about getting our mail matter. In the first place we have no bridges to cross over the streams which sometimes get too high to either ford or swim, safely. In the second place, if we had the necessary arrangements whereby we could cross these streams, we have no regular mail. At present we have to depend upon some one going to town from our neighborhood to bring the mail.
OCCASIONAL.
____________The postmaster at this place informs us that the mails will be sent to the Dalles by Miller & Blackmor's line of coaches. This line is now making regular trips. A coach was dispatched this morning with the mails and nine through passengers.
____________
Mr. J. C. Isaacs, of this city, has returns of an assay of Salmon river dust, made at the Mint in San Francisco, at $12.68 per ounce.
____________
A gentleman just down from Lewiston, states that he met on the road about twenty wagons freighted for the mines; also nearly two hundred miners bound for Salmon river.
____________
p. 2, col. 6
Lewiston and the Nez Perces Reservation.
PACIFIC SLOPE, Dec. 9, 1861.
EDS. STATESMAN — A few items noted and herewith enclosed, please insert for the benefit of whom it may concern.Circumstances and times make places as well as men. Great events make great men; therefore small acts make small men. Shall the Indian superintendent or the Agent make Lewiston, or shall Lewiston make the Superintendent and Agent? If a town be established at Lewiston, special favors will eventually make personal friends great property-holders. undoubtedly the present Agent and some others think the Superintendent has much to do in this affair, building towns, etc.; issuing license to a dozen particular friends, assigning each that certain Block No. —, and allow each to trade with the Indians, pretending to comply with the intercourse laws; regulating trade with the Indians without executing bond, contrary to the U. S. Statutes.
It was expected of the present administration that competent, honest and prudent men would be appointed to protect the interests of the Indian, without speculation, without building towns upon the Reserve at the expense of the Indian — assigning to certain personal friends that portion of ground block number —, and then boastingly threaten those who have an equal right to trade with white men and the Indians as those acting under the pretended license, but for the reason that some persons do not willingly acknowledge themselves pliant tools and contribute liberally, or share about equally in the profits of advance of the price of block number —. "Sir, the military are at my command; and unless you take out a license, sir, I'll have you removed, sir: by force, sir. I intend, sir, to have none around me but my friends. This is a thing of our own creation, sir."
It is a matter of some importance to know the result of the establishment of this Lewiston, or Skemanane — either the town must be built, or the Agent will not succeed.
The Superintendent of Indian affairs of this Territory thinks Lewiston is not the place for a town, and ought not to be built on the Reserve. He says: "By G—d, I am Superintendent. This town cannot be built. You, Mr. Agent, are not allowed a clerk. Your clerk is discharged. You cannot build a town without a clerk. My instructions are positive and imperative."
Now, the Superintendent and Agent will be convinced ere long, whether the people — and in the course of four or six months there will be a few in this part of the country — desire to build a town anywhere on the Reserve for commercial convenience, or for speculation. Both Superintendent and Agent will then require a clerk!
We have no objections to the building of a town at the mouth of Clearwater, though it is amusing to see these officials, clothed in a little brief authority, assume great responsibility and execute it in their own peculiar way. The Superintendent has the reputation of being quit a fellow, and that reputation sometimes precedes a fellow. The Agent no doubt heard that the Superintendent was on his way around to see who had clerks, etc. His visit to Fort Simpcoe, and proceedings, where he acquitted himself with great credit, gave the Agent much uneasiness at Lapwa, who was advised that all clerks would be at once discharged, and that the Umatilla agent was traveling with him!
General Jackson has been dead several years, else we might be induced to believe that the present Superintendent almost personates the great soldier and statesman!
We are convinced that but little improvement has been made in Indian affairs since the present administration came into power. We have too much faith and confidence in President Lincoln to believe otherwise than that he and the Cabinet have been badly humbugged by some persons in inducing the appointment of some of the present incumbents to office; and we trust that immediately after the crushing out of the present rebellion, next in importance to the interest, safety and security of the country, will be a change and revision in the laws and regulations of the Indian department. humanity demands a change. The justice, integrity and honor of the laws regulating a republican form of government, demands it.
