Chief Hamilk Refuses the Government's Money

Wenatchee, June 28.—Special.—Saturday was the last day for securing the names of all the Wenatchee Indians who were willing to accept their pro rata of the proceeds resulting from the sale of the Wenatchee fishery reservation. All day Monday and Tuesday almost every Indian in this vicinity was in town, but not more than half of them were willing to accept their portion of the money.

Last December, when Mr. Erwin was here for the same purpose, very few, if any, of the Indians would give in their names to be entered on the pay roll, and when the agent made his report to the department to that effect last December they recommended that the matter rest for a while, and thereby left the Indians to consider and ponder over it, and they would perhaps some time in the future look more favorably upon the proposition. This was done, and the matter lay dormant for over six months, but now the case is drawing to a close, and the Indians who failed to come to time Monday and Tuesday will probably be barred from receiving anything from the sale of their lands.

Chief Pell and his band, consisting of about eighty Indians, willingly handed in their names, but the remainder, under old Chief Hamilk, would not yield, unless their terms would be accepted, and this he would not do. It seems that Chief Hamilk wants either another reservation set aside for their benefit, or the whole sum resulting from the sale, $20,000. The reservation which they request in lieu of the Wenatchee fishery commences at Old Mission and extends six miles down the Wenatchee river, and is now occupied by white settlers who have erected improved farms. Consequently Hamilk's request is next to impossible for the government to grant.

As to the payment of the whole amount to the Wenatchee Indians (who, perhaps, are justly entitled to it), this cannot be done, as the treaty was made with the Yakima Indians, the Wenatchees being a portion of that tribe, and the Yakimas would come in for their pro rata. Chief Hamilk's demand was, of course, refused, and he and his followers departed hence without any further attempt at a compromise.

Last spring Chief Hamilk, after deciding that he wanted a reservation set aside from Old Mission down the river, went so far as to order the settlers now occupying the lands to move off, claiming that the land belonged to him and his Indians. He carried the matter to such a point that the settlers became alarmed and appealed to the department at Washington City. Hamilk desisted further efforts to secure the lands, however, and the settlers were promised protection by the government in case of trouble.

Mr. Erwin informs us that he will immediately send in lists and recommend that the Indians who have put in their names receive their money, which will probably be paid to the Indians about August 1.

The Yakima Indians, or rather the Indians now upon the reservation, are intending to use their portion of the money in building irrigation ditches and otherwise improving their farms.