The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-04-13
CORRESPONDENTS OF rnE ElcaxosD pAIlr prsp.rou.
FoRT DEFIANCE, n. NJ, Feb. % 1890


The Climate, dc, dc.
[ooRaEsroSDEsoE OF THE KIcaGosD DAILY pIspAron. ]
/
FoRT DEFIANCE, N. NJ. Feb. %. 1890
As our friend, Chawlee Jeatneg YeIlovpluab
says, there is "nothink sntsen except uusertanty,n
In this ''subinary spear" OF ours; aud among the
most uncertain things which vex We exiss ont in
this "nick of woods" 10 the mail. Here we are
pent up In he Utica, surrounded by Iudiaus
aud Mountains, and shut out from the vulgar
world, without even the privilegeof reading what
is going on in civilization. em now eagerly CLEAN
ing the news from the ever welcome and bright
| face of the Dispatch, of the 10th Of December,
1855 I1ariJle dicta! Congress has assembled
aud at this writing almost journed, and yet aught
do We know OF its doiugs. The Dutch may have
taken the federal Capitol, as they have this coun.
try, and rest in biisstGi ignorance of The ,nt,
luxuriaiug in the smiles Of our red brethren, and
drinking wine sangarees. We have not had mail
for better than month, aad are totally Ignorant
of the time when shall be elated by the an.
nouncement Of such remarkable arrival. A
"large aud respectable" meeting of tue denizens
of this part of the habitable ) globe, numbering
at least three met in solemn convention last eve
ming to consider our grievances and scare up reme-
dies. 1t was hoped by some that a mail might
neuer come; proposed by others that we thrash the
carrier when he arrives aud send the mail bags to
the dead letter office; by others still, that me-
mortal (which l believe is the fashion now) be
drawn up signed by all the Indians in the Nava.
Joe country-12,000 in number-(as many as there
arc reDuGeQ lnnaUltauls CI tue leETttOry OF Aris
zonia) and sent on to Congress. demanding our
rights, and stating Observation-Disclosures -
Finally, it was agreed to organize ourselves into
territorial government, franchise the Indians, and
elect delegate to Congress.
This, You observe, was the plan adopted after
the most exhaustingly laborious confederation
It is very clear to my'mind that the idea will be
received with great applause and favor by the
large-hearted people OF the United States. Look
at the case! Here are 1900 cbivalrous red SIX ms
struggling for scaps and liberty, unprotected from
the iorages of the pale faces and John Barley
corn; a condition of things loudly and most vo..
ciferously calling for the strong arm of the gov
ernment to intervene. The country abounds in
the most beautiful hills and frghtful cannous; the
largest and most majestic sandstones which NOR
tai eye ever behed are here to be found, and the
most abundant supplies of agate, slick, ETC., exist
to a greater extent than in any place within the
broad expanse of our limtless domain! Can the
powers that be, overlook these poten>
tisl facts in political economy aud physical histo.
ry? Nary time. Then, what glorious constel-
lation will these free and independent United
States be, when "JohnDy Navsjo," (that is the
name We have fixed upon for cur territory,) "Ari-
zonia" "Coiona," "Laramie," !" ""Decotah, )" "Ontsna-
gon," "Carson Valley" &c are united to the "sis-
'terhood of sovereignties." and what mint of
offices will then be to distribute to the hungry
hangers.on about Washiugtonl We are great
people-a great countryi Long may we wavel
Prophet!
Ob tne A0tu Ol JdHuaIy, OiuCiai DuslHess CAlllUs
me to the Pueblo Of Guno. about sixty miles south
Of this place, party Of u.s. consisting of Major
Shepherd, 1t. Dickinson, and 40 soldiers, started
for that village-the mercury six degrees below
zero. / did not think there was as much snow as
we passed through, between the equator and North
pole. 1t ranges between two and three feet iD
depth, and was just hard enough to be too soft.
Our horses would rise upon the crust, and at the
first step break through. We were five days trav.
elling the sixty miles, and the most disagreeabe
journey have ever made. We only succeeded in
getting through in that tine by leaving one of our
| wagons half way. and doubling the teams.
