The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1884-01-03
PUEBLOS AT PLAY.
An Indian Fete Day at the ~
of Taos
Earcr Ars,,.,. fun---customs
or n. U.,-aginz Peopie---A
.~saresque Country
and Race

1OAh AAb. " II Duthlp va lull u lNlpAo~
Indians, Mexicans, half-breeds, women and
children were on the march, Bright coios
abounded. Women wore thcir best and the
Indians were n splenient with painted faces
and shawls Of varied hues. Clouds OF dust
rose from the road; the mountains showed
patches Of ash trees now turned a brilliant
yellow, and above the novel troop stretched
the deep blue sky. Arriving at the
pueblo, | entered a little church which
stands near the plaza Service had begun
and mass was being said by a priest from
Taos At tho left Of the doorway stood a
half-naked and hideously painted Indian
holding a drum and at his left stood three
Others armed with guns and looking very
solemn in their vermillion decorations To-
side the church a knecling throng covered the
dusty floors and a few candles threw an un-
certain Light upon tho oddly dressed wor-
shippers Here a mother, with her babe
strapped at her back, lisped her prayers;
there an old, gray-headed man, blesr eyed
and dirty, kneeled beside his battered hat,
and near by stood an Indian, erect and dig
nined, while u blanket with the suggestive
letters, "U. g. l. D." printed on it, fell grace
fully from a pair OF naked shoulders At
the ringing of a b>ll tho Indians at the door
way beat their drums and fred their guns
while incense was burned aud loudly whis-
pereI prayers filed tho room.
A DAZZLING SCENE.
At the end of service, the priest and a few
dignitarics walked to their seats In the leafy
bower at the race course and the houss-tops
began to be covered with people. In the cen
tire plaza a tall pole had been erected. At its
top were two cross bars, on one Of which hung
a bag of fruit, while from the other, head
down, a live sheep was suspended, doomed
to suffer there all day until death by s~uffoca-
ton, or a knife at sunset, ended his life. l
climbed with the other visitors to one OF the
house-tops, and seated in the blazing sun,
watched the strange sights. The scene was
one OF old world splendor. Life and move
ment was everywhere. A thousand people had
gathered together. Ia the square below
were men selling fruit; Others rode wildly
hither and thither, and painted Indians, half
clad and wearing thor brightest-colored
blankets, moved excitcdly about Sud-
denly a noise like dogs barking was
heard and a band of Indians sprang
out Of a deep cave near the pueblo,
where the councils OF the tribe were
held, and began frisking about. All were
naked, except for a covering to the loins,
and were Enthusiastically painted in every
known color from head to foot. Each man
wore eagle feathers in his hair and carried a
branch of colored leaves. Many had their
legs and bodies stuck over with feathers and
others had painted boots to yellow or green
legs, or else were dyed a deep red, or yellow,
or blue, all over. A few looked like devils
and all were hideous in their makeup.
PICTURESQUE SPORT.
Ranging themselves in two parallel lines,
they began 10 dance and to sing a weird
sort OF chant, waving their branches all
the while and keeping a sort of time
to the song with their feet and
bodies. After a few minutes of this singu-
lar sport, positions were taken for the races
and for nearly two hours braces of naked
sweating Indians few over the quarter mile
track between long rows Of eager specta.
tors. think nobody knew which did win
and am sure nobody seemed to care. There
was plenty of5 fun, an abundance Of good
humor, and as for picturesqueness, that was
everywhere. At the end of the races the con.
tending parties met and formed another long
line. Singing their chant as before and with
one man beating u big drum. they moved
slowly down the course in front of the pueblo,
swaylng their bodies and wildly waving their
colored leaves, and as they passed, those who
were on the house-tops pelted them with bits
OF bread and cake and called them their
Spanish braves, while the people in the plaza
fairly screamed with excitement and filled
the air with their cries.
INDIAN FUN.
Tho afternoon sports began about 4 o'clock.
At that hour some half dozen Indians came
rushing into the square. They were naked,
hideously painted, and had long corn huslIs
stuck in their hair. These were the clowns
OF the day, privileged 10 worry, brighten, and
create fun. A crow followed them in their
stealthy movements, and for two hours the
childish, yet amusing, fun went on. Now q
fruit seller was robbed; now a child was
scared until it screamed, and again, there
were human cock-tights and grotesqus
dances. AS the sun began to sink behind the
hills the clowns ran into a house, and directly
reappeared armed with bows and arrows
Now came the closing event, and a CRANE
hunting scene was presented. One Indian
ran away a little distance and made a noise
like some wild animal, causing the others. thu
hunters, to stop and listen, and then to creep
and crawl AZ though in a forest and near ths
game.
THE wIND-uP.
At last, after many delays from loss of the
scent, the men formed a circle around the
pole on which hung the crucifed sheep
Looking up, after having a war dance, the,
spied the same and began to shoot theil
arrows at it Not getting it In this way
they made believe to cut the pole down, ant
then to push it over, and at last one fellow
fine formed, naked and devil-like, begai
climbing slowly toward the now deaS
sheep. In a lew moments he had reaches
it and had clutched the bag OF fruit. 4
shout greeting his success, and the climbe
mounted the crossbars and loudly sang o
his great deed. After s~aluting the peopl
below for a time, he cut down the sheep
which fell with a heavy thud; lowered tn
fruit with a rope, and then came down him
self. Gathering up the sheep and the apples
the merry hunters formed a procession AM
went singing and dancing out OF sight, bring
, ing to a close the strange festivities of tn
strange people.
/ Now began a wild stampede for Taos. Til
old highway again grew thick with people
As l rode away the fading daylight was onl,
sufficient to see the outlines Of the puebl
houses, while the distant mountains becam
nearly lost TO view. For another year Tao
{ will resume its usual quiet. The fete Is tn
nations h~oliday-unique, weird, barbaric. l
is a celebration which belongs not TO America
l but rather to some neglected corner OF a
ancient country.
Louisville Courier-Journa Judas Priest
or "Jujube Paste" Is the worst oath Con
Grant ever swears- 1t is plain that in his boy
hood the ex-~president never enjoyed the priv
leges Of a public school.
Holding the pen firmly in the hand an
n.fng III. arm fraalv In WRITING "a r.oau