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Roberts Photograph Collection Chronological References
SUSIE VAN KIRK
HISTORIC RESOURCES CONSULTANT
P.O. BOX 568
BAYSIDE, CA 95524
707-822-6066
svkirk@humboldt1.com
January 2004
REFERENCES TO RUTH AND HARRY ROBERTS
Del Norte Triplicate (12 May 1922) Requa--Mr. Roberts, bookkeeper for the Klamath River Packers Association, arrived in Requa Sunday to take up his old job again....
DNT (17 May 1924) Requa--Harry Roberts arrived in Requa this week and will be followed in a short time by his wife and son. Roberts has been manager of the Klamath River Packers Association for several years and usually spends every summer in Requa.
DNT (28 June 1924) Requa--Mrs. Harry Roberts arrived in Requa Wednesday from Oakland. Mr. Roberts is assistant manager of the Klamath River Packers Association and Mrs. Roberts expects to spend the summer here also.
DNT (26 Sept. 1924) Requa--Mrs. Harry Roberts returned this week from a trip up the Klamath River where she has been electioneering among the Indians against the Electro-Metals dam proposition.
DNT (8 Aug. 1925) Requa--Mrs. Harry Roberts arrived from Oakland a few days ago and will spend the summer in Requa.
DNT (8 May 1926) News Notes of the Klamath--Mr. Harry Roberts of the Klamath River Packers Association arrived from Oakland a short time ago and is getting things in readiness for the coming fishing season.
DNT (5 June 1926) News Notes of the Klamath--Mrs. Harry Roberts of Oakland arrived in Requa Wednesday evening on the stage and will spend the summer here as usual with her husband, Harry Roberts, of the Klamath River Packers Association.
DNT (19 June 1926) Says Requa Section Has Splendid Future--That the Klamath river district is due to become one of the most popular resort points on the Pacific coast is the opinion of Harry Roberts, superintendent of the Klamath Packers Association, who was in town yesterday. Mr. Roberts lives in Oakland but comes to Requa every year to superintend operations at the cannery during the salmon season.
Local people do not realize, says Mr. Roberts, what a wonderfully attractive recreation field exists in the Lower Klamath section, particularly a few miles up stream from the mouth in the vicinity of the Douglas Memorial Bridge. It will take outside people and outside capital said Mr. Roberts to do the developing and along that line he complimented the promoters of the Klamath Glen project, who in his opinion have one of the finest sites to be found anywhere.
Roberts lamented the great damage being done to the stream by the mining operations on the upper reaches of the stream and said that before many years this would be halted on account of sediment which gives the water a yellowish color and is detrimental to fishing, both sport and commercial.
As to the hydro-electric possibilities along the river, Roberts, who was a witness in the case of the fish and game commission vs. the Electro-Metals company, says that to suggest such a development now is at least fifty years ahead of time, which was freely admitted by the engineers for the Electro-Metals company. Roberts contends the sole object of the promoters of this undertaking is to grab the power site at the mouth of the Salmon River.
DNT (10 July 1926) News Notes of the Klamath--Mrs. Harry Roberts has as her guest this week, Miss Hellman of Oakland. Both ladies were in a party who attended the Indian celebration at Pecwan creek up above Johnson's this week.
DNT (31 July 1926) Klamath Salmon Run Behind Time--Arguments regarding the largest catch of fish ever made by the Klamath River Packing Co. and put up in one day have been many and varied in the county in the last few years, but according to the official records of H.C. Roberts, in charge of the plant at Requa, the largest catch for one day was made in 1923 in August, when over 10,000 fish were taken with an average weight of over 15 pounds a piece.
Mr. Roberts states that there is a rumor of some sort that back in the dark ages of 1912 there was something like 12,000 fish caught in a single day, but Mr. Roberts expresses considerable doubt that such a catch was ever made, as there is nothing official to prove it.
The run of salmon on this river this year is rather late, according to Mr. Roberts, but he also stated that the average for the last few years had always been practically the same, so he expects the catch later on in the season will pick up considerable.
