Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 15.djvu/76



68 M. C- GEORGE

Speaking- of Chinook, I believe it was Gov. Salomon who, on visiting from the East an Indian Reserve on the Sound, had all the Indian bucks gathered in a park for a speech. The Governor unfortunately never got further than his opening address. In his rich round tones he eloquently saluted 1 them "Children of the Forest." This was poetical and apparently appropriate, but trouble ensued when the interpreter undertook to translate the beautiful thought into Siwash Chinook. "Tenas man kopa stick," was the way the interpreter expounded the Governor's flowery opening. Literally, "Little boys in the brush." This was too much for the assembled braves, for with grunts of disgust they arose, and drawing their blankets about them, stoically marched off, and efforts to appease their of- fended dignity were temporarily abandoned.

About thirty years ago when Agent P. B. Sinnott was in charge and when Father Croquet and Father Conrada, since in control of the Hawaiian Leper Colony, and now in charge of the Leper Colony at Canton, China, were the spiritual ad- visers of the Indians, it was my privilege, as a Washington Tyee, to pow wow the gathered Santiams, Umpquas, Cala- pooyas, and Rogue River Indians at this Agency ; and mindful of the Governor's fate, I did my talking direct in Chinook, with frequent reference to them as "skookum tillicums," and ve- hement assurances of my "klosh-tum-tum" and' a good deal of gesturing and a little soft-soap and some "te-he", I managed to pull through safely, with grunts of satisfaction from the braves present.

You doubtless recall Sen. Nesmith's experience during the war. Some officer in the Army of the Potomac sent up a tele- gram in jargon to the Senator, which, however, fell into Sec. Stanton's hands as a suspicious document. Stanton readjusted his spectacles and took a good look at it, and then called in several advisers ; but no one could figure it out. It appeared to be a diabolical plot and probably treasonable. Things looked serious until by chance it was handed to Gen. Rufus Ingalls, who readily saw that it was a mere invitation in Chinook to come down to the seat of war and bring a bottle of the best brand of whisky presumably for medical purposes.