L. M. Holt,
Yakima, Wash., July 16, 1920.
Reclamation Service, Yakima, Wash.
Dear Sir:
I have received a notice (bill for money due) No. 1762 W½ SW¼ and SE¼ SW¼ and SW¼ SE¼ 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.