Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-23
AN INDIAN VILLAGE.
THE AxcixST err os SANTA re
sls q ses.sr, cad ,ll.ssrs--iAs cs.ae'' Of

THE ANCIENT err or SANTA re
niss q Scenery end uistorr--the Cssncii Of
sAe CAien- essa-wsn and ssespissiisv.
Much has been written about Santa re
hut no oae has yet described ", says cor
respondent OF the Boston Advernses. !
doubt ~ the subtle charms OF deiignuui
climate. historic interest, and the relics OF
: civilization al three hundred years ago
can he described. But wish could take
Won nom the beat OF the city and let you
enter with me the porto OF one OF the low
sdobe. wh,tewashed buildings which stand
with plaxxas shading the sidewalks along
The streets. inside she rough wooden gate
vou would find rectangular court sur
rounded by piazza, from which the rooms
Of the house open. fountain plasb,ng
gently I'm the centre, surrounded by green
lawns, frrit-trees. and shrubs In full BIOS
som.
We turned our backs on all these charms
Thursday morning and started for hot,
sandy drive Of twepty-eight miles. behind n
strong team which made the distance In
three hours and a half. Our destination
WAS the Indian pueblo OF San i.defosso,
which the Indians call Poiuogue," (Po.
bo-re,) meaning In their picturesque lam
gnage "dividing the waters" suppose
because II lies at the junction OF the Rio
(irande and Rio Tcsrque. Our road lay
along The edge or In the sandy bottom ofan
arroyo, the dry bed Of q stream. which IL
rushing torrent IN July. We wound up and
over low mesa. from the top OF which we
had magnificent view Of the "lsst spur
Of the Rockies" rising 1920 feet on our
right, white with snow. The bold escarp-
ment OF the mesds stands In the midst OF
the dfbris from their sides. and at their
feet are the most desolate wastes OF SAND,
which Il seemed hardly possible that eny
human being could inhabt. Imagine the
delightful contrast, after winding down.
ward and crossing the Rio Tesuque, TO
md ones self ia the midst Of the cult
waited fields and iruittrees OF the Tosuque
pueblo.
This pueblo is nearly extinct, having
porulation Of only 81, whereas Zuni has
i.64O and Islita 1000. Several OF the pue-
bios are disappearing m this way, the men
mlpglipg with the no-ordinary population
or removing 10 some larger pueblo. we
saw the Indians ploughiDg their fields, with
oxen yoked 10 the two sticks placed at right
angles, 80 like the old land presently Egyp-
tiap method. They drove eight or ten OF
these plows around in circle, each
one behind the other, and little wider
cjrc'e, until the field was done. We
passed for three m les along their irrigating
ditch, which their barren sand bears album
dainty, San Ildefonso, though one OF the
Oldest aueblos, is great contrast to the
Others. As we drove In we saw their old
and heavy solid-wheeled carts used for re-
Tniring fences, and the light, graceful Yam
fee pillow and cart in use instead. The men
were letting the water from the acaqulas
into the fIelds, plowIng, or sowing. some
OF the grain was up and the green was
delightful rest 10 the eye. We drove INTO
the large central square and were greeted
BY perfect howl Of dogs. They proved
10 be the nuisances OF the villages. One can
see excellent models Of these pueblos at the
Peabody museum at Cambridge. This one
is built round central square 400 by $50
feet, mostly Two stories high. The ladders
are only used now 10 climb 10 the roofs for
driving things. all the houses having doors
and good windows. There are entrances
at two corners Of the piazza for teams, and
al the others for men. The rest Is solid
block OF adobe houses, with 4 pretty
little church at the west end. There are
two or three trees in the piazza, which Is
kept beautifully clean, being swept
every day by "detail" appointed by the
Governor. The men were not in sight,
but the women were soon around us in
force watching our artist sketching and
your correspondent taking photographs
with great interest. They are mostly ugly,
fat, and jolly, continually laughing and
Joking among themselves. ] found The
surest way TO their regard was TO notice
the little bright-eyed pappOoses which hung
I'm the slack of their blankets behind and
peeped over their shoulders. The chill.
dren were shy, and, though curious, only
very slowly made acquaintance.
We were given one OK the rooms in the
house OF chief. II was q large, low
studded room, with perfectly smooth walls
md floor, reminding one somewhat oil
cistern. A partition runs out from ono
side about three feet high, and In the angle
formed by 1t was a little corner fireplace
(all their fireplaces found bIilt in corners)
with hearth six inches from the ground,
md round arched Intel. On the walls
were hung cheap religious prints in the
frames and fine looking-glasses. In one
corner stood double bedstead, with piece
OF old curtain lace arranged az pillow-sbam.
Around this bed were mattresses made up on
the floor with Navajo blankets. The room
was painfully clean, and we felt obliged 10
apologize for the crumbs we made in eat
ing our lunch. All the other houses | Wis.,
tied were equally clean, though none had
the style Of this one. In an adjoining
room were bins filed with grain aud low
frames in which the stones for grinding
lay. The stones are long and narrow, and
their upper surface shaped like crescent.
The grain or corn is rubbed 10 a powder
on this by cylindrical stone held in the
two hands. and the flour drops at the sides,
the frame being WIDER than the stones.
This method seemed mostly out OF use,
little grist-mill or Rio Tesuque taking its
place.
Waking outside OF the line Of houses we
saw across the fields and level plains beyon1
the historic Mesita rising square and almost
perpendicular. Three OF the party attempt
ed 10 climb il. II was about an hours walk
70 the top. The ascent was short. about 400
feet, but very steep, and in this high latl-
tude II would be hard 70 keep ones BREATH
The view from the summit quite repaid our
exertions. The snow-capped mountains
were still on both sides, aud at our feet the
sparkling Rio Grande, and In the distance
the deep blue depths OF the canyon, into
which II disappears. A magnificent sunset
made the snow-eaps a rich, ruddy color,
which gradually changed TO silver as the
moon rose
But the chief interest was the history OF
the place. 1t was here that the long strug-
gle with the Spanards ended in 1893. In
1850 liking Philip" OF the pueblo
tribes, Pope by name, succeeded in uniting
all the tribes in a well-planned revolt
against the horrible tyranny OF the Span
iards. They drove them entirely out OF the
territory, and for twelve years successfully
resisted every attempt to wIest II from
them. In 1893 Vargas. who was sort Of
Duke OF Alya. tried his hand. He
drove them out OF Sante Fe and finally on
70 the top OF this mesa. Twice he was ro-
pulsed and driven back TO Santa Fe, but
the third time the Tesuques showed him
the way up and he got footing on its fiat
top. The Tesuques have always been noted
as the only treacherous tribe. They be-
trayed the united tribes IN the war with the
United States IN 1850. The tribes made
peace, the conditions being q return TO the
Roman religion, which they had abandoned
In their hate Of the Spaulards. We were
sitting on the very spot where thousands
OF these Indians had fought for their lib.
crty. ana In sight was San Ildeionso, where
Vargas was encamped. One felt strong
sympathy with the Indian-presumab
because IL was two hundred years ago aud
the revolt was against Spanish oppression
We walked back by moonlight. TO find
the "eouncil" Of the tribe assembling Il