After accomplishing the object for which we
went, concluded to examine the curosities OF
the place. The PuebIos are semi icivilzed. Their
houses are built of ddobeS, and much after the
style of the Mexican buildings, except the
Indian houses have two stories, entering the
upper one by means OF ladder from the outs ide
They are peaceable, and this Pueblo is in very
comfortable circumstances. They raise corn,
wheat, melons, pumpkins, onions, &c, and always
keep on hand years supply in advance, to guard
against contingencies They Craze largely, and
have great numbers of sheep and goats. Under
the Spanish grant, they were entitled to O league
of land, running to the four cardinal points from
the centre of their town. These grants were con.
frmed by Mexico, and recently ie-confrmed by
the United States. The ground is held in com.
mon; but no other property Each family, or
adult member of the town has his allotted ground
to cultivate, and alone receives the reward of his
industry or incidence. They are remarkably
community of interest and attachment. Their
municipal government is regular and stringent
The utmost respect is paid to authority. There
are two or three chchtnas, the head men, whose
tenures of office is life. They appoint the Gov.
ernor, whose election is annual also the Lieut.
Governor, War Captain, and several other officers
The,oflice of the Chctiaa is sacred--s kind of high
priesthood. He seldom has anything to say, ex.
cept upon very grave and important subjects
When he desires to hold a council, he gets upon
the house top, and doles out some unintelIieible
gibberish, immediately after which, all the men
assemble at the Council room. His decision is law
There is no appeal from him. The occasion of our
visit involved serious affairs to the Indians. and
it by his decision that difficulty was prevented
The offenders we sOught were givenup, notwith.
standing one of them WAS the G1ce1ues son.
(another hereditary office, and only Inferior to
the Cltichissd,) aud both of them ricos Their
entire conduct during the affair." exhibited clearly
/ that they were a we'll governed and law-aDiding
people. Major Shepherd acted with great deal
/ of military prudence, energy and decision which
went far to expedite Justice.
The Pueblo or what has bees depominated. q
''waled city OF the plains," is built upon hill in
the centre of O large, level valley and contains
about 5000 souls At distrace, it appears like a
vast pile of dirt. There is no regularity ia the
streets. The town is cut up into as many pass-
ways almost there are houses and when we
were there all of them were very fiithy owing
much to the melting of the snow and the constant
usage of one or the other of the various kind OF
| siderable improvement in the buildings, number
of which have been erected within a few years
past Some of those which visited are neatly
white-washed inside aud appeared quite cleauly.
The women are remarkably industrious and the
men, when not engaged On the fields, which they
till well aud successfully, knit stockings and EN-,
ploy themselves in other useful ways. In one of
the houses where my curiosity, probably at the
expense OF etiquette, led me, found three very
| pretty Indian girls making -four and corn meal -
The process called m0idre Ell aletate Ell ptetate ia
two stones, with smooth surfaces, one large and
| the other small. The large one is somewhat
| scooped, or rather concave, and is permanently
| fixed in q trough, in slanting position. The
small one is perfectly level and smooth, and is
| used with the hand to grind TIN grain, which il
placed on the large stone. The process seemed
hard and strange to Us, but the girls worked away
rapidly, each motion of the arms being accomna.
MED by to and fro action of the body their RAJ
venblsck hair, neatly combed out, lying up and
down. Whilst working, they repose themselves
on their knees 1t is astonishing how speedily
they manufacture the our and meal, and that too
OF the very finest kind. The girls talked and
| laughed freely, but never stopped their work
They were pretty faces, whittier than the ordinary
Indian-haying smooth skin. and gentle, inno.
cent expression of countenance. The four and
| meal make very good bread, especially the meal.
In the centre of this 'swailed city" is large
church, now much dlapidated. In response to
question from me, the governor said it had been
built by their forefathers 'much0 amos datesn be
did not know how long. Its style is somewhat
Gothic, and on its top Is large bell. The entire
length the general service is about $50 feet
aud about 80 feet wide. Immediately above the
entrance is choir stage, such are geen 10 the
States and in front at the extreme end Of the room
the pulpit Near the joist aud right behind the
desk, is the painting of face, which. 1 suppose,
was intended for Christ. Immediately below this
is one of the sweetest and most beautiful full
length canvass pictures OF Mary, the mother OF
our Saviour, have ever seea. Although much
defaced, there are yet remaining the traces of
most skillfn artists pencil, and the evidences of
genius which conceves with admirable appropriA
Below the picture of Mary ten of the Apostles,
{I know not whom,) neatly carved In wood; and
also number of carved inscriptions the language
of which could not accurately discern, so much
were the letters defAced-the Latin, presume,
however. Around the pulpit 10 an sltar-indeed