The Indian reservations are now and heretofore have been nothing more or less than hospitals and asylums for political bummers and impoverished office-seekers who, with their pets, filch and feed upon the government, and then curse it for not being more generous; and the poor Indian, whose money they squander for selfish aggrandizement and political purposes, because he is the subject and the protected one, is not allowed to complain. Better abolish and nullify the Indian agencies and reservations, pay the Indian for his lands in cash, and not in gimlets, gunny blankets, and other useless and worthless trash, out of which a few individuals speculate and rob the Indian.
Yours respectfully, E. & Œ.
____________PROMOTION FROM THE RANKS. — Washington correspondence, dated October 28th, of the N. Y. Tribune, says that the Secretary of War, Cameron, has searched the regular army for Sergeants who had brains, experience, and virtue, and conferred upon 25 of them commissions as Lieutenants. Their future is in their own hands. Thus it seems that under the present administration of the War Department, there is a chance for men of merit to rise from the ranks. The ability that created the Marshals of France under Napoleon will have full opportunity under Cameron. The N. Y. Post, of October 29th, commenting on the report that the Secretary of War had made up his mind to promote from the ranks such soldiers and non-commissioned officers as showed by their skill and bravery that they will make good officers, says:
We are sure that no step will be received with heartier approbation tahn this by the people of this country; and certainly no better means could be devised to make our soldiers fight well. But such promotions, where they are the reward of gallant conduct in action, ought to be immediate and public. Let it be understood that to be mentioned in the dispatches of the commander will bring instant promotion, and it is not only the regulars who will win for themselves rank and honor by gallant conduct. for the present it would be a great advantage to many of our volunteer regiments to have a few steady, cool and intelligent non-commissioned officers from the regular army placed among them as company officers; and as the Secretary appears to be in earnest, we recommend him to fill in this manner the places falling vacant every day by the resignation of incapable volunteer captains and lieutenants.
____________
ARMY TERMS — A battalion is smaller than a regiment — say to or four companies — and is commanded by a major. A regiment is composed of ten companies, and is commanded by a colonel; it has also a lieutenant colonel and a major. A brigade is composed of two or more regiment, and is commanded by a brigadier general. A division is composed of two or more brigades, and is commanded by a major general.
____________
p. 2, col. 1
IMPORTANT TO SETTLERS. — We call attention to the Register and Receiver's notice to settlers in another column. It will be seen that settlers are required to forward their declaratory statements to the Land Office within a limited time, and it is necessary that this should be promptly attended to in order to secure claims.
____________
p. 3, col. 3
OREGON CAVALRY REGIMENT.
THE undersigned, having been duly empowered to enroll men for the Company now being formed at the Dalles, by Capt. George B. Curry, in pursuance of the order of the Adjutant General to Col. Thomas R. Cornelius, R. T. Maury, and B. F. Harding, can be found either at the Post-office or j. D. Cross' store, during business hours, where I shall be glad to see all those who have a desire to join the First Oregon Regiment, and will give all the particulars required with regard to pay and allowances.
CHARLES F. MANSFIELD,
Walla Walla, Dec. 5th, 1861.____________
p. 1, col. 6
Important To Candidates.
The following queries, propounded by a Missouri paper to the numerous candidates for office in that State, ar so general and national that they will apply to any section of our glorious union:
"QUESTIONS THAT MUST BE ANSWERED. — 1st. If three men work ten days on a fertile farm, what is the Logarithm?
2d. Of what use is a compass without a needle, and which way does it point?
3d. What is the required length of a limited steel wire which runs the other way?
4th. If three watches don't keep time with either of them, which will gain?
5th. Given — The complexion, age and height of a middle sized man. Required — The nature of his business, his annual gains, and prospects in life?
6th. In a large household neither father nor mother know anything. How was it with the family — were they Know Nothings or not?
7th. Is a man ever justifiable in either case, and if so, which?
8th. If a man stands upon the sea-shore, with his eye elevated 4 feet 2 1-2 inches, which way will he look, and what will he see? What is his name? How long will he stand there? Which way did he come from? Where will he go when he gets through looking? How long will he be on the road, and what will he do when he gets there?
9th. Required — A series of factors expressing the relation of father and son.
10th. Required — In terms of X — the relative situation of any two country villages, with a population of the former.
11th. If a hard knot be tied in a cat's tail which way, how long, and with what success will she run after it? Also, who tied the knot?
Note 1st. The cat was dark colored, and howled o'nights.
Note 2d. The conditions of this problem are extremely vague.
12th. Required — The erratic course of a flea, affected with strawbismus.
____________
No comments:
Post a Comment