Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-09-04
ARIZONA INDIANS.
A Reservation with Less than Twenty-Five
Acres Of Arabic Land on IL.


| Crook has established station for the pur-
pose Of giving out rations to the lIualapais
! pronounced Wolpis) Indians; and il was
here that we were met on our arrival by
/ Captain Pierce. his aid, writes CORE
spondcnt Of the Boston advertiser. Break
! fast over, we visited some of the chiefs in
| their wickiups. They live scattered through
a radius Of some ninety miles. To visit
| all Of them would require ride OF about go
miles. They chose this as central poiut
| TO receive their Tations. A few days ago
we might have found the whole Of the lit
! tie tribe Of 700 gathered here. Next week
| they are to gather again TO feast at the fu-
neral Of a chief who has recently died. So
we are Just between wind and water. We
saw quite number, however. though un.
fortunately they were considered bad rep
rcscniativcs OF the tribe. They live IN lit
tie booths made OF light branches stuck in
the ground. and so arranged as TO form q
framework in the shape OF dome. covered
with skins. canvass, or sacking. These
lig1t structures serve them all the year
round, merely being set up in sheltered
place in the winter. They never keep
house long in one place, but are con-
tinually on the move. IL does not
take long to build q new house. and the
household effects are few. One OF the In
dians We met goes by the name OF Little
Captain. and richly dejerves hanging, il
all that is told OF him is true. Twice he
las tried to poison Mr.. Spencer (of whom
more anon with arsenic. and was only
frustrated 10y the sOft-heartedness OF the
man he employed TO administer 1t. He has
poisoned his old mother-in-law because he
thought be had kept Der as long as she was
useful wives and mothers-in-law among
the Hualapais do the work, and the more
q man has OF young and active ones the
mole easy his lie); and he also killed
nephew for some unknown reason.
The Indians would probably have taken
justice themselves on him, but he gave out
he was q medicine-man, and that the arse
pic killed because he bfea;aed on il, and so
they were afraid Of him. II is a case, how
ever. That "Vengeance suilereth not 10
live" and he is dying OF a horrible dis
case.
These Hualapais strike out Immediately
as belonging to the Pueblo race. They are
hunters, TO be sure; they are wandering
tribe, but the shape of the head Is Pueblo.
They have no industries, making neither
pottery nor h!ankets. !aty make common
baskets Of twigs. These baskets. by the
way, are cone-Shaped, about eighteen inches
deep. and are used TO collect the seeds Of a
grass which forms one OF their staple arti-
Giles Of diet. The seeds are ground and
made into cakes.
These Indians are rather dirty. and have
keen but unattractiye faces-a look OF cum
nmg in them. Perhaps that made them
such good scouts for General Crook. They
have ALWAYS been friendly with the white
man, and complain bitterly OF the treat
ment they have received. Their ratlOns
were cut off last winter and the winter be-
fore, and this caused much suffering and
even death. They used TO take care OF
themselves; but as hunting is the only
trade the older ones know. aud almost all
the game has disappeared, there seems
no alternative but 10 feed them-unless
they could be put on reservation
and set to farming. They have
reservation now, set apart simply a. a
place for their herds, which has not twen-
ty-fiye acres OF arabic land on ii. On this
reservation, too, the two largest springs
have been stolen by white men. One is
Peach spring. where the Atlantic and Pa
ciGc railroad has coolly erected a steam
pump. They may have secured some
right to do this, but was unable 70 learn
anywhere that they had. The young men
Of the tribe, to the number OF 125 or 100,
are all making their own way by working
among the white people. They are
scattered over good part OF the Ter
ritory, doing all sorts OF work, main.
ly farming. They are much Valued
for this purpose, as they understand irri-
CATION better than whites. Mr.. Spencer,
who has lived with them many years, and
understands them thoroughly, thinks that
by feeding the old people for few winters
as long az they live, the tribe will have
merged completely among the whites.
This is also General Crooks and Major
BOur6e's opinion, believe. There would
seem TO be some danger Of those young
men finding being fed easier than working,
and falling back from the independence
they have learned through necessity. This
has certainly been the effect OF a similar
policy among our poor at home.
The Huaapais, as well a. the Nohayes.
cremate the dead. The body is laid in the
ground about eighteen inches below the
surface; piles Of brush and logs are thrown
above and below to make very hot fire.
During the burning the relatives and
friends throw their blankets and other val.
uables into the flames. The value is regu-
lated by the degree Of kinship. The ashes
are thrown TO the four winds. One
will say 10 another, 81 am not
gong TO throw my blanket to your
brother, for you did not throw any.
thing for my father. social etiquette, we
should call that II 1t were question OF
wearing black, suppose. They burn also
immense numbers OF ponies, aud have =
great awake" The less important people
sre sometimes buried with no sacrifice OF
property, but that is not proper respect.
Both Spencer and Captain Pierce say II il
impossible TO break upthese wasteful feasts
among the elders; the young men who are
mixing in the world already despise them.
They have no religion whatever, Spencer
says, as far ~ he has been able to find out.
They believe in no spirits except those OF
the departed, which they think linger about
the place OF death. They never pass such u
place at night II they can avoid 1t. They
would seem to be promising disciples for
the spirliualists. Their medicine.men have
little power, apparently, and like those OF
the northwest Indians, are killed II their
patient dies. The medIcine-man Is born 70
the position and cannot help himself. Any
popularity In child Is apt 10 be considered