The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-06-01
THE ZUN1PUEBLO.

high up on the western slope oil
the Sierra Msdre, in New Mexico.
nt arIy mile and half above the sea
level. and bat few miles beyond the
divide, where scanty waters begin
their tImid and uncertain way down
toward the Pacific, stands ancient
Aun',the father of the pueblos. When
coronado made his famous march
into the unknown north, the Zpnis,
or Shl-Wl-nas, az they call themseIVes,
we're the fret, and also the most
numerous aud powerful, Ut the pu-
e0o people encountered by hun.
Their towns covered greet territorV,
almost deserving the name OF king
dom"-term 50 lavish and loosely
used by Coronado and HE contem-
poraTy explorers. Oppression and
pestilence have so diminished their
numbers, and their strict exclusive
ness has so impoverished their ply
sical con iition. that the once mighty
nation has now been reduced to q
handful of people. These inhabit n
single pueblo. But the couLtry
arouod IS dotted with ruined towns
upon .Whoee walls is craven the
symbol OF the shi-Wi-us. the sacred
Water-spider, whose figure forms the
Zufli coat OF arms. Here surrounded
by the icrsAken homes of their kim
dred and anceslFy-Crum milling heaps
which in antiquity rival the stored
stones of the Old World-the Zuflis
live as their fathers lived. and jssl-
ously ire asuIe their proud history.
Zufli is still the largest of the pueb
los Of New Me xico and Arizona, and
is looked up to by the othere, which
differ entirely in language, with the
venerstion ard homage belonging to
the elder member OF the family, the
source whence come their religion
and Institutions. By the census OF
1880, under an accurate count. the
population OF Zufli numbered 1902,
nearly 500 more than that OF Isleta.
the next pueblo in size. Therefore
1t is still a considerable town. 1t is
only q few years since the Zuilis
numbered several thousand, bat an
epidemic OF the smallpox decimated
them terribly.
with the exception OF the Moquis
and the Java supais, or Ku'h.nis, in
Ariz1na-!he latter an almost un-
known pueblo IN Oatsr act Greek
Osn)n, ons OF the "box csil)ns" OF
the Colorado-tbe Zpfis are the most
isolated of all the pueb 10 tribes. They
have therefore been little influenced
by contact either with Spanish or
Anglo American civilization, and to-
day live subs anIislly the life they led
when Coronado first started out in
search of tina seven cities Of OibOls.
The river pueblos, e. they are called
Those ranging along the Bio Grande
from Taos 20 Isleta-have monopo.
Iized the attention OF travellers and
writer's. being the most convenient OF
access. But these. surrounded by
the Mexicsns en- every hand, and lat
terly having come in contact With the
more pushing American, who leaves
his own indehble impress upon eli
whom he meets, they have naturally
been materially influenced by the
alien life around them. and their
manners have bAsn considerably
changed thereby.
However good q copy may be. how
ever faithful a. production. the
most OF US have g strong preference
tor originals So u. n. ss the oldest
OF the pueblo fAmIlier, ss the father OF
their Kuitur, as the Germans would
SAY, aud possessing the most distinct
i've characteristics, ID decidedly the
representative pueblo OF New Mexico.
-sylvester. Baxter, in HG'per's Mug
Gzihe