An Heritage of Crime [pp. 266-275]

An Heritage of Crime.
wind; and having arrived at the foot, we
hastily packed up our traps, and following
the course of the Chelan River for about
three miles, reached the north bank of the
Columbia, about twenty-seven miles below
the encampment from which we had originally started to enter the Moses River Reservation.
At this point, which is from two hundred
and fifty to three hundred feet below the
level of Lake Chelan, is a settlement of Indians who take their name from the lake;
and they seemed to have quite an extensive
village. Several ranches and fine herds of
cattle were seen in the neighborhood, and
even hens and chickens, which we had no
idea of finding in this country. Two Indians with their canoes crossed the river
with all our traps, our animals swimming.
The skill of the Indians as boatmen could
here be seen to its fullest extent, as they
successfully took their narrow dug-outs, loaded to the water's edge, across the swift river,
nearly three quarters of a mile wide.
Safely landed on the other shore, we made
camp for the night. The next morning we
turned our faces towards Foster Creek, and
upon our arrival there unloaded our mules,
and put our traps again into a large wagon,
preparatory to crossing the Big Bend Country a second time. We had heard, however,
that there was a better road to the north of
the one we had taken coming out, which
would bring us into Sprague, Washington
Territory, a good-sized town some twentytwo miles northeast of Ritzville, and we decided to take it. The first two days were
hot and dusty, but the last three were made
much pleasanter, as we found the country
more settled. We passed many large ranches, and it seemed more like civilization again.
At noon of the fifth day we rode into Sprague,
and after a few hours' delay our party took
the west-bound train to return to our homes.
This interesting country has recently become part of the public domain. Future
developments will surely open it up in such
a way as to render it accessible to all; and
the day will come, when, with the rapid advance of civilization,,flourishing towns will
be seen where until recently the Indian has
built his rude hut.
Samuel Rodman, 7r.
AN HERITAGE OF CRIME.
T'HE volunteer soldiers from California
who were in service during the rebellion,
found themselves in an unsatisfactory situation. The demand upon the State for troops
was small, and, though the people but faintly
realized the struggle that was taking place at
the East, was promptly met. In many of the
northern States, it was found necessary to offer large bounties to avoid the draft, but there
was nothing of that kind here. The motives
that had caused the Union soldier to enlist
on the Pacific Coast were the same as at the
East: the regiments that were successively
raised each went in with the hope and belief
that they would, if the war lasted, eventually
reach the scene of hostilities, and take a direct part in the suppression of the rebellion.
But they were not permitted to do so, and
were distributed from the British Columbia
line in Washington Territory to the Rio
Grande and Texas border, and from the seacoast defenses of San Francisco and the
mouth of the Columbia to Salt Lake-replacing the regular troops that went east, occupying localities where the secession element dominated, and thus preventing a possible outbreak, driving back the Texans, who
had already commenced a march on California from the southwest, besides fighting Indians in numerous directions.
All this was very necessary and important
service, but it was not what had been anticipated, and was not calculated to long maintain the patriotic enthusiasm with which the
troops had entered the service "for the
Union." Neither did the State legislature nor
266
[March,