The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-01-13
New Mexico Letter:

In this strange old land OF decaying
monuments and ancient antiquities,
the traveller is constantly confronting
evidences of the skill and Taste of races
who centuries ago occupied this great
Mississippi Valley. Who these people
were, whence they came, and how or
in what manner they were swept out
of existence, are facts that are lost in
the oblivion of forgetiulness. The
Pueblos hsvo known history dating
back $50 yesrs, while the Pacas Cathe-
drai gives evidence Of being built in
the 18th century. These strange peo-
plc were sun worshippers, and to-day
they keep up the same heather prac-
tioes-One of the most novel sights is
an Indian funeral. Wandering thro'
the beautiful valley Of the Rio Grande
a short time since, In company with \
fellow Bohemian, chance AZ much As
anything, led US to the Indian pueblo
of IsletA, which nesties on the rivers
bank 4 dOzen miles from Albuquerque
1t 10 a curious town, resembling large
collection OF lime kilns, wherein dwell
a good size branch OF the Pueblo fami-
ly, who, though averse to war and hos
tilities, are not in the least American
lied. During one of the quiet days of
our sojourn, we wore attracted to the
placita of the town by the immense
crowd gathering about u little mud
hovel called a chapel. We hurried
along with others, exercising that
American prerogative Of elbowing our
way through tho crowd. In front Of
us, lying on the mud floor, was the
corpse, with head resting on red ban
danna. A happy and peaceful smile
was noticeable upon his stern and
brawny features, and in his hand was
firmly -grasped, not the sword of state,
but instead large goose feather, dyed
in all the hues of the rainbow upon
his brow, not the crown Of power, but
two or three red and yellow ribbon
rosettes. The nethermost extremity
of his red cotton shirt (worn As a sack)
was festooned with ribbons-yellow,
green and blue-and his tawny limbs
from joint to moccasin, were swathed
in the same. I had observed all these
details while the crowd was ssinging
+" want to be an angel" or Mary had
q little lamb" I couldn't tell which.
After the jubilee was over, Mr.. Corpse
was carried out to tho burying field
and gently deposited on the ground to
axu,;t tho firth ar action of fha buria1
committee. The grave was of decent
and after a short chant by
the medicine man, who was acting as
" charge d. affairs" the deceased war
rior was handed down to two braves
who had placed themselves in the
grave at either end. They laid him
gently to his rest, face to the east, and
then climbed out. No swset flowers
were strewn upon his form by affec-
tionate friends, but instead, the heavy
earth, seized by hundred hands, was
thrown upon his inanimate form,
while the crowd joined in the chorus
Goodbye, my Lover, Goodbye" Let
me say at this point, parenthetically,
that may not have given the hymns
correctly, owing to my being unable
to understand q single word of their
language. Shovel soon succeeded the
hands, and when the body was cover
ed by about tix inches of gravel a
brawny brave got down into the grave
with battering post and to my utter
commenced settling"
the corpse by pounding down the earth
with all the strength Of his sinewy
arms. While he was performing this
aboriginal ceremony the crowd was
filing off toward two large pottery Jars
of water and cleansing their hands,
which they reverently held toward the
setting sun to be dried. These Jars
were then brought to the grave and
the water emptied In it. Moro dirt
was thrown in and more pounding
done, and thus was the grave filed
and deponent further witnesseth that
that Indian was so successfully plant
ed that he will have a poor show Of
getting out when the last trump shall
scho in tho neighborhood Of Isleta.
AT the close OF these impressive"
procession was formed. and
at its head the two braves carried the
jars. The line marched
outside the limits of the town, fianked
by my fellow Bohemian and myself
and humorous children, the most of
whom, by the way, were clad only in
garb. Once out of town, the
Jars were broken to pieces by the chiefs
and while they were intent on their
the squaw of the deceased
with great show of secrecy threw away |
some Indian bread to feed his hungry |
soul upon its way to the happy hunt
ing grounds. How it was going to get
out OF that grave after having been
pounded in, is what has since greatly !
perplexed my bohemian friend.
Throughout all the ceremony OBJ
served that there was spirit Of inter-
sst in the affair which smacked more |
Of curiosity than Of sorrow. was in
formed that the habit Of decorating |
with ribbons is gsneral among the
Pueblo tribe, and that the widow often |
1isposes Of thirty or forty yards, as q
to friends of the deceased.
shall never forget what peculiar
appearance they presented when be-
leckiug a dead man a la Indian.
From Isleta my companion and
wandered south, down the valley of
he Rio Grande, which is certainly the
most odd and characteristic section Of
country 1 ever saw. 1t is dotted all
,ver with little mud hamlets, inhabit-
ID by the wandering Mexicans who
cad bucolic life and depend entirely
or their subsistence on their fiocks.
the valley flows the Rio
5rande, unlike amy other river in