The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-14
THE FAR WEST.
IIFF IN NEW MExIoo-A PRAIRIE ON FIRB-THE
CHARACTERISTICS OF MR.. 10.

L1TE IN NEW MEx1co-A PRAIRIE ON FIRE-THb
CHARACTERISTICS OF MR.. 10.
The following extracts from private let
ter written by the wife Of An officer OF the
army now stationed in New Mexico, contains
some matters of interest. The letter is dated
ct the camp on Canadian river, New
Mexico, February IS, 1S71;-
1--WE are camped in q delightful country,
and are having such weather as May brings
You home people. Although this south
western country is more closely allied to
utility than to beauty, remarkable and mag
niicent works of nature everywhere abound.
You hear constantly Of ''grazing countries"
but don't suppose you have an idea of what
grass is down here. ] inclose blade" pulled
up Just back of my tent. 1t is folded to fit
the envelope, but not broken as yet, though
it may be by the time it reaches you. This
blade measures six feet!) Imagine, if you
can, the grandeur of prairie fires, when this
natural hay is burning before steady
breeze travelling at the rate of an ordinary
trotting horse, moving in line OF battle,
extending from horizon to horizon. One
night, at the garrison, though to most of the
people here it is as an old story of little inte-
rest, we all turned out and witnessed pyro-
technic display that compared in immensity
with any other I ever saw, as one of these
prairies to a city grass plot The hills on
three sides, east, south, and west, were all
afire, and the night air clear as crystal, with
no moon to counterbalance the effect. 1t
would be almost sacrilege to attempt a de-
scription, so Ill not attempt to bride your
imagination.
Plenty of Indians down here-variety, too.
The other day band of Pswnee5 from the
Northwest, visiting the Wichitas by permits
sion, their leave from their reservation ex-
tending till April, passed the camp. They
had on their gala paint and feathers, and
really looked more like picture Indians than
the old buck 1 saw, first entering the terri
tory, with his piece of blanket, stove-pipe
hat, and variegated umbrella These Indians
are an interesting people-if they don't carry
their familiarities too far. They all know
few words of English, generally more of
Spanish, and condense about as much talk in
a few words and gestures as can possibly be
conceived. There was one here yesterday,
and 1 wished at the time you could have wit
messed the performance. Never think of
knocking, oh, no! Walked in, stood Just in
side the tent about three minutes.
Then after we had had a mutual stare for
that length of time, he said ''How" ''How
are you?-sit down, and motioned to stool
He sat down; not muscle of his face moved,
and continued reading. If he sat there two
he sat twenty minutes without saying a word
or acting as if there was an animate or inani-
mate object within ten thousand miles of
Il H.
gave grunt. looked at him, said "Well?"
and waited. He held up two fingers and
struck his thigh. "Kill-how long?" asked.
Then he waved his hand majestically over his
head from shoulder to shoulder, and held up
one finger. "How muchp" was my next
conundrum. In reply to he which held up one
hand, fingers extended, and said ''bits." I
gave him half a dollar. He got up and went
out. I called Sam, and the two venison
hams just outside the tent were
carried to the kitchen. That's a sample.
Sometimes, for amusement, let off string
of iargon at them, and in return got most
decisive information to the effect, 'sHeap
talk, no sabe"-''no sabe" being Spanish
for ''don't understand" Some of them are
Misunderstanding hounds; others the
reverse. They are all the biggest beggars in
Christendom, and the more you give them
the more they want. Their ingratitude is
the only quality that equals their rapacity.
They think white men have of everything in
the world, and as much of it as they want,
SO it's all right. Buck and squaw are their
synonyms for man and woman. They dress
and look 80 much alike it is impossible to
distinguish them at less than speaking dis
tance. So much for Mr.. Lo.