[Illustration: JOHN F PALMER.]
Twana, Nisqually, Clallam, and Chinook jargon, also the Russian and
English, and could read and write English quite well. He had a library
worth fifty dollars, and took several newspapers and magazines, both
Eastern and Western, although he only went to school two or three weeks
in his life. To Mr. Seavey’s family, and the captain’s wife on the
vessel when in Russian waters, he always felt grateful for his
education.
When the church was organized at Skokomish, 1874, he united with it,
being the first Indian to do so. He lived to see twenty others unite
with it. On two points he was very firm: against intemperance and the
heathen superstitions: being far in advance of any member of the tribe
on the latter point, with the exception of M. F., soon to be
mentioned--in fact, it was truly said of him, that he was more of a
white man than an Indian.
He loved the prayer-meeting, and while temporarily living at Seabeck, a
short time before his death, where he was at work, thirty miles from
home, he returned to Skokomish to spend the holidays, and remained an
additional week so that he might be present at the daily meetings of the
Week of Prayer. He constantly took part in the prayer-meetings, and with
the other older male members of the church took his turn in leading
them.
He had no children of his own, but brought up his wife’s two sisters.
When he united with the church, he said: “Now I want my wife to become a
Christian,” and he lived to see her and her two sisters unite with the
church. The elder of them married, and her child, Leila Spar, was the
first Indian child who received the rite of infant baptism, July 4,
1880. He was killed instantly at Seabeck, February 2, 1881, while at
work at the saw-mill, having been accidentally knocked off from a
platform, and striking on his head among short sharp-cornered refuse
lumber and slabs about ten feet below. The side of his head was crushed
in, and after he was picked up he never spoke, and only breathed a few
times. He was far in advance of his tribe, and has left an influence
which will be felt for many years to come. It was a pleasure once for me
to hear a rough, swearing white man, in speaking of him, say: “John
Palmer is a gentleman!”
[Illustration: MILTON FISHER.]