The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-04-08
In NEW MEXICO:
INTERVIEW WITH DON PEDRO SAN
CHEZ, THE INDIAN AGENT.
Condition Of the Indians Under His Care
Their Manner OF Living-Peace
and PrOsperty-An Example
for Others to Follow.
Ipeaser rrIsape-RepabIiean.l

Denver Tribune Republican, 81
Don Pedro Sanchez, of New Mexico, Is
In the city He is one of the most promi-
neot and widely known citizens Of his
territory, and he belongs to one Of those
Old Spanish families whose names have
been linked with the important and
memorable events Of Mexico and New
Mexico from the early days of the Spanish
conquest until now He has. for about
two years been the agent OF the Peublo
Indians Of New Mexico. Last night re-
porter called on Mr.. Sanchez at his room
In the ST. James for the purpose Of get
ting some information in regard TO Indian
aftsirs and the progress Of the Indians
under his care. In reply to the reporters
inquiry as to the condition Of the Indians
under his care, Mr. Sanchez said:
= The Indians who belong to my agency
are the Pueblos, and they are doing very
well They are about 5000 in number,
and they live in separate, pu' bios or VII
lagos. There are nineteen OF these vii
lagos, the principal of which are zuni, In
the western part Of the territory; Laguna,
on the line Of the Atlantic and Pacific
railway; Isleta on the Rio Grande below
Albuquerque; Acoma, Toas, Jemez and
San Juan. Zuni has about /, 300 inhab-
itants. Laguna about LOO, and Isleta
something over Geo f,t. g.7.ss..,..
Which one of the pueblos do you think
Is In the best condition2" ~ sfC H
@Lsguna is decidedly the best The In
dams there are more advanced The
rooms in their houses are furnished after
the style Of civilized people. They have
beds and chairs and stoves, such as you
see Ia white mans house, and they
show disposition to adopt many of the
customs of white people. This Is largely
due, think, to the good influence the
harmon brothers and their partner, Mr..
Pratt. have had over the Indians. They
live among them, and they have taught
them many useful things. The Indians
have their own farms, and they raise corn,
wheat, beans and melons. They get very
little from the government except the ed
ucation Of the children and few plows.
spades, and other agricultural implements.
They are beginning to use these nipple
ments now. and l have plows at the
agency which are to be given to the In
diana.
sHow about the education of the chill
aThey are doing very well It is sur
prlsing how bright and apt to learn they
Are. have now about 100 boys and
girls from these pueblos at Carlisle school
In Pennsylvania and about 100 at the
school In Albuquerque. They are taught
English and how to read and write, and
also the simpler rules of arithmetic. You
would be surprised to see how good let
ter some of the boys at Carlisle can write.
They are learning very well at the Albu
Querque school also. / think the girls
learn about as readily as the boys do. In
addition to these schools there are
los. !. But 1 don't think as well Of
them as / do of the schools at Albu.
0nerque and Carlisle. The children should
Be removed entirely from the pueblos If
the object is to teach them civilization.
As long as they remain under the in
SE Yv,Hf NJ "a
they will make but very little progress
The boys and girls, however, who are
cent away from home to school acquire
new ideas and different habits as well as
IA education. When they return at the
end Of three years. to their homes they will
garry these new habits with them, and
they Will necessarily have good effect
upon their tribes.
"Wbat language do these Indians
sThsy almost all speak Spanish. besides
the language of the pueblo to which they
belong"
aTRe native language of the different
prehlos Is not the same IN all cases3"
ROh, no! The Zunis have q language
Of their own, and an Indian from the
pueblo of Eaguna could not understand q
Zuni The same thing is true Of Isleta,
Teis, and g number of other Pueblos,
This is very strange. for the pueblo In
clans have lived in that country since be-
1sre the Spanfards conquered it But of
81 these differences the strangest, think,
is between the pueblo's Of Sandia and
Santa Ana, which are only ten miles
apart. yet the Inhabitants speak entirely
distinct languages, and they can under
efand each other only by conversing in
Spanish
What is the prospect of the Pueblos
becoming citizens?
4hfHE fhoIy GRO p0f hffad for that
and viii not until they acquire more edu-
cation People have tried to induce them
20 vote bat they viii not vote, and they
show that they donot care anything abont
A. They will continue to need the care
Of an agent They are not able to care
Ear themselves In business transactions.
This was shown in the case of the AGO
nas. They made loan to certain white
men, thinking it was lease of 5000
aares for three years When discovered
Sf 4 saw at once that it was fraud which
-.4iad been worked upon them, and re-
fused 20 let the Indians be bound by it:
7.he matter is now pending in the courts. "
The pueblo of Acoma is on high
rock, isn't it,"
@Yes, sir, but ] am going to have them
move The rock is very steep, being 900
zaet high, and to get to the top OF 1t from
the river, the Indians have to walk about
swo miles. They carry all their wood
auo wafer up t4ere' anu IL - aitoSS tnoA
too hard a task. / have persuaded them
60 move their villarge down to near the
Tixar bank. / expect TO move them dur
IN the coming spring and I have al
ready planned their new village for them.
II win be built around square, or plaza,
'snd every family win have a separate
hounc of its OWE. When l spoke to them
about moving they readily consented, say
ing: Padre, it is for you to order and for
1is TO obeY' A
An AItered Painting.