Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 November 1876 — A Grand Potlatch. [ARTICLE]

A Grand Potlatch.

Thebe was a mighty gathering of Indians at Saanich yesterday. Upward of 3,u00 redskins, in 275 canoes, were present. The occasion of the assemblage was a grand potlatch of over $15,000 worth of goods being given away. English blankets to the value of $5,000 were thrown from the top of the lodges to be scrambled for by the natives below, who stood armed with long poles stuck full of nails at one end, to secure the prize as soon as it fell. In addition to these, some curious “percecees,” made by the natives themselves from the wool of the mountain sheep, were also thrown. Three hundred guns, amongst which were some very fine doublebarreled pieces with percussion locks, were then thrown down, and caused a series of tremendous struggles, which lasted in some cases for nearly an hour. Pieces of board representing sums ranging from SIOO to SSOO were then scrambled for after the same fashion. Three brothel’s gave 3,500 blankets as their contribution, which had all been paid for by the products of the chase. The stock of gifts being exhausted, the natives all got into their canoesand left, thus ending one of the largest meetings of the kind which has taken place for some years, and probably the last of any magnitude which will occur, as the rising generation of Indians seem to care little about perpetuating the customs of their forefathers, and this, as well as many other practices, will soon be numbered among the things of the past. All was conducted soberly, and the Indian Superintendent. Col, Powell, and Police Superintendent Todd, who were present, were struck with- the absence of guy sign of intoxication.— British Cvium•ta C’etaust . .y .A.-zJ' : Thb Vermont State Prison has now 117 prisoners, against eighty-five in 1874. The institution has been run at a profit of $4 705. though $1,498 have been spent in refurnishing and finishing it- The Directors find Superintendent have been fighting for two years, and the Directors wittit tiie Legislature to give them power to appoint all prison officers.