Reclamation Service, Yakima, Wash.
Dear Sir:
I have received a notice (bill for money due) No. 1762 W1/2
SW1/4 and SE1/4 SW1/4 and SW1/4 SE1/4 35-11-17 and I was
investigating the number of my allotments and I have found. Well
my friend now my mistake (understanding) is this way. I am water
user on this Piute Ditch for 41 solid years before you enter
your water into this ditch without my consent and your ditch
tenders bother me from my own water, and I am wondering who must
be too damn white on your office, and he do not understand what
is on this earth Prior Riparian Rights to water. I am a man want
to do what is right, I am not waiting to beat some one in my
ranching business. That Mr. Holt you consider my talking to you
in this writing I am not crazy when I am writing this to you
today. I want to know who did put this assessment to me and
charging me $80.00. That ditch was constructed before the first
allotment was made to the Indians, and am I mistaken in my mind
to be a man holder of that water as a man to have a Prior
Riparian Rights to my water on these two allotments, which your
employees has a charge to me. Do you think you will make me to
pay you for my own water? Do you think you have a right to
grabble my Prior Riparian Rights? Now here is the question, is
your power right to crush me down as you see fit? I do not want
to be too damn smart, I know where you build or constructed
ditches with government funds, you have sole rights to put the
assessment charges to lands and I am willing to pay, but where I
am using this water for 41 years do not think you have founded
the Indian ditch that is owned by the dead Indians. Look out
man! The earth and water are all time here but me I am not all
time here. Like my little son which you have seen time you was
to my house. The little boy was buried yesterday at 1 o'clock P.
M. and every one of us to die, and we of course every one of us
want is money. But let us see where we are at, some times yet I
will call to your office when I am in town. Well the earth and
water before I was born, and next is me before your Reclamation
Service came. Do not be too white and too Damn Smart. Recognize
my being first water user along this Piute Ditch. When James H.
Wilbur being Agent and when he left he was shaking my hands and
he was talking to me good bye and he told me at that time "take
care the Ditch it is yours my boy, he said to me this that Ditch
was built for the Piutes, but the Piutes ran away, and now is
yours, that water will give you money and support for your
living," and so from that time we use that Ditch and water, and
do you rather let us have the litigation of the Injunction Suit?
I am no Renter of them two Allotments, I am the owner of the
land and the water for 41 years. I am not writing a foolish
talk. I mean business, I am of course a Red man and by being is
Same and the Rest have and I will die same. No difference I am
talking about my Rights.
Very truly your friend,
LOUIS MANN, R. 4, Box 233.
* * * * *
Yakima, Wash., July 22, 1920.
Dear McWhorter My white Brother: I am not feeling good yet. I
cannot forget my Dearest Child in my poor Family, one that was
loved by all in my family, and it will take some time to get
over this Lamentations over the loss of the beloved Dearest Son.
I know that I am to Die yet myself but I cannot help this my
dearest white brother. We all of course have to Die on this
Earth, and if honest on this earth we may meet our loved one
gone before us. well brother I was over to see F. J. MAPES to my
old ranch yesterday, and I have seen my Irrigation water none on
my head gate, and I am wondering could any man on this face of
the Earth Irrigate 80 acres with one inch by 18 inches of water,
now they have Done me Dirtiest Trick them Reclamation Service
outfit. I Don't give A Damn who ever is in this Service all of
course they come from the old world where white people are
Starving, this is my understanding from the papers I read. Now
If I was Sleeping Indian I would Loose all my crops over there
all of it, but as my Neighbors carry water through my Premises
and if my hired man maybe to steal water this our own water, and
this awful shame way of using Reclamation Service Tricks, To
CIVILIZE me. Oh What A white mans Rulings. Very soon he will run
me Down, and what is the Right way to bringing me to
Citizenship? learn me First To steal? which I never like it in
my life, well brother No man can Civilize me this way, bad
whites are combined to run Down Indians like a Wolf Runs Down
deer when wolf is awful hungry, I have been Studying these
things, and one of my Neighbor crops went to hell there
adjoining my place, that is Mr GUY HOWARD he is an Injun man. I
wish you would make a trip with me there and see that GUY
HOWARDS Crops, and have it taken a Picture, what a Damn Nice
piece of the work the Reclamation Service done with this Injun,
Starve the mans crops because no money in advance, while the
Reclamation Service Committed a crime enter their water into our
Ditch without our Consent. Piute Ditch was build with Indian
money for the Piute Indians who were brought here from Malhiuer
from Oregon by the Agent JAMES H. WILBUR, and with help by some
of our Yakima Indians with Teams and wagons. I have forgotten
now, may be old man Peter Klickitat was in that trip, well
brother may be to Damn white Rullers in this Reclamation
Service, and to Dirty heart Tricks with this Service, this
Government is Polished with Black when Such Water Lords are in
this Service, now brother If you had time to go with me over
this coming Sunday, you would come to my place in the first car
that comes out in the morning, and we would start out from my
place with a hack drive over there and back in the evening.