Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 8.djvu/31

 RECOLLECTIONS OF AN INDIAN AGENT. 23 I had never met Mr. Simms, but after reading his letter I had a strong desire to make his acquaintance, as he evidently pos- sessed an enquiring mind and a most admirable humor. He died without knowing how often and heartily I laughed over his rather severe strictures of the Indian agency system. The letter and answer are here appended: Umatilla Agency, October 20, 1862. Mr. Simms, or the acting miller at Walla Walla. My Dear Sir: The Indians upon the reservation complain that you do not give them good flour for their wheat, and that you frequently pay them off in shorts or bran. Now, remember that I do not charge you with such transactions 'except upon the testimony of the red people above mentioned. The man who is guilty of such things, does not only sin against the moral and statute laws, but is indirectly filching from the pockets of the people, as the Government is obliged to support the victims in times of scarcity and need. As agent at this reservation, I bespeak for your colored customers a fair turn out and honest deal. Yours for the right, T. W. DAVENPORT, Special Indian Agent, Oregon. T. W. Davenport, Esq., Special Indian Agent. My Dear Sir: I beg leave to say that your complainants He most rascally when they say that they ever got shorts or bran from this mill in exchange for good wheat, or that they ever go<t it at all. And as to our not giving them good flour; we give them just such flour as they select themselves, which is generally middlings, in which they get pound for pound, thereby getting forty cents per bushel more than we pay in cash for such wheat as they bring. Our price for red wheat is two dollars per bushel and our price for middlings is four cents per pound. Whenever the Indians prefer the best quality of flour they can have it by paying the price, but we cannot be expected to give them a pound of flour worth eight cents for a pound of wheat worth only three cents and a third per pound. I admire the interest you manifest for the people under your charge and the horror you express for a departure from the strictest rules of justice and fairness in dealing with them, but it strikes me that a people who have been habitually swindled by wholesale since the foundation of the Government, ought to be slow to complain of the quality of their grist. Respectfully yours, I. A. SIMMS.