Siwash [pp. 501-506]

Siwash.
Photo by J. P. Soule.
THE YOUNGEST HOP PICKER.
cific Coast tribes in civilization and
enlightenment.
The Alaskan and British Columbia
Indians come to Puget Sound by the
canoe full at hop-picking time, in the
fall. Together with the Puget Sound
Indians they flock to the hop-ranches,
where they remain during the season of
hop-picking. The whole family is employed, and the youngest hop-picker sits
on a blanket with a bunch of hops in his
hand, sharing in the labors of the older
ones. It not infrequently happens that
the chubby, broad-faced papoose is born
in the hop field. The hop ranch is the
E1 Dorado of the Siwash. By means of
it he is enabled to fill his pipe with tobacco, his stomach with rum, and to
clothe his body with an odd conglomeration of the habiliments of civilization.
The close of hop-picking is celebrated
by horse racing; the squaws riding
astride, Amazon like. The racing is
entered into with zest by all: but the
Siwash is happiest when he can go to
the city and spend his hard-earned wages
after the manner of his white brother.
He can smoke as much tobacco and
drink as much fire-water as the civilized
pale-face, though his style of doing it
may not meet with such high approval.
I have seen the streets of Seattle lined
with Siwash eager to spend their money
for anything that may strike the fancy,
or that may be palmed off on them by
an unscrupulous salesman. Often the
proprietor of a store will bestow some
cheap trinket on one of the Siwash
"kids" to gain the favor and money of
its parents. In the millinery shops may
be seen left-over hats trimmed gaudily
with left-over ribbons, to attract the eye
of the Siwash maiden.
SIWASHl CANOES
502
[Nov.