The building of the Copco dam put the fishing industry on a poor paying basis for a number of years, Mr. Roberts stated, but after the state started planting large numbers of hatchery fish each year, this did not affect the fishing industry so much, as the planted fish do not go as far up the river to spawn as the wild fish do.
The Klamath River section cannot be excelled as a vacation paradise Mr. Roberts believes and many of his claims seem justified, for the sportsman there has everything that goes to make up sport. He has both fresh and salt-water fishing and all sorts of hunting, coupled with ideal swimming facilities and a fine climate.
DNT (18 Sept. 1926) News Notes of the Klamath--Interesting Party Given by Mr. and Mrs. H. Roberts--Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Roberts held a salmon bake in celebration of Mr. C.H. White's 86th birthday. Mr. White is president of the Klamath River Packers Association. Among those present were Mrs. George Fields, Mrs. Frank Culver, Miss Laura B. King, Mr. and Mrs. W. Jorgensen, M. and Mrs. G.S. Tyler and Miss Kathleen Tyler, all of Oakland, Miss L. Flewy of Berkeley, Mr. and Mrs. E.C. Scofield and Mrs. H. Clark of Palo Alto, Mr. P. Maxwell and Mr. Ira Stevens. Mr. Stevens entertained the guests with an interesting account of Indian life and customs before the advent of the white man....
San Francisco Chairman Here. Mrs. George D. Herrick, chairman of Indian Welfare for the San Francisco District, California Federation of Woman's Clubs, was a visitor in Requa this week. Mrs. Harry C. Roberts, who is spending the summer in Requa, where he husband is manager of the Klamath River Packers Association, is the chairman of Indian Welfare for the Alameda district.
Guests at Roberts Home. Mr. B.L. Waterhouse and son, H.M. Waterhouse of Oakland, were guests of the H.C. Roberts family for several days last week. They enjoyed a trip to Blue creek for fly-fishing and trolled at Requa. Harry Roberts, Jr. who spent several weeks of his vacation here, returned with the Waterhouse party to resume his studies at the Oakland Technical High school....
J.C. Sperry of the Sperry Flour company of Berkeley, accompanied by John E. Hays, glove manufacturer of New York, have been enjoying a vacation of a few days at Requa. While here they were entertained by Mr. and Mrs. H.C. Roberts with a salmon bake on the beach near the mouth of the river, which made a decided hit with them....
DNT (25 Sept. 1926) News Notes of the Klamath--The Bull and Dunn cedar company operating on the lower Klamath have experienced some difficulty in getting out their rafts of cedar logs on account of the unusually low water and the deplorable condition of the mouth of the river....
Mrs. Harry Roberts has been official photographer for the company and has taken many fine pictures in different stages of the work from towing, floating and making the rafts to getting them out over the bar....
DNT (31 Dec. 1926) News Notes of the Klamath--....Sometime ago a delegation of six Requa Indians, including Jeff Henry, Robert Spott, Walter Fry, Dewey George, and William and George Mennon, made a trip to San Francisco to appear in the entertainment at the Eagles Fall Festival being held in the Rodger Auditorium for the benefit of their Christmas cheer fund.
The Indian tribal dances and songs were a feature of the pageant every evening and were supervised by Robert Spott. Through the advertising gained by appearing at this festival, a number of clubs became interested in the Klamath Indians and with the cooperation of Mrs. Harry Roberts, who is Chairman of Indian Welfare, arranged to send Xmas cheer to the Indians of the Klamath section. In order to make it a community affair, the six men who appeared in the tribal dances were asked to pick a Requa woman to receive the things and see that they were all wrapped, labeled and delivered at the church. Edythe Lockwood, Chairman of the Harmony Club, was selected and was notified by Mrs. George Herrick, Chairman of Indian Welfare for the San Francisco district.
The clubs who contributed to the Christmas cheer for the Requa Indians were the Sorosis of Mills College, Adelphian Club of Alameda, Foot Hill Boulevard Woman's Club of Oakland, Camp Fire Girls of Oakland, and the Harmony Club of Requa....
