Portland, where he at present resides, and, as before, his legal attainments receive due recognition. Prior to July, 1898, the native sons of the state had made several attempts to get together in permanent organization, but the efforts were futile on account of lack of leadership. At such date Mr. Leasure, with others, made another attempt, organizing a grand cabin, and he was selected as the first grand president thereof. He set about to enthuse his associates, and under his direction, in the main, they soon had a large subordinate cabin in Portland, the organization of which was quickly followed by others in various sections of the state, until 15 cabins were instituted within seven months, with a membership of about 1,200, and many others at this writing are about ready for institution. What the Native Sons and also the Native Daughters of Oregon are, and will no doubt become as societies, the credit will be largely due to the pluck, planning and push of John C. Leasure. As a lawyer he has no superior as a ready speaker; as a man he is one whose character is without blemish. Personally he is congenial, kind and charitable and holds the unqualified esteem and respect of all. He was married in 1881 to Miss Annie L.. Blakley, a granddaughter of Captain James Blakley, an Indian War Veteran and Pioneer of 1847. SAM L. SIMPSON. When the bard is surrounded by environments which serve to bring him into notice, the ladder of fame is not a difficult climb, but the plowboy, the mechanic and child of the pioneer are not so favored, and it is seldom that the world awakens to full appreciation of their rhymes, until long after they have paid nature's debt. Then slumbering acknowledgment comes to life and erects with bronze in memory of him whom it is their delight to honor. In the dim vista of coming time our prophetic vision sees memento grand on which is read From the Cascades frozen gorges, Leaping like a child at play, Winding, widening through the valley, Bright Willamette glides away; Onward ever, lovely river, Softly calling to the sea; Time that scars us, maims and mars us. The author whose name heads this sketch was born in the state of Missouri, October 10, 1845. When still a babe he came across the plains with his parents, who were pioneers of 1845. His folks settled in Oregon City, and afterwards lived mainly in Marion and Polk counties. In early days the district schoolhouses were the log-cabin class. These he attended until he was about 15 years of age, when, in company with his older brother, Sylvester, he was sent to Willamette university, graduating there with the degree of A. B. in 1876. Studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1868. Practiced law in Corvallis until 1871, when he became editor and owner of the old Corvallis Gazette (lately deceased), and, unfortunately, left law for journalism. Was married to Miss Julia Humphrey in 1868, two sons, Eugene and Claude, being the fruit of the marriage. Since 1871 has been most of the time engaged as a writer on various papers in Oregon and Washington-writing poetry at odd times in a desultory way. first verses were published in the P. C. Advocate (Portland) when he was attending school at Willamette university. His BIBLE STATISTICS-THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE. (London Answers.) The tains 3566480 letters, 810697 words, 31175 verses, 1189 chapters and 66 books. The longest chapter is the 119th Psalm; the shortest and middle chapter the 117th Psalm. The middle verse is the 8th of the 118th Psalm. The longest name is in the 8th chapter of Isaiah. The word and occurs 46627 times; the word Lord 1855 times. The 37th chapter of Isaiah and the 19th chapter of the 2d book of Kings are alike. The longest verse is the 9th of the 8th chapter of Es ther; the shortest verse is the 35th of The finest piece of 26th Acts. The name of God is not men tioned in the book of Es ther. It contains KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM, HOLINESS AND LOVE. JOSEPH, THE NEZ PERCE. From the northern desolation Comes a cry of exultation, "It is ended. He has yielded, and the stubborn fight is won!" Let the nation in its glory Bow with shame before the story Of the hero it has ruined and the evil it has done. How he prayed while, hope remained, Though the white man's hands were stained With the blood that cried for vengeance of his murdered kin and clan. For the home the good God gave him, And the treaty sworn to save him, For the shelter of his children, and the right to be a man. Then the troops began to hound him, And he wrapped the blanket 'round him, And he called his braves to follow, and he smote them hip and thigh. But the hosts grew vast and vaster, And the whirlwind of disaster Drove him out into the mountains and beneath an alien sky. Through the continental ridges, Ove tottering torrent bridges; By the verge of black abysses, in the shade of mountains hoar; Herds and wives and children bearing, Months he journeyed, toiling, daring, With an army trailing behind him, and another crouched before. Thrice the sudden blow descended, Roar and flash and clashing blended; Twice his rear guard faced and checked them, till the hunted tribe was free. Once he reeled, but swiftly rallied, Forth upon the spoilers sallied, Drove them headlong into shelter, captured all their cannonry. But the mountains could not shield him, And the snowy heights revealed him, And the false friends would not aid him, and his goal was far away; Burdened by his weak and wounded; Stripped and harried and surrounded, Still the chieftain of the Northland, like a lion, stood at bay. From the freedom that he sought for, From the deer land that he fought for, He is riven by a nation that has spurned its plighted word; By the Christians who have given To the heathen-gracious heaven!