The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-08-31

Major Alexander G. Irvine and wife
arrived in this city last Thursday morn
ing, from New Mexico, on a short visit
to Mrs. Irvine's family,who reside here
Major Irvine is stationed at Fort Defi'
ance, about 250 miles west of Santa Fe,
as the Indian Agent of the Navajo
tribe, who occupy reservation OF sixty
by ninety miles, lying parity in New
Mexico and Arizona. This is the third
largest single Indian agency in the
United States.
After the termination of the Indian
war in 1868, and this tribe was sub
dued, their principal chief told Gen.
Sherman that if the Government would
place them back upon their old reser-
vation, give each Indian two sheep for
start, and an annuity of S5 each in
clothing for ten years, they would never
ask for any further assistance. A treaty
was therefore effected with them upon
these terms, and has been faithfully OBJ
served. In order to encourage the
tribe to engage in agriculture, every
head of family so engaged was allow
ed an additional annuity of S25. This
is held as fluid, and issued to them in
useful farm tools, machinery and other
articles suitable for a household, eX-
cept clothing. About 400 families now
receive the benefit of this fund. Owing
to the scarcity of rain in this region,
there is great uncertainty about raising
a crop, they knowing nothing about ir-
rigating the soil, there being but little
chance to do so if they did. A Apracti-
cal farmer is employed by the Govern
ment to direct their work, so as to give
them the best results possible. They
raise about three crops out of five on
an average.
Fifteen thousand sheep-nearly two
for each Indian-were given them in
1868, and now they have increased so
that they own 100000. These they
herd in the summer upon the noun
tains, descending, as cold weather ap-
proaches, to winter upon the plains.
Each herd has its own resort in the
mountains, and when they return in
the spring the herders respect the
rights of each other in this regard.
They own, besides the sheep, quite a
number of cattle, one old chief having
a herd of eighty COWS. The tribe are
now too rich to 90 to war with the
Government or other tribes of Indians,
and they are fully aware of the fact.
Their interest lies in having the United
States protect them from the Mexicans
and rowing bands of Indians. If all
the Indian tribes could be induced to
pursue similar course as the Nava-
joes, the Indian problem would soon be
settled upon a permanent basis.
One portion of their reservation, said
to be the richest in pasturage, the Ma
vajoes do not dare to occupy with their
herds, on account of their fear of the
warlike Utes, who virtually have pos
session.
The NavajOes now number about 49,
600, and, owing to their peaceful occu-
patton, are said to be increasing at the
rate of 400 annually. Owing to the in
crease of their numbers and herds, they
desire the Government to enlarge their
in a direction which they
can utilize, and it will probably be
granted.
The regular time of issuing annuities
to the tribe is in October, but last year
the supplies were not received until
December, and at the request of the
Indians they were not issued until the
4th of April. Three days were con-
sumed in the transaction. On the first
day the Indians pass into q stockade
where four men were stationed to issue
tickets for what they were entitled to
receive. All passed in except about $50
who had been left in charge of the
ponies. The count showed 1920 pres
ent, and on the two following days they
passed by the agency house in single
file, presented their tickets, and receiv-
ed from four open windows the articles,
mostly clothing and blankets, that the
tickets called for. There is no halting
each Indian takes his or her goods and
travels along. Several days are con-
sumed in preparing the lots previous to
and upon the day annouced
many white people come several miles
to witness the operation and also to as
sist the payment.
The Indians card and spin their wool
and weave the yarn into blankets, but
their tools and mode of performing
these operations are of the most primi-
tive nature. Their spinning wheel con-
sists of small round stick, about three
feet in length; one end is pointed, and
is put through the center of thin disk
of wood which is fastened about eight
or ten inches from the end. In using
this simple contrivance the Indian is
seated, the large end of the stick placed
on the ground, on the right side, while
the other projects above the knee. The
operator rolls the stick with the right
hand, while with the left he holds the
yarn upon the point, which is twisted
by the operation. They twist their yarn
harder than we do, and, in consequence,
their blankets are not as soft as ours.
Both the bucks and squaws work at
spinning and weaving. Mai. Irvine
imported one of our old-fashioned spin
ming wheels and taught an Indian to
use it, but after working two days he
went back to his old wheel, because he
could sit down while at work.
Their mode of weaving a blanket is
to hang up the warp over a pitchfork-
handle, and insert another at the bot
tom. A couple of long, slim sticks are
inserted through the warp in such a
manner as the threads will cross each
other, when the filling is pushed
through with stick and then drove
down with thin board shaped at the
ends similar to a canoe. This opera
ton, which is slow and tedious, is re-
peated with different colors of yarn to
suit their taste, until the blanket is COM
pleted. 1t takes an Indian about thirty
days to weave blanket, which could
easily be made on one of our looms in
a day. Maj. Irvine had one made for
himself, for which he paid S25.
Their lodges are constructed of poles
set thickly in the ground, in a circle,
around hole about eighteen inches
deep, and coming together at the top.
Over these skins are thrown, and then
they are covered with earth. The hole
is used for the fire, the smoke escaping
through an aperture just over the en-,
trance.
The tribe are still superstitious, and
when an Indian dies in one of thei1
lodges it is deserted by its occupants
and pulled down over the corpse, be,
coming an Indian grave. On no ac.
count can an Indian be induced TO oc.