Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-06-08
TIE ZUNM.
TIE ZUNN,
The Indians whom Logan Il suspected Of

TEE ZOONs
The Indians whom Logan Il Suspected Of
Troubling.
There have been . number of recent
publications referring to the alleged inter.
ference of Senator Logan, in behalf of
some of his friends or relatives with the do
sires of the Zunis to extend their reservation
The following concise but lucid account of
the matter is taken from recent number
of the Philadelphia Ledger and relates the
whole story. 1t will be remembered that
when young Cushing first came East
with his Zunis an account of them ap-
peared in the INTELLIGENCER in some
special Washington correspondence to this
journal. Since then they have been fully
written up in the Century and other Pc
riodicals. Tho sketch also gains special
interest from the fact that Mr.. Cushing's
father is temporarily resident of Lancas
ter, being associated with the enterprise
of preparing the new history of the county
which Philadelphia publishers have under
way. Tho Ledger article is as follows:
The ancient and-so far as appears
honorable tribe of the Zunis, Pueblo
Indians, have a reservation in New
Mexico, not far from Fort Wingate. 1t is
| an arid country, red and yellow sand
plain, encircled by rock wall and sand
hills. From the north one slender water
| course winds its way, az has been said,
like long whip lash over the plains.
The Zunis are farmers, and possess good
measure of aboriginal civilization.
| dwelling in clay built houses IN the midst
of gardens. with the sheep, pigs, chickens
and donkeys of western ranch. The
tribe, besides being a peaceful and indus.
| trlous people, possesses such interesting
traditions and customs that the SmithsO.
nian institution in 1879 sent out special
agent, Mr.. Frank Gushing, to study and
report Oh them as typical tribe of those
Indians whose homes, either as cliff
dwellers or masOn-built houses, are evi
dences of fixed homes of these ancient
people, in contrast to the nomad tribes.
The Smithsonian envoy has since become
| an adopted citizen Of the Zuni tribe, and
has been able to make record of many
| interesting ceremonials and customs, some
of which have much value in illustrating
the early history of America and in tho
comparative record of religious rites.
From the location of their lands, it will
be seen how important to these Indians is
the one stream which waters their other
wise waterless territory. Last winter a
land claim was located around tho Nutria
springs, which springs are the source Of
that one, and the establishment, as was
proposed, of great cattle ranch there,
would have certainly cut them of. Ii
this had occurred in the neighbOrhoOd of
Oth frsh nh 0,oA
q white man and penmau among them,
possibly the whole matter would have
been settled, the land claim granted and
the stream cut of, before any other result
than an Indian ''outbreak" gave notics OF
trouble. Possibly the new ''ranche" at
at the springs might have been raided by
the ''savages" as the quickest way of
calling attention to their parched fields
and cut off rights. The presidents atten
tion was called. however, to the interfer-
once with the Zunis this land claim would
cause, and to the fact that only by an
oversight these springs were not included
in the Zuni reservation. The president
acted most promptly and justly in the
matter. Tho coveted lands were with
drawn from settlement and water famine
and ruin no longer threaten the tribe.
1t was friend of Senator Logau's that
took up the land, and the senator appears
not to be altogether grateful to Mr. Cush
ing for pointing out this danger of com
mtting IN injustice upon q simple and
peaceful people, but is inclined to take tho
war path instead. While denying that he
had any such intention on a lato visit to
Zuni, or any other connection with the
proposed cattle ranch, he distinctly states
that these Indians have too much land, in
his opinion, and goes out of his way to
attack tho White Zuni," Mr.. Gushing,
and to offer him his contempt" From
this we gather that in some way the shoe
did pinch tho senatorial foot, and that the
project, though not Immediately pursued,
came sufficiently near home. So far rs
MIR. Gushing is concerned, his connection
with the Zuni tribe has no doubt been a
benefit to them, in establishing their
claims.
There was considerable parade of the
small contingent of thess Indians that was
carried for exhibition purposes all the
way to Boston to reach the sea, when they
might have struck the Atlantic waters
much nearer New Mexico, say at Calves
-OD, or if need was to front the eastern
sunrise, not far from tho city of Wash
ingtOn itself. How much of reverence and
how much of sham there is in the adoption
of Zuni religious ceremOniaIs by this ar
dent envoy of the Smithsonian. and how
far such adoption imposes on Zuni conf
dence, it would not bs easy to learn. Like
all other enthusiastic explorers, Mr. Cush
ing has been content to take some risks. |
and if his joint performances with tho |
old chief and soOthsayers over the prayer |
feathers and other symbols seem to be |
mere exhibition for the sake of winning |
tribal secrets, there is still nothing to pre-
vent in him an enlightened curiosity and |
even respect for this remnant of an early
people-perhaps an aboriginal line. per-
haps the first people, in America.
Senator Logan's estimate of tho Zuni
remnant is very far removed from tho
lately published narrative of their adopted
son but as the senator claims only to
have stopped for a brief period, say to
lunch" going and returning, ne is hardly
a capable judge of their manners or even
food, which may have been scant at tho
season of his visit. But for tho conclusive
g xposure of the Nutria springs arrange
ment, it would soon have been scanter
still. 1t is evident that the kind of Indian
agent that is wanted to keep the govern
ment from doing unintended injustice is
ho On mn q l,o Zuo;o houn or,on~, xhooo |