DNT (1 July 1927) Word has been received from Oakland that Mrs. Harry Roberts had the misfortune to break her leg and is now confined in the Fabiola Hospital. Mrs. Roberts was expected in Requa this week to join her husband and son and planned to spend the summer vacation, Mr. Roberts being assistant manager of the Klamath River Packing Association.
DNT (15 July 1927) Prominent San Francisco Club Woman to Spend the Summer Here with Husband--Mrs. Harry Roberts and son, Harry Junior, arrived in Requa last Friday from their home in Piedmont, having come overland with Herbert Waterhouse, who will spend part of his vacation the guest of Harry Junior. Both boys are planning on making the most of their stay at the Klamath and have been on a number of fishing expeditions already. Next week they plan on taking a trip up the river. Harry Roberts is a junior in the Oakland Technical high school and Herbert Waterhouse is a junior in the university high school of Oakland.
Mrs. Roberts had the misfortune to break her ankle and was confined in the Fabiola Hospital in Oakland for several weeks before coming to Requa. Mrs. Roberts is prominent in club circles in the bay cities and had spent a strenuous winter working in the various departments of club activities.
DNT (22 July 1927) Harry K. Roberts and Herbert Waterhouse of Oakland accompanied Ira Stevens and Larry Spott on a camping and fishing trip to the Blucher place at Bald Hills. Weitchpec and Tecta creek were both fished but unsuccessfully.
DNT (29 July 1927) News of the Klamath River Section--Mr. Miles of Er-Ner, the Blue Creek resort, has announced that the steelhead there are beginning to strike and he anticipates good fishing from now on. Harry K. Roberts and guest Herbert Waterhouse left Friday morning for Er-Ner for a week's fishing. Mrs. George Fields has extended the boys the hospitality of her summer cabin at Blue Creek during their stay on the fishing trip.
DNT (19 Aug. 1927) News of the Klamath River Section-National Woman's Club Worker Here--Mrs. Harry C. Roberts, chairman of Indian Welfare for this district, spoke of the possibility of reconstructing a Yurok Indian house as a clubhouse or of using an idealized plan in a somewhat larger construction. She also spoke of the desirability of sponsoring the organization of Scout and Camp Fire groups among the Indian children...
Mrs. Bonnie Royce of 2476 Price Street in Berkeley is field matron for the Indian Welfare Society and any girl or woman wishing employment in the bay region may write to her or may apply to Mrs. Harry C. Roberts at Requa...
Judge and Mrs. Wm. Hazlett, Dr. B.L. Dorsey of L.A., Mrs. Frank Alvery of Beaumont, Texas and Mrs. Harry C. Roberts of Piedmont enjoyed a day of fly fishing at Blake's Riffle on the Klamath on Tuesday, followed by an Indian salmon bake in the evening...
Mrs. Harry Roberts, who has been confined to her home on account of a broken foot, is now able to walk without the aid of crutches and will soon be able to enjoy the out of door activities of which she is an enthusiast.
Hubert Waterhouse and Harry K. Roberts, accompanied by Mrs. Rose V. Berry, returned to Oakland last week... They expect to be back in Oakland in time to enroll in high school, as Harry K. Roberts is a junior in the Oakland Technical high school, while Hubert Waterhouse is a junior in the University high school of Oakland.
DNR (9 Sept. 1927) Klamath Indian Children May Enter Government School--Mrs. Harry C. Roberts, San Francisco district chairman for Indian children wishing to enter any of the government schools.
Children who are now visiting relatives will have to return to the same school they attended last year, as no child will be released from the school in which they first enrolled, unless in very exceptional cases.
No child is allowed to go without a physician's examination and the doctor from the Hoopa agency was expected at Requa on Friday evening, Sept. 1, at which time all the children enrolled were requested to appear for examination. It was planned to leave on Sept. 3, the Indian agency making all arrangements for transportation.
