Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 8.djvu/124

 116 T. W. DAVEKPOKT. the erection of the Meacham tavern, there were three places on the boundary of the reservation where liquor was sold by the drink and by the bottle, and at every place, by some means and through the agency of white outlaws, Indians could obtain whiskey. The fellow who had a drinking house on the Walla Walla road, evidently located there to engage in out- lawry and, as narrated in another place, did not escape detec- tion and punishment. Swift on the west and Meacham on the east of the reservation, both on the main line of travel be- tween the white settlements east and west, while intending to do a legitimate business, were often the innocent instruments of transient outlaws. In pursuance of the purpose to change the practice fol- lowed by my predecessors, of raising grain and roots to feed the Indians, several sets of new harness were bought, the plow broken upon delivery was mended, the other four were put in running order, and everything in readiness for work, as soon as the spring opened sufficiently to permit of farming operations. The superintendent of farming and the farmer were instructed to become teachers and make it their every- day business to go around among the Indians and show them how to do things, and as our means were quite limited, to have the plows and harness returned to the implement house by the ust i i 1 as soon as his work was finished, or delivered to the first applicant holding an order from the superintendent. In this way no time was lost, and there were no idle tools. And the strangest part of the story is, that they were used every night, when there was moonlight, during the planting season. And this latter statement applies to others than those who had some experience in farming operations. It will be recollected that the number of acres fenced and available for cultivation was insufficient for the wants of those desiring to cultivate, and hence there was an earnest contest to obtain a piece, even a small lot of the bottom land hereto- fore cultivated by the employees of the Government. Com- plaints were made that the Cayuses were unduly favored,