National Republican., 1880-12-25

LIFE IN ATizpSA * ESJpYAnIE,
and by long walks up and down the ella Valley
and ont upon the desert we break the mo
notony this little dirty town. ON Thanksgiving
Day, in company with my wife and Professor
Cook, a gentleman from Massachusetts,, who has
chalgc Of our boys school, walked ont several
miles ON The desert over the remains of ancient
Indian Villages, bctrown with broken pottery,
along dis,iScd irripntng cnnnl on whose borders
numerous slight elevations above the desert level
showed the ruins Of habitntiuns Whose people have
long passed away without history or name,
which the sweep Of tiric has erased from the trn.
ditiOns of the remnant tribes OF those who now
dwell in tho wigwnms Of the Apache the
"Plnas," the MaricapUs," the "Nunas,' or the
"Papago',' who rejoice IN the name Of" Children
of the Desert" Following the course Of this ancient
canal, which exhibits the enterprise and ngri.
cultural habits of nn extinct people we cspcd
above the sage bush pnO.vcrdc and mesquite
bushes, that wonderful vegetable growth which
we started out to iind-,he large cactus called by
every one here savuara,' CsiiwHrn) Colonel Pos
ton, author Of the poem entitled Apache Land"
cnthuscs over this plant 0s follows:
THE riphtn name /, the .,ctyah'
For trees that grow Il lttlC higher;
Or ifyOulcn books discuss,
It's tCrCuS gignntCu,-
A tree which grows in desert lands
And finds Its nnturc in the sands;
IL rises limblc.s ffly feet.
Yielding Il fruit both rich aud sweet:
And when the fruits quite ripCned full
The Papagos hold carnival"
The first we came to was n good.sizcd one for
this section, it being about the size of -four bar.
rel and about twenty feet high. Like Il iutcd col
umn, 1t stood erect,
a BOLD SENTINEL OF THE pLAIN,
its corrugated bark armed with rows oflong, horny
thorns running from the root to the top, gave
stately warning of hands off,"
This curious plant has many varieties, and when
small is readily iransplautcd and, in some places,
used for hedges. There Is one kind which rarely
reaches over three or four feet in height, and is
completely covered with nshho0k.shaped thorns.
For want of any better name we call it the fish.
hook cactus, and TO show You that we have not
improperly named il, l enclose II few of the hooks
for your inspection A few days after this walk the
Professor and myself started ont TO visit II ranch
owned by a FrcnchmHn who settled here two or
three years ago on our wGy out we followed a
trail leading through the valley to the east
of the town, where the mesquite trees have
thick, scrubby growth, aud where the
coyote has his home. While walking along this
trail saw something resembling large dog cross
the road but upon reaching the place and exam.
lining the track we looked for the coyote. A short
distance away stood the animal, pcering through
the sagc.brush as if saying to himself "Who comes
hereY We approached TO where he stood, when
he trottcd Off n short distance to get better look
at the intruders upon his native wilds, when we
got good view of the fellow. In his movements
among the mesquite he appeared to be as large as
small deer and the Professor at once thought we
had found that game. In certain parts Of Arizona
the deer is very plentiful. 4 gentleman who has
cattle ranch in the mountains tells me he shoots
all the game his family can copsume Continuing
our ranblc, we came out on the main road, and
visited awhile with our FrCnChmun. His place eN.
hibits thrifty appearance, and 1t seemed incredi.
ble that his fruit and shade trees should attain such
Rzc in two years time. The cOttonwoods were from
thirty TO forty feet high and from six totcn inches
in diameter. Care and plCntyof water performs
wonders with the vegetable kingdom in this coun.
try, but where irrigation is impracticabe IL is
desert, There are 50 few people here and water is
so scarce, nearly the whole country is worthless,
barren waste Either by volcanic action or by rca
son of change in the climate the country must
have undergone great change at some period as
there are abundant evidences of dense popula.
ton once having their towns and cities scattered
over this whole region.
OLD RUINS BURIED FOUNDATIONS,
mounds and broken pottery are evidences that ap
pear all over the country ofn once numerous peo-
pie few days since we walked to a considerable
distance south ofthe town 10 examine old flundn.
tons that have been uneGrthed by relic hunters,
Quite likely these ruins were ancient fortifcutons
as the land is elevated above the common level,
aifording an outlook over the desert. On our way
into town we amethrougha Papago Indian camp,
where we stopped to visit and observe their man
ner of living and the process of making pottery
These people have apparently made but little pro.
grcss during the centuries they have possessed the
land, and are but one remove from the beasts of
the field as seen a their houses of rudest constrc.
ton, given to dirt unwholesOmeness, and filthy
habits. Their houses are made in the shape of II
halEglobe, of small timber poles, tied together
with withes and thatchcd with grass, straw, or
bushes, with small entrance about two feet high
and three feet wide, to get in aud out of which
they go on hands aud knees A short person could
barely stand erect inside, and the ground room
will measure not more than ten or twelve feet in
diameter whole family will crawl into one of
these wickcyups,' rs they yNrc called, and irthcy
chance TO have blankets, sleep on them IL not,
the bare ground affords very acceptable beds,
When too cold for comfort little lire is kindlcd
in the center and MS there is no escape for the
smoke or heat but the low entrance and that
closed but little fire Is required TO keep up tho ten.
perature of the apartment, These papagos have the
reputation of being more industrious than other
tribes We them moulding clay for pottery
and baking their vessels in blazing stack ofdricd
cow-dung, which they gather IN large quantities
for the purpose. At one place VIC saw squaw
grinding wheat, which was done AFTER the fashion
OF the nncicnts. II was simple process, only two
Hat stones, II little wheat, and plenty of muscle.
and the unbotcd -four was quickly made for the
hmily's supper.
But they scemnot to indulge Therapeutics nny
great extent with those things which civilized
people counl as necessary articles of food Hang
ing up nbont their camp were seen their stores OF
provisions consisting principally Of red peppers
and the intcstincs Of slaughtered animals Around
fire we aaw grouped family who were making
MEAL oF ENTEAiLS
brought from the village slaughtcr-pGns, which
they brOilcd on Goals and ate with apparently as
much relish Il, u New England boy would II fat
dOngfnut Insccc animals, reptiles, anything
nature provides, nro gathered Into their store
house for food Al Il certain season Of the year
great numbers Of caterpillar appear which these
Paprgos are said To cat lll they grow fat on them
They gather them in large quantities, and as they
are abundant they have M difficulty in satisfying
their stomaChs with but little labor. Subducd by
the sponIuld chrstcned hy the Pope what
model civilization, after wtulagc ur three hun.
drcd ycGrs of enforced Submission to Romi.h
priests and pNpal tribute gNlncruH In ages past
whon these people landed on The shores of this con
tnont from over The Pacific, they 10 doubt brought
civilization ihr cXccling that which exists with
many Of them to-day. uew aud Wild country
added nothing TO the civilization they started
with and the labon Of II pioneer life were little
calculated 10 dcvclOpc but On the contrary to cN.
tingush the lights which the arts uud sciences OF
n Chinese civilization set up thousands OF years
ago The history Of Mexico and Central and South
America shows about as much civilization to have
been destroyed by the bloOd.tliGty couquerOrs rs
was impaired by them. Had they been free 10
choose Il more liberal aud intelligent form of
Christianity, and had they been taught To be
something more than obcd!CHt contributors
10 the yOncious 2calots Of Rome, their
condition would have been nearer approach 10
hat pI Ia.s aN