The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-01-30
a MODERN MErnusELAH.
The Patriarch OF the wakoyas of Northern
Arizona.


"a Moqui Indian whom we had
brought along as guide and interpreter
explained to the chief that our inten-
tons were peaceful and that we had
only come to take look at some of his
people, among whom the Indians Of
other tribes had told us were few who
were extremely old. The CHEF proved
to be of an o5liging disposition and
showed rs all about the village. We
were followed by a crowd of young
Wakoyas and were preceded by the
chief, while around us barked and
howled a number of dogs, with which the
village abounded. After proceeding a
short distance we paused before the door
of a low stone hut, covered with skin
roof, the cracks in the walls being filled
up with brown adobe. Ourleader entered
without going through the ceremony of
knocking. 'Muskee! Muskeep we heard
him shout repeatedly from within.
But Muskee was evidently not at home,
and the chief came back with disap-
pointed look upon his dark face We
met the object of our search about
twenty Yards from his door and were
presented 10 him in Indian fashion. He
appeared to marvel at our unexpected
appearance, but his establishment was
nothing compared to ours as we gazed
at his strange and unnatural form. His
shoulders and limbs were clothed with
deerskin robes, and his face, which
seemed to be barren of flesh, was COW
cred with dry. wrinkled skin; his fingers
were extremely long, and his palms and
wrists were withered and shrunken,
while his whole body, which was much
at.enuated. was bent over until his back
assumed the shape of half circle. l
had never seen such a specimen of aged
humanity before.
Did you discover his agep" inquired
the interviewer.
'.Our Moqui guide who spoke English
almost perfectly, and whose veracity
we had tested on previous occasions,
told US, after making the necessary in
quiry, that the man was one hundred
and seventy-five years old, and l have
not the slightest doubt. nor would any
one have after receiving the ancient
Wakoya, sat such was indeed his age.
After looking at us for some few mo-
menis, during which he rested his chin
heavily upon the long staff which he
clutch he'd with one of his dried-up
hands, he mumbled few words in an
swer to questions put by the chief and
our interpreter, and then, raising his
head and stretching out his limbs, he
shambied on toward his hut at tolera-
bly, smart pace for a man one hundred
and seventy-tive years old. The next
curiosity in this line was seen summing
himself by the side of an adobe hut. AL
though, bearing evidence of great lon
gcvi,y and beng in fact in the neign-
borhood of one hundred and ten years
of are, he was nevertheless very well
preserved in body and features, inclin-
ing somewhat to obesity, winch is
rather remarkable in an Indian. was
told that this man was, even ut his ad-
vanced age, capable of great feats of
endurance, could move about with agil-
ity and was one of the best trappers
among the people. He was related to
whose family are all long
lived, especially the males. Muskee's
brother had recently died ut the age of
one hundred and thirty and his father
had been centenarian. There were
eight persons in the family, whose COM
bined ages at the dates OF tae.r death,
being the sole survivor, nearly
reached one thousand years. These
are very proud of their
length of days and take great care in
keeping tie records of their ages. dr.
izond Cor SGR Francisco Chronicle.