The Passing of a Respected Cedar River Arbitrator
Benjamin Solomon, a community leader and descendant of Chief Seattle, dies at his homestead near Renton.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
"Old Ben" Solomon, an Indian chief well and favorably known among the white people of this section, and especially among the old settlers, died about 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon at his home near Renton. He was about 50 years of age and leaves a wife and large family of grown children. "Old Ben" was a direct descendant of old Chief Seattle, and he was looked up to and highly honored by his own people, among whom he acted as the trusted adviser, counsellor and arbitrator. He also was the principal medium for furnishing Indian hop pickers to the ranchers in this region. He had a nice homestead about one mile east of Renton, where he had about thirteen acres under cultivation.
“He was looked up to and highly honored by his own people, among whom he acted as the trusted adviser, counsellor and arbitrator.”
The report captures the paternalistic and reductive language of the era, yet underscores the vital economic and social role played by Indigenous leaders who bridged traditional communities and the encroaching agrarian economy of early Washington.
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