Los Angeles daily herald., 1873-11-30
gus Anseles Aerald.
A PRETTY GOOD INDIAN.


natural attractions to the eye of the
casual observer who may happen to
demand something more delicate than
craggy mountains and yawning
ca1ions. l write from recollection OF
four years ago, at which time few
fields Of barley orcesas, and a few gar
dens, wherein were grown the COM
mon vegetables and garden fruits were
the only objects visible from the high
way to indicate that man had pro-
claimed his dominion there.
But pass behind the screen of shrub
berry which shuts off the view, and an
unexpected panorama OF beauty and
verdure will at once arouse the inter-
est of the spectator, and suggest in
quiry. Here, indeed is q colony OF
which little il known. Those I'M
mense fields of corn and barley stretch
ing away for miles and divided longi-
tudinally by the river, are the source
from which eight thousand human be-
inps obtain an abundant subsistence.
This is not a colony OF thrifty Scotch
men, nor vet of frugal Dutehmen, as
the reader might be led to suppose,
but it is the home of people OF un-
known antiquity and who have had a
known history, on this very spot, OF
more than two hundred years, viz,
the Pima tribe of Indians.
The Pima has long since discarded
the barbarous glory of war as an 0ccu-
patton, although he is driven at times
10 repel by force the encroachments or
the Apache, and unlike that! Bedouln
Of the hills he is always ready to COM
promise difficulties and misunder-
standings with his white neig hbor.
His code of ethics, although imaginary
as q code, is by no means SO as Prac-
tical entity. Disputes between menu
bers Of the tribe concerning the rights
of property are Of very rare occurrence
and are always amicably settled. The
mode Of adjustment is q species OF ar.
filtration which has never been solved
into distinctive system OF procedure,
of such rare occurrence have been
cases of misunderstanding that de-
manded the. intervention or others
than those Immediately interested as
necessary to their settlement. 1t has
happened of late years that some OF
the Younger, and less thoughtful OF the
braves have been guilty Of some gross
Injustice in their intercourse with the
white settlers in the valley; but all
such acts as might lead to difficulties
are invariably condemned and dis
countenanced by the senior members
of the tribe. The attempts OF those
restive subjects to appropriate the
stock of the whites, which were made
on two or three occasions, and lnvestl.
gated by the Military Commander OF
Camp Mcdowell, the Indian agent and
the chief men of the Pima nation
sitting in council, have always result
ed in the adjustment of the difficulty to
the satisfaction Of all concerned. IL Is
only within the last six or eight years
that the Pima has become conscious or
his'strength, (for the tribe could put
1000 warriors in the field at days
notice) and as the conviction of his
power steals upon him, he grows more
and more independent; and II it were
not for the intellectual superiority OF
the Pima over the other tribes of Arl-
zona, rendering him susceptible to the
influences of civilization, the knowl-
edge of his strength would long since
have prompted him to do deeds OF vlo-
lence. Yet, Notwithstanding his
numerous perfectiOns considered as an
Indian, the Pima is by no means a
desirable neighbOr. His ideas OF com
pensation and damages IRE decidedly
crude, for he recognizes but one stand
ard Of compensation in cases wherein
he is not the aggressor, and that IS re-
taliation.g = II, the stock Of his white
neighbor, by any accident find their
way into his field and eat up, or
DESTROY his crop, he is liable to not
only hold the cattle thus caught dam.
age-feasant, but likewise to tear down
the said neighbours fence and turn in
his own herd to Craze on the best the
farm may afford; and the neighbor
must not. retaliate by holding this
herd, in tllfn, as uchact would prOha-
bly arouse the dormant savage which
slumbers in the breast OF every Pima.
The white neighbor of this interesting
Indian must therefore rest satisfied
with driving out the trespasser's herd,
after which he must repair his fence
and then redeem the stock which the
Pima holds for damages. This order
of things is, however, becoming modi.
fed every year, and at the present
timAthe indian has probably learned
to coAtent himself with. the more
AngloEaxon custom of impoundine
the animals damage-feasant, and re.
tanning MEM till the full measure ol
damages Mas been paid. But it must
not be inferred that acts OF this nature
are of kequent or common occurrence
on the contrary they seldom occur
harmony. being the rule. But this
spirit Of retal lfRtiOn Is more dangerous
in a case where an Indian may happer
to lose his life by the hand OF white
man; whether by accident or design
the effect is the same. No matter how
evidently accidental the case may be
or how excusable or justifiable thu
act that deprives the Pima Of his life
the life Of the man at whose hand tilt
Pima fell must atone to the friends o
the deceased, or if he, knowing hi!
doom, should remain, should eftec
his escape from the neighborhood ant
leave the country, then some one els'
will disappear in due time, and hi
real fate, though easily surmised, vii
never be, positively known to the com
munity. IN case the Immediate acto
do not take the precaution TO leave tn
nSlgihbfhdoA his case will besettlet
without even the formality OF an in
vestigation. Z He will be deemed Il
have forfeited his life by his act ant
hence he becomes the target for tn
first musket that may be brought Il
bear upon him. The Pima declare
such to Do the lgwofthe tribe, govern
ing the matter Of homicide, but II
only one instance was the actual en-