Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1881-03-03

haps: in a few isolated instances one
man is wealthy enough to own half an
acre.
There are many reasons which con-
duce to this. First and foremost is that
tine native does not like to lease more
land than he himself can pillow and
work. Even with the growth of opium.
where so many untold advantages are
offered for extended enterprise. the In
dian husbandman prefers to give his at
tention to tiny garden rather than to
be put to the expense of working. with
paid help, few acres. His outlay is
nothing: and thus he is enabled, at ire
mendous profit. to grow opium for sale
to the Government. Irrigation Is SIM
pie. A rude well is sunk. two posts
and cross beam. over which is placed
a wheel. form the only apparatus for
the drawing of water. A rope is passed
over the wheel and attached TO it is a
huge leathern bucket. which is let down
and drawn up by bullocks. The water
il emptied into reservoir; running
from this are numerous drains, which
carry of the water and flush the lands
requiring moisture. The stronger
members of the family are engaged in
this toll. while the children. who in
other lands would be deemed infants,
make themselves generally useful in
picking weeds and many other duties
necessitating light lsbor.
Before the sun gilds the horizon and
while the dew is get fresh on the grass
the family are astir. and from early
morning till evening their entire atten-
ton is bestowed upon their crop. either
in wedding. watering. or picking. dur
ing the dav; and sometimes at night, in
keeping wild animals from intruding
and destroying in a single hour the Ia
Dor of years.
The wants of the husbandman are
but few. Four mud walls aud thatch-
ed roof compose the family mansion;
and in such howell will he live for
generations. A scant cloth tied round
his lOins serves for coat and pantaloons.
When he desires to appear to advant-
age huge cotton sheet thrown in
graceful folds around his body, serves
as gala costume on occasions of great
festivity. His little children are in a
state of utter nudity, even in the cold
est weather. and when it is borne in
mind that from October till February
the weather is great deal colder than
il is in San Francisco. some idea of the
hardy nature of native children can be
formed. The women are somewhat
better clothed; simple petticoat and
a gay-colOred sheet has for the last
5000 years formed their attire. But,
whatever money the husbandman
gains, he converts into jewelry, which
forms the real wealth of the ma
tive landowner. and is regard ed by ma
tives much in the same way as Euro
pean looks upon bank account In
times Of acute distress he can always
part. even at premium, with his
wife's ornaments. The HindoO religion
demands that certain ornaments mast
be worn by married women. When the
contracting parties are poor they make
them of lead, but directly fortune
smiles favorably they are exchanged
for gold and silver The small farmer
lives with but three objects, that is, to
load his wife with ornaments, TO eat of
brass platters, and to be able, on the
OF his son, to make n grand
display. To attain this end he will suf-
fer years of deprivation and inconve-
nience, and his many years savings
will be wasted in single week of JOLT
ficatiOn.
We can imagine how glad must be
the raiat when the poppy plant has be-
gun to exude opium, and when his
opium has all been gathered he waits
patiently for the order to march with
the fruits of his labors to the weighing
station. 1t depends entirely upon the
season as to when the cuitiyatOrs can
bring their opium to the Government
stations to be weighed. t2ft
As general rule the month of April
is the commencement of the weighing
season. 1ntimation is then given to