- With the one hand theft and falsehood, with the other ball and sword. VOL. I. JULY, 1899. EASTERN OREGON INDIANS. The Cayuses, Umatillas and Walla Wallas, the confederated tribes on the Umatilla reservation, are merely tribes of a great people, that includes the Warm Springs and Klamaths on the west and south and the Nez Perces and Bannocks on the east. These are all closely related, of handsome feature, tall, strong and shapely, and speaking the same tongue. In the course of nature to within 30 years or thereabouts they were increasing in numbers, but their decrease in numbers during the last 30 years has been constant and increasing with each succeeding year. They were by centuries. of training fitted for a wild, free life on the plains and through the forests. Deprived of liberty-the necessity of compelling nature to supply their wantsthey have become fat and stupid. Cooped up on their reservation-every want supplied, practically, without exertion-deprived of the great shrine of nature at which formerly they worshiped, of their independence, their self-government, the exercise and man-building pleasures of the chase they have to a certain degree become weak, intemperate and immoral. Like all other alien races they have suffered and deteriorated by contact with our ever dominant Aryan race. All peoples approached by the Aryans have adopted the Aryan vices, and lost much and sometimes all the higher principles or attributes of themselves. It is bootless to ask why-the fact remains it isand our Indians have been no exception to the rule. No. 3. That schools have been provided for their children boots nothing; for the close confinement of our schoolroom is torture for them, and will be until generations have removed their instinct and love for the wild schoolroom of natureroofed by the brilliant sky, walled by the rolling bunchgrass hills and rugged mountains, and seated with the mossy banks of rippling, silvery streams by which the wild deer love to roam. When the instincts that love and long for the freedom and beauty of nature's schools are dead within them, our prosy, narrow schools may help them. But, in my judgment, when that day arrives, the pitiful remnant of the race that then survives will be close, very close, to the setting of the race's sun, and the night of oblivion will then very soon followand our race will "know them no more forever." I think no people has been so misjudged as our Indians. Eastern writers. many who ought to have known better, have painted fancy pictures, in which they have been given characters sometimes good, sometimes bad-almost always fantastical and absurd. No one who has lived with them long and acquired sufficient of their confidence to know them well has yet given the world an analysis of their character. Many who have suffered in themselves, or through friends or relatives, have portrayed them as cold, immoral, unsympathetic, cruel, dishonest, ungenerous and treacherous. Some such men have tried to be fair and honest, but in overlooking the ancient teachings, social system and traditions of these Indians they have unwittingly been unjust. JOSEPH, Noted Nez Perce War Chief. Since the dawn of their race, their code of ethics and social laws have been different from ours. Within the limits of their ancient code I have always found them scrupulous and conscientious. Measured by our code of ethics, they fail entirely. In their arts they possessed an ingenuity and skill, apparently unreachable by ourselves. In our arts they are clumsy and awkward, and miserably fail. Many of their misfortunes before our law may be attributed to principles of moral right instilled in them by generations of tradition. Judged by our standard their two besetting sins are "dishonesty" and intemperance. On the first: It is quite usual and common to learn that an Indian has ap propriated to himself, without the real owner's leave, a blanket, a horse or saddle or other piece of personal property. In the sense in which we use the term they borrow freely from each other, and when a loan of a few dollars is requested from a white man, that white has been paid a real compliment. It is a mark of friendship, confidence and good feeling. It means that if that white man should ask it, no matter what his station in life or his means of repaying it, the Indian would "loan" to him the last dollar or bit of property he possessed, or could borrow or "appropriate." For generations these tribes treated all their possessions as community property. At varying intervals those-usually chiefs-who had accumulated a great deal would voluntarily "divide up," distributing to the members of their tribe the accumulated property to the last piece. These people, primitive and for generations worshiping at nature's shrine, believed the land and all it possessed was provided for their comfort or pleasure to belong alike to all its children. They were therefore generous. When the cold of winter came, the robes and skins were divided, and if enough, all were warm, if not enough, the discomfort was shared alike. Today they are generous to a fault. They succor each other in misfortune. If one has become entangled in the meshes of our law, the free members of his family-even unto distant generations will sacrifice their necessities to comfort and aid. Many times the friends of Indians "in the toils" have pledged everything they had or held to be dear for their fellow in misfortune. Not infrequently attorneys have been hired by the Indian, whose horse had been "stolen" or who had been "assaulted," to defend the victim of the law. I have known many of these "victims," both red and white, but I have never yet known a |