Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-03-06
IN NEW MEXICO.
M ERVEW WITH DON PEDRO SAN
CHEZ, THE INDIAN AGENT.
Condition of the Indians Under His Care
Their Manner of Liviug-Peace
and Prosperity An Example
for others to Follow.


territory, ana he belongs to one OF those
old Spanish families whose names have
bccn linked with the important and
memorable events of Mexico and New
Mexico from the early days of the Spanish
conquest until now. lie has for about
two year been the agent of the reublo
Indians of New Mexico. Last night "A re.
porter called on Mr.. Sanchc at his room
in the IT. James for the purpose OF get
ting some information in regard to Indian
affairs aud the progress Of the Indians
under his care. In reply to the reporters
inquiry rs to the condition of the Indians
under his care Mr. sanchez said
The Indians who belong to my agency
are the I'uebloS, and they are doing very
we'll Thcy are about 5000 in number,
and they live in separate puchlos or vii
lagos. There are nineteen of these vii
lagos the principal of winch are Iuni, in
the western part of the territory; Laguna,
on the line Of the Atlantic and Pacific
railway; !sl1ta. on the Rio Grandc below
AlbuV.cruuc coma, Toa>, Jemel and
san luan. uni has about 300 inhab-
itauts laguna about 100, and lsCta
something over 1000.
(which one of the pucblos do you think
Is in thc best condi'ion?'
ngtnH is decidedly the best The In
dams ii ere ar" more advanced. The
rooms II their houses are furnished after
the style Of civilized people. They ha' e
beds and char, and stoves, such as YOU
see in white mans house. and they
show d sposition to adopt many of the
custom Of white people. This is largely
du" thiAk to tn" good influence the
MHrmon brothers and their partner, Mr..
Pratt have had over the Indians They
live among them and they have taught
them MAN. 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 n few plowS
spades. and other agricultural implements.
They are beginning to use these imple-
ments now. and have plows at the
agency which are to be given to the In
dians.
"lIow about the education of the chill
dren?"
They are doing very well. 1t is sur
prising 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 he surprised to see how good let
. ter some of the boys at Carlisle can write
! They are learning very well at the Albu-
.. Qucrquc schoo! also | think the girls
learn about as readily ms the boys do. In
addition to these schools there are
also schools at several Of the pueb-
los But | don't thinl; ms well OF
: them as ! do of the schools at Albu
. qucrque and arlislc The children should
be removed entirely from the r1cblos if
the object is to teach them civilization.
! AS long as they remain under the in
: t'ucucc of the other Indians at tn" puebl,
;, they will make but very little progress.
The boys and girls, however. who arc
= sent away from home to school acquire
. new ideas and different habits as well a,
! an education. When they return. at tn,
. end of three years, to their homes they vii
= carry these new habits with them, and
- they will necessarily have a good etfec
u upon their tribes
u what language do these indians
= speak"
They almost all speak Spanish. beside
the language of the pueblo to which they
belong
The native language of the diferen
# puellos is not the same in all cases."
@ "Oh. no. The Zunis have Language
" of their own, and an Indian from tn
$ pueblo Of laguna could not understand
If /uni. The same thing is true of lsleta
g Tas, and q number of other Pueblo 3
% This is very strange, for the pueblo In
e clans have lived in that country since be
@ fore the Spaniards CONQUERED it But o
h al these differences the strangeSt think
8 is between the puehlo's of Sandia ant
a Santa Ana, which are only ten mile
v aNart vet the inhabitants speak entirel,
| distinct languages. and they can under
If stand each other only by Convcrsing il
spanish.
d What is the prospect of the Pueblo
,r becoming citiIcns?"
ST Il think they are not fitted for that
1t and will not until they acquire more edu
= cation People have tried to induce theI
Y to vote bat they will not vote and the
show that they dOnot care anything abou
it. They will continue to need the car
of an agent They are not able to car
for themselves in business transactions
is This was shown in the case of the Acc
IN mas. They made a loan to certain whit
OF men, thinking it was a lease of 300
N acres for three years When discovl re
ID 1t saw at once that it was a fraud whic
fe had been worked upon them. and | r,
n fused to let the Indians he bound by il
e, The matter is now pending in the courts
10 The pueblo Of hcoma is on hig
es rock ism it,"
to cs sir, but am going TO have thei
". move The rock il very steep, being &C
lie feet high and to ret to the top of it froI
n the river, the Indians have TO walk abOr
e. two miles They carry all their WOO
he and water up there. and it is altogetho
All too hard a task have persuaded thei
or to move their villarge down to near ii
We river bank | expect to move them du
dc ing the coming spring, and have a
ds ready planned their new village for then
no 1t will he built around square, or plaz'
and every family will have a separat
homo of its own. " hen | spoke to thel
about moving they readily consented, sa
ing: Padre. it is for you to order and f
at us to obey
~ An EX-Go,ernor's IoDbaco Account.