Page:Francis Heron Fur Trader Other Herons.pdf/4

32 great value in assisting to keep the Indians from going on the warpath. He was acknowledged to be one of the best Indian interpreters in the entire Northwest. On one occasion, in the earlier part of "Joseph's War," there was a council of Indians with the government officers at Spokane. The then official interpreter was entirely unable to officiate and Mr. Heron was sent for. After the consultation, he was employed with the officers and soldiers and retained until the war ended. He spent thistime in various sections of the country and after the hostilities, returned to Spokane Falls and his family was one of the few then there. A sawmill and store were the only business establishments then at the Falls.

In 1888, George Heron removed to his present home, about five miles north of Republic, where he owned one hundred and sixty acres of timothy land, and where he has about fifty head of cattle, besides other property. He does not attend to his farm personally, but rents it, and during the last few years, has had the great misfortune to be stricken with blindness and has become very feeble, and the writer does not know whether he yet survives.

In 1863, Mr. Heron married an Indian woman and to this union were born five children: John, deceased; Alex, on the Kettle River; Joseph, married to Noah LeFleur, on the Colville River; David, in the Curlew Valley; and Josette, deceased. In 1876, Mr. Heron was called to mourn the death of his wife, and four years later, he married Martina, also an Indian woman.

In politics, Mr. Heron is a stanch Republican and always takes, contrary to the majority of his race, an active interest in public affairs. He and his family are sincere adherents to the Catholic Church. In the early days, George Heron acted as deputy sheriff of Stevens County under John Hofstetter, and owing to his service as interpretter he was associated with some of the leading men of the Northwest. He has a very wide acquaintance and is a well-known and influential man, especially in matters relating to Indian affairs. In character he is a man of integrity and has always been considered a valuable and estimable citizen of his community.

We have the following statements from Mr. Heron himself made to to Mr. John Helphrey of Curlew and the writer in December, 1915:—

"I am now 82 years of age, having been born at "Squalie" (Nisqually) in the year 1834. My father was Frank (Francis) Heron, an Irishman, who was in charge of the Colville trading post for the Hudson Bay Company. My mother was a half-breed named Clark. About the time I was a year old my father was called back to