Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1884-08-30
ARIZONA ADVENTURES.
The Csrieus Customs OF the Hualspsis
Indian Tribe
Cor. Boston Advertiser.

1 The Csrieus Customs OF the Hualapa
Indian Tribe
Cor. Boston Advertiser.
1t is at blackberry, A. T., tn.
Gen. Crook has established a st,
ton for the purpose of giving out ration
to the Hualapais pronounced Wolpis
Indians; and it was here that we wer
met on our arrival by Capt. Peirce, hi
aid. Breakfast over we visited some q
the chiefs in their wich-i-ups. They liv
scattered through radius of some nine
ty miles. To visit all of them would re
quirs ride of 26O miles. They chos
this as central point to receive thei
rations. A few days ago we might hav,
found the whole of the little tribe of 20,
gathered here. Next week they will
gather again to feast at the funeral of :
chief who has recently died. So we ar,
just between wind and water. We saw
quite number, however, though un
fortunately they were considered bad re
presentatives of their tribe. They live
in little booths made of light branches
struck in the ground, and so arranged
as to form framework in the shape of a
dome, covered with skins, canvas or sack.
ing. These light structures serve them
all the year round, merely being set ur
in sheltered place for winter. They
never keep house long in one place, but
are continually on the move. Il does
not take long to move. 1t does not take
long to build new house, and the house
hold effects are few. One of the Indians
we met goes by the name of Little Cap-
tain, and richly deserves hanging, if all
that is told of him is true. Twice he has
tried to poison Mr.. Spencer (of whom
more anon} with arsenic, and was only
frustrated by the soft-heartedness of the
man he employed to administer it. He
has poisoned his old mother in-law be-
cause hethought he had kept her as long
as she was useful (wives and mother-in-
laws among the Hualapais do the work,
and the more man has of young and
active ones, the more easy his life); and
he also killed nephew for some un-
known reason.
The Indians would probably have TAX
en- justice themselves on him, but he
gave out he was medicine man, and
that thearsenic killed because he breath.
Cd on it, and so they were afraid of him.
1t is case, however, that vengeance
suffereth not to live," and he is dying of
horrible disease.
These Hualapais strike one immedi.
ately as belonging to the Pueblo race.
They are hunters, to be sure; they are a
wandering tribe; but the shape of the
head is Pueblo. They have no industries
making neither pottery nor blankets.
They make common baskets of twigs.
These baskets by the way, are cone-shap-
ed, about eighteen inches deep, and are
used to collect the seeds of grass which
forms one of their staple articles of diet.
The seeds are ground and made into
cakes. -..
These Indians are rather. dirty, and
have keen but unattractive faces-a look
of cunning in them. Perhaps that made
them such good scouts for Gen. Crook.
They have always been friendly with
the white man; and complain bitterly of
the treatment they have received. Their
rations were cut off last winter, and The
winter before, and this caused much suf-
fering and even death.
They used TO take care of themselves:
but, as hunting is the only trade the old
er ones know, and almost all the game
has disappeared, there seems no aiterna-
tive but to feed them-unless thy could
be put on reservation and set to farming
They have reservation now. set apart
simply as place fJr their herds. which
has not 25 acres of arabic land on it. On
this reservation, too, the largest springs
have been stolen by white men. One is
Peach spring, where the Atlantic and
Pacific railroad has c)olly erecteda steam
pump. They NAV have secured some
right to this, but was unable TO learn
anywhere that they had.
inc youue lncIl Ol tDe trlDe, TO the
number of 125 or $50, are all making
their own way amcn ng the white people.
They are scattered over good part of
the territory doing all sorts of work.
mainly farming. They are much valued
for this purpose as they understand ir-
rigation. better than whites. Mr.. Spen-
Ger, who has lived with them many wears
and understands them thoroughly.
thinks that by feeding the old people
for few winters as long as they live,
the tribe will have merged completely
among the whites This is also Gen
Clook's and Maj. Bourke's opinion, be
lieve. There would seem to be some
danger of those young men finding be-
ing fed easier than working, and falling
hack from the independence they have
learned through necessity. This.has Ger.
tainly been the effect of similar policy
among our poor at home.
The Hualapais, as well as the Mohaye.
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 a very