Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-02-03

DIR. Levi Z. George was interviewed
the other day concerning the Moqm
Indians of Arizona, whom he recently
visited. Said he: Il will describe the
particular tribe of the Moquis in which
| discovered the most remarkable cases
of long life. They are called the
Wakoyas and comprise about $50 peo-
pie males and females. OF these there
are only about 20 children, about 60
middle-aged persons, and the rest in
clude at least Is centenarians. They
do not intermingle with the rowing
bands of savages, preferring fixed
habitation in their little village in the
valley of the Chausaka river. one of the
hundreds of small streams tributary to
the Colorado. They dwell in stone
houses or huts, engage in agricultural
many of the arts of civilization. They
are, nevertheless, very secluded in their
little punch-bowl of valley.
''Our visit to the place was made
about six weeks ago. The chief proved
to be of an obliging disposition and
showed us all about the village. We
were followed by crowd of young
Wakoyas, and were preceded by the
chief. while around us barke1 and
howled a number of dogs, with which
the village abounded. After proceed
ing a short distance we paused before
the door of low stone hut, covered
with a skin roof, the cracks in the walls
being filed with brown adobe. Our
leader entered without going through
the ceremony of knocking. .Muskee!
Muskeer we heard him shout repeated
ly from within. But Muskee was evi-
IDENTIFY not at home, and the chief came
back with 4 disappointed look on his
dark face. We met the object of our
search about twenty yards from his
door and were presented to him in In
dian fashion. He appeared to marvel
at our unexpected appearance, but his
astonishment was nothing compared to
ours as we gazed at his strange and
unnatural form. His shoulders ard
limbs were clothed with deerskIn
robes, and his face, which seemed to
be barren of flesh, was covered with
dry, wrinkled skin; his fingers were ex-
tremely long and his palms and wrist
were withered and shrunken, while his
whole body, which was much attenu-
ated, was bent over until his back as
sumed the shape of a half-circle. l had
never seen such specimen of aged hu-
manity before"
Did you discover his age?" inquired
the interviewer.
Our Moqui guide, who spoke En-
glish almost perfectly and whose verac-
ity we had tested on previous occasions,
told US. after making the necessary in
quiry. that the man was l75 years old,
and have not the slightest doubt, nor
would anyone have after seeing the an
cient Wakoya, that such was indeed
his age. After looking at US for some
few moments, during which he rested
his chin heavily upon the long staff
which he clutched with one of his dried
up hands, he mumbled few words in
answer to questions put by the chief
and our interpreter. and then. raising
his head and stretching out his limbs. he
shambled oil toward his hut at toler-
ably smart pace for q man l75 years
old.
''But the greatest surprise was yet to
come. We were ushered into a rudely-
constructed stone building of greater
dimensions than those before visited in
the village. 1t was almost dark inside,
and the room was ill-smelling and
close. When our eyes became accus-
toned to the dim light we saw a skin
clad figure kneeling in one corner of
the room and engaged in breaking light
sticks of wood into small faggots. We
were told that it was woman the chief
had brought lis to see, and that she had
not noticed our approach. being blind
and deaf. The chief placed his hand
on her shoulder. and she slowly turned
around. | could not see quite plainly,
and was at once struck with feeling
of responsiveness almost akin to the hor-
ror one feels toward visions seen in q
nightmare when her hideous face and
blank, sunken eyes met my gaze. Her
face was of grecnish-yellow color, and
what little there was left of flesh or
skin clung to her bones as if stuck there
BY some adhesive compound. 1t bore
a parched, desiccated appearance, like
the outer flesh of a mummy. The low
er jaw, which was devoid of teeth, OBJ
truded considerably beyond the angle
of her sharp, hooked nose. Her arms
appeared to be almost bare of any fleShy
tissue. and the skin covering them was
dry and hard She is lS2 years old.
This places her beyond the reputed age
of the patriarch Isaac at the time of his
death. and she must have first seen the
light in 1902, or seventy-four years be-
fore the signing of the Declaration of
independence"
Did you learn her Nance
The people of the village call her
Watsuma. She has only one living
relative. great-grandson, who is Sc
years of age
How has the record of her years
been kept?''
In the immemorial fashion of this
tribe-by punching small holes in a
piece of smoothly-polished horn at the
end of each twelve month. | express
ed a desire to see the record of Watsu-
mas age. At first she was very back
ward about producing it, but finally
directed her young attendant in Il slow,
hoarse speech to go and bring it to her,
which was done. and then, without al
lowing us to take it from her bony fin
gers, She held it up for inspection. The
lS2 holes were counted by our wonder
ING party. and the ancient relic was
replaced in its position in an inner re-
cess in the wall of the hoyel. San
francisco Chronicle,