Wichita eagle., 1888-07-29
ABOUT THE zUNIS.
THE INHABITED VILLAGES WHICH
NOW EXIST ARE MODERN.

NOW EXIST ARE MODERN.
A Curious People, but Not in the Least
Ingenious, SO An Explorer Say-Seven
erty in the Female