Mrs. Roberts has assisted Superintendent John D. Keeley, the Hoopa Indian Agent, very materially in Indian affairs, which is greatly appreciated, as such a large territory is covered by the agency and means of transportation are not dependable.
DNR (9 Sept. 1927) Miss Grace Nicholson of Pasadena and her manager, Mr. C.S. Hartman, who have been purchasing Indian costumes and curios in this section of the state for the past twenty years, are registered at the Klamath Inn. Miss Nicholson is here completing several collections of costumes and flints to be placed in museums. Miss Nicholson owns one of the most beautiful and complete oriental art galleries on the Pacific coast. Miss Nicholson and Mr. Hartman were entertained at dinner by Mrs. George R. Field on Sunday and by Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Roberts on Monday.
DNT (9 Sept. 1927) Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Allen and two children of Hoopa, accompanied by Mrs. Harry C. Roberts of Piedmont, who is vacationing at Requa, motored up to Terwer Sunday and visited at Redwood Rest Campground.
Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Allen of Hoopa were entertained at a salmon bake by Mr. and Mrs. Harry Roberts. Among those present were Mr. and Mrs. Francis Newton, Robert Brogden, Dr. B.F. Dorsey and Mr. H. Clark.
DNT (28 Oct. 1927) Mrs. Harry C. Roberts, San Francisco district chairman of Indian Welfare, is already making plans for the Christmas boxes to be sent to the different Indian villages in Northern California.
Indian legends were included in an address given by Mrs. Harry Roberts to the various groups of Camp Fire girls and Boy Scouts of the Bay cities who plan on cooperating with the District Federation in supplying a part of the gifts for distribution...
DNT (3 Feb. 1928) Welfare Board Finds Employment for Indian Youths.Through the interest of the Division of Indian Welfare of the California Federation of Woman's Clubs, a number of Requa Indian girls and boys have been placed either at school or found positions in the bay cities during the past few months.
Minnie Spott, the oldest daughter of Mrs. Alice Spott of Requa, is a special student in the art department of the Piedmont high school, while her brother, Ed Spott, sailed on January 20 on the Maunaloa for Australia as a mechanic. Ed expects to return by July. Minnie Spott and Violet George taught Indian basket making in Miss Ransom's private school for girls in Piedmont.
Rosa Wood demonstrated basket making before the Piedmont Camp Fire Girls and has been asked to go into their summer camp for a two weeks vacation in June. Among other Requa Indian girls who have found employment in Oakland are Gladys Smith, Caroline George, Mary and Maggie Blake. May Natt and Mrs. Louis Whipple of Smith River are there also.
James Brooks is working at the Sherman Williams Paint company in Emeryville.
DNT (30 March 1928) Del Norte Indians Making Splendid Records in City; Prominent Club Woman Is Giving Much Assistance In Welfare Work--That a definite move is on foot to provide better advantage fro the Indians of California is the word received by the Triplicate in a letter from Mrs. Harry C. Roberts of Piedmont, who spends the summer months at Requa where Mr. Roberts is superintendent of the salmon packing plant of the Klamath Packers Association. In her letter, Mrs. Roberts gives some valuable information in regard to the work being done for the Indians as follows:
"Editor Triplicate: Mr. Roberts and myself, who are summer residents of Requa and who are subscribers to your paper, note that most of the news you publish concerning Indian residents of Del Norte County is of an unfortunate nature. You might be interested to know that there are a number of Del Norte County Indians who recently came to the bay region for employment and who are establishing enviable reputations for themselves as efficient workers and desirable citizens.
"A club known as the Yurok Club was recently formed which meets in Piedmont once each week. Among the members are Miss Minnie Spott, president; Miss Maggie Blake, secretary and treasurer; Miss May Natt, program chairman; Miss Mary Blake, Miss Gladis Smith, Miss Violet George, Miss Caroline George, Mrs. Rosie Woods, Mrs. Louis Whipple, James Brooks and Ed Spott and associate members from tribes in various parts of the United States.
"The Yurok Club entertained Prof. and Mrs. Gifford of the Department of Anthropology of the University of California recently and have been entertained at the home of Dr. A.L. Kroeber, head of the Department of Anthropology.
"Rosa Woods has been a guest of the Piedmont Camp Fire Girls, where she demonstrated Yurok basket making and has appeared before the Women's Clubs and classes in the study of American Indian life in the high school. Violet George and Minnie Spott taught basket making in the Ransom private school for girls in Piedmont. And will appear with Rosa Wood on the program of the San Francisco district convention of the C.P.W.C. to be held in San Francisco in April. James Brooks gave a talk to the class in the study of American Indian life on conservation and preparation of Indian foods at the Oakland technical school.
"Your Chamber of Commerce should send the Yurok Club a note of appreciation for advertising Del Norte County."
DNT (4 May 1928) News of Klamath Section--Mr. Harry C. Roberts, assistant manager of the Del Norte Packers Association, is expected to arrive in Requa around the tenth of May to make preparations for the opening of the commercial fishing season.
DNT (18 May 1928) News of the Klamath Section--Cannery Officials Here--Mr. George Mortensen, superintendent, and Mr. Harry C. Roberts, assistant manager of the Klamath River Packers Association, arrived in Requa last weekend and are getting things in readiness at the local cannery for the opening of the commercial canning season on July 1st. Mrs. Mortensen and Mrs. Roberts will join their husband later on and spend the summer at Requa.
DNT (6 July 1928) News of Klamath Section--Mrs. Harry Roberts and son, Harry Junior, of Oakland arrived in Requa last week and are now comfortably domiciled in the William Crone home where they will spend the summer months.
DNT (20 July 1928) News of Klamath Section--Professor and Mrs. Detrick Lehmen and daughter Helen of Berkeley were guests one day last week of Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Roberts. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Roberts, Harry Jr. and houseguest Herbert Waterhouse spent a most enjoyable day Sunday when they motored to Rock creek.
DNT (27 July 1928) News Notes of the Klamath--Harry Roberts of Piedmont and Hubert Waterhouse of Oakland, who are spending the summer at Requa, are camping at Blue Creek this week to do some trout and steelhead fishing.
DNT (17 Aug. 1928) News Notes of the Klamath--Mrs. Harry Roberts, who has been vacationing for the past few weeks at Requa, left for her home in Piedmont a few days ago.
DNT (16 Nov. 1928) Woman's Clubs Plan Campaign To Help Klamath Indians--Mrs. Ruth Kellett Roberts, who for many years has interested herself in the welfare of the California Indians, and who resides at Requa during the summer months, this week mailed the Triplicate an article dealing with the interest being shown in the Indians by the California Federation of Woman's Clubs. The article is as follows:
"California club women are taking sides with the Kurok Indians in the controversy started by the recent resurvey of the Klamath River. The women are fearful the Indians will be deprived of their only means of livelihood, fishing. The matter came up at the last board meeting of the California Federation of Woman's Clubs through the Indian Welfare division of the Federation.
"The board members passed a resolution protesting against the resurvey of the north line of the Hoopa Indian Reservation and adjacent lands made under the authority of the United States Government, and have sent a request to Dr. Hubert Work, Secretary of the Interior, and to United States senators and congressmen from this state that the survey be rejected.
"The same resolution was adopted by the East Bay Yurok Club recently. Mrs. Harry C. Roberts, Indian Welfare Chairman for the San Francisco District Federation, is one of the women taking up the matter with much zest.
"The club women hold the recent resurvey, if accepted, will have the effect of setting aside the initiative measure adopted by the people of California in 1924, creating the Klamath River Fish and Game District and prohibiting the construction of any obstruction to the waters of the river from its mouth to the mouth of the Shasta River, that it will shift the line of the Hoopa Indian Reservation northerly so as to include about six miles of the river within its boundary, putting that part of the river under the jurisdiction of the Government instead of the district, will be the course of endless confusion and litigation, and will be toward the end of constructing dams which will stop the run of salmon and other fish in the Klamath."
DNT (23 Nov. 1928) Govt. Hearing on Indian Problems--The treatment the Indians of California have been receiving from the United States government during the past few years has been very poor, especially in Mendocino County, according to Sheriff John R. Breen, who returned late this week from San Francisco where he was called the first of the week to testify before the Indian Welfare committee of the U.S. Congress, which made a trip to the Pacific coast for the purpose of investigating Indian affairs.
Sheriff Breen was called on to testify in regard to the treatment and living conditions of the Klamath Indians...
The matter of the power situation on the Klamath river was injected into the meeting by Mrs. H.C. Roberts, well-known Del Norte County woman, who was testifying at the meeting and caused considerable interest, although the prime purpose of the meeting was for the discussion of the care the Indians have been receiving from the government.
Charges that the United States Indian Bureau and the Public Lands Department have taken action to make possible construction of a dam across the Klamath River after proposals for such a project had been rejected by the voters of California were made at the hearing by Mrs. Harry C. Roberts, Piedmont Chairman of the Committee of Indian Welfare of the Federation of Woman's Clubs. They were affirmed by Mrs. Mary Gist, Dornback, known as the "Joan of Arc" of the Klamath tribe, whose father John C. Gist, has filed with the Land Department protest against a recent survey which includes land he is farming in an extension of the Hoopa Indian Reservation. Gist's land, as is that of other farmers in the locality, lies north of the river and across the reservation. Mrs. Dornback related other abuses heaped upon her people...
Ferndale Enterprise (26 July 1929) Must Eliminate Ocean Trolling to Protect Fish--Another hearing before officials of the United States Department of Agriculture on the proposal of changing the boundaries of the Hoopa Indian Reservation will likely be held in the near future, according to Harry Roberts, Superintendent of the Klamath Packers' Association's cannery at Requa, who has taken a leading part in the fight over the proposed construction of a power dam across the lower Klamath River. The move to build the dam at Ishi Pishi falls, about fifty miles up stream from the mouth of the stream, is backed by the Electro Metals Company, which has already undertaken considerable development work on the site with the idea of impounding the waters of the Klamath River for power purposes.
The power project struck a snag in 1924 when the people of California voted to keep the lower Klamath River free from dams in order to protect the fishing, both sport and commercial. This action by the voters of the state practically terminated development operations at the dam site, but the corporation has been busy seeking a way to get around the California law.
Accordingly, a move has been made to establish the boundaries of the Hoopa Indian Reservation to include the dam site at Ishi Pishi falls, but this move is being strenuously opposed by both the cannery interests and the sportsmen's clubs of California. The matter has already been given one hearing, at which time the power corporation won its point, but another hearing has been promised and it is hoped to have it held in the northern part of the state in order that the investigating committee may get first hand information and obtain sentiment of the people in the district most affected by the undertaking.
In speaking of prospects for the salmon run in the Klamath River this season, Mr. Roberts stated to the Del Norte Triplicate that everyone interested is looking forward to a big run, although the outlook based on the past few seasons, is not bright. The reason assigned by Mr. Roberts for the decreasing run of salmon in the Klamath River is the effect caused by the outside trolling, the deep sea fishermen taking small and immature fish. Thus the salmon never have the opportunity to attain their full size and return to the streams in which they were spawned.
A move is now on foot, says Mr. Roberts, to secure an agreement between the United States and Canada, which would eliminate the outside trollers.. If this is not done, he says, it will only be a matter of a few years until the entire industry is wiped out.
In regard to the possibility of closing the Klamath River to commercial fishing, Mr. Roberts says at the last session of the California Legislature the sum of $1,000 was appropriated for the purpose of investigating the possibility of purchasing the cannery interests at Requa and closing the stream to commercial fishing. Governor Young was to name a committee of three to investigate the proposition and file a report on it, but so far nothing has been done.
DNT (11 Oct. 1929) Klamath News--Mr. Harry Roberts left for his home in Piedmont this week. Mr. Roberts went by way of Grants Pass and planned on visiting the salmon hatchery at Hornbrook.
DNT (1 Nov. 1929) News of Klamath Section--Mrs. George Fields, manager of the Klamath River Packers' Association, accompanied by Mr. Harry Roberts, bookkeeper of the company, and Mr. Schofield all of San Francisco, spent two days of last week at the Klamath Inn while attending a business conference in connection with the company's business here.
DNT (24 Jan. 1930) Women Learn Indian Lore; Legends from Yurok Girls by Marie Elwell Onions in the Oakland Tribune--The romance and freedom of the American Indians' teepee? They are nothing compared to the security of the modern woman's club home. Picturesque traditions? They must be relinquished for the mechanics of organized women's power.
Indian girls are coming out of the wigwam and they are no longer content to sit in the sun and grind golden maize. In short, they are giving up the mortar and pestle to wield club woman's gavel. Clubdom is extending its long arm to take into its membership the young daughters of Redmen who once roamed these lands as savage free men.
A striking demonstration of the red girls' "progress" is the Yurok Indian Girls Club of the Eastbay. It was recently admitted into the California Federation of Woman's Clubs under the guidance of the Oakland Civic Center, Inc.
From the Lower Klamath region come the Yurok Indian girls who make up the membership of the novel junior club. They were brought here thru the interest of Mrs. Harry C. Roberts, chairman of Indian Welfare for Alameda county of the California Federation of Woman's Clubs and are now settled in school and employment in the bay region.
For two years, the girls have been organized under Mrs. Roberts' leadership, but it was only recently that they came into the Federation as a junior auxiliary with Mrs. J.H. Brock as their senior adviser. Hence forth they will enter into the social and educational activities of the federated junior auxiliaries now directed in Alameda County by Mrs. John H. Merrill of Alameda. Oakland Civic Center will sponsor a special program of entertainment and instruction acceptable to the demands as new-born clubwomen.
The Indian girls own contribution to local clubdom is indicated by the growing prevalence of programs introducing Indian talent. Exhibits of Indian handcraft are not uncommon features of Club meetings. Hundreds of local clubwomen have become students of Indian folk lore and legendry following the informed talk of one of these Indian clubgirls. Indian music has also come into its own and during the last several years Eastbay clubdom has sponsored several large Indian ceremonial pageants.
May Natt is the Indian Girls Club executive; Minnie Spott, vice-president; Violet George, recording secretary; Alice Brown, corresponding secretary; Margaret Blake, treasurer.
Mrs. James Burgess, state chairman of Indian Welfare for the Federation, was made an honorary member of the Yurok Club on her recent visit to Alameda District, and was initiated into the Club at an impressive party given in her honor at the Roberts' home. Mrs. Roberts and Mrs. B.V. Royce of Berkeley, field matron in the Indian field service, were also initiated.
A business and social meeting assembled the Indian girls the evening of January 9 to inaugurate the new year program. It was at this time that Mrs. Merrill and Mrs. J.N. Brock were made honorary members, their initiation featuring an impressive acorn soup ceremony.
Yurok Indian boys will also be welcomed into Eastbay clubdom, according to a resolution passed at this initial January meeting, when the Yurok Indian girls voted to take into their membership young men as "associates."
Mrs. Roberts will be hostess for the next meeting of the Club scheduled for Thursday, February 13, at her home, 716 Scenic Avenue, Piedmont.
The membership of the Yurok Indian Girls Club includes: May Natt, Minnie Spott, Violet George, Caroline George, Blanche Nixon, Neta Charles, Margaret Marks, Margaret Blake, Rosa Wood, Cinderella Minard, Mary Franks, Alice Brown, Linda Richards, Nancy Lowden, and Alta Cook.
DNT (23 May 1930) Local Hero Given Carnegie Medal and $1600 Cash Award--Shortly after the heroic rescue of Floyd and Kerby Peters from drowning at the mouth of the Klamath River on September 4, 1927, by Carl Seidner and James W. Brooks, Mrs. Harry C. Roberts of Piedmont and Charles S. Graves of Yreka called the attention of Congressman Englebright of the district to the heroism displayed by the two young men who braved the darkness of a rough sea to rescue the unfortunates who had been swept out into the ocean by the strong current at the mouth of the river.
Through the good offices of Congressman Englebright, members of the award commission visited the mouth of the Klamath River and investigated thoroughly all of the facts relating to the incident.
Notice of the final awards of the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission was received this week by the two young.
DNT (23 May 1930) News of Klamath Section--Harry Roberts, accountant for the Klamath River Packers Association, arrived in Requa last week in order to make preparations for the opening of the canning season.
Mr. Roberts will be joined later by Mrs. Roberts and their son, Harry, the latter now holds a responsible position as adjustor for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company of Oakland.
DNT (1 Aug. 1930) Writes Interesting Indian Legends--An author of note and a chronicler of the Lore and Legends of the Klamath River Indians, as his book has been named, Charles S. Graves of Yreka, California was in Crescent City this week on a tour of Del Norte County, seeking new material for his writings. Mr. Graves is one of the pioneer residents of northern California and is familiar with many of the early day characters which have since become immortalized in the history of the state.
Lore and Legends of the Klamath River Indians is a most interesting book to read and is also filled with many illustrations, several of individuals, including Robert Spott, Henry Joseph, Phoebe Maddux, Christine Rabin, Alice Spott, Johnny Southyard, Henry Thomas, Viola Humphreys, Aurelia Humphreys, Minnie Spott, May Natt, and Leona Davis.
In compiling the material for the book, Mr. Graves received the assistance of Mrs. H.C. Roberts of Piedmont, California, chairman of Indian Welfare of the California Woman's Federation...
California Fish and Game 18(4):283-290 (Oct. 1932) "Conservation as Formerly Practiced by the Indians in the Klamath River Region" By Ruth Kellett Roberts.
DNT (30 June 1933) Closing of Rivers Big Mistake Says Cannery Manager--The idea that the California State Fish and Game Commission or the State Legislature will dig up the sum of $15,000 for the purchase of the fish canning interests of the Klamath River Packers Association at Requa and several thousand dollars additional for the purchase of nets, boats and equipment belonging to Indians who will be put out of employment by closing of the Klamath River to commercial fishing is scoffed at by Harry Roberts, manager of the packers association. Mr. Roberts arrived in Requa recently to get the canning plant in readiness for operation during the coming season and expects a heavy run of fish in the river this year.
Relative to the new law closing Klamath and Smith rivers to commercial fishing, Mr. Roberts says that a great injustice is being done the Indians if the law goes into effect and further predicts that all fishing in these streams will suffer, probably eliminated entirely due to the fact that gillnetting keeps the bed of the streams free from moss and other obstructions which have a tendency to prevent the fish from schooling in the lower waters.
Roberts also declares that the offer of $15,000 for the cannery is too low and predicts a court battle unless more money is appropriated for this purpose. Also Mr. Roberts is of the opinion that the Indians in the Smith River district as well as those at Klamath should be compensated for their boats and equipment which will be rendered useless if Smith river is closed to commercial fishing.
The new law is slated to take effect on January 1, 1934.
DNT (20 Nov. 1967) Ruth Kellett Roberts, 82, curator of the McNulty home museum and the Del Norte Historical Society's museum, passed away November 15 at Seaside hospital.
Mrs. Roberts was born in Calistoga, April 2, 1885. She came to Del Norte county with her late husband Harry to operate the Crescent City lighthouse in 1955. After a year the couple moved to the McNulty museum where they continued as curators, a position Mrs. Roberts has held until present at both the McNulty home and the old jail museum. She served as president of the Del Norte Historical Society from 1958 to 1965. She is survived by one son, Harry Roberts, of Sebastopol.
At the request of the deceased memorial gifts to the Del Norte Historical Society book of memory are asked in lieu of flowers. Private cremation services are under the direction of Wier's Mortuary chapel. A memorial service will be conducted later in the month at the Federated Community Methodist church. The date will be announced at a later date.