Death of John Flett, Pioneer Interpreter and Adventurer

John Flett died last night at Steilacoom, aged 77 years. Flett was born August 8, 1815, in Rupert's Land, about 600 miles northeast of Manitoba. In 1841, he joined the Red River colony, which was organized under the auspices of the Puget Sound Agricultural Company, an organization formed by the Hudson Bay Company to acquire land west of the Rocky mountains. In June, 1841, they reached Oregon. In 1854, he accepted the position of Indian interpreter for Gen. Joe Palmer, superintendent of Indian affairs of Oregon. His services in that capacity were valuable, and he gave material aid in the successful negotiations of treaties then made. Alone he visited the war camp of the Rogue River Indians and induced them to go upon the reservation. He visited the Indians at Crescent City and Port Orford. He accompanied Gen. Palmer and Indian Agent Chris Taylor to Klamath lake and the Modoc country, that being the first party who visited that region. Mr. Flett remained in the Indian service until 1862. In 1869 he settled at South Prairie in Pierce county and engaged in farming. He remained there until 1868, when he purchased a home six miles south of Tacoma, on the Steilacoom prairie. From 1862 to 1878 he was employed upon the Puyallup Indian reservation as interpreter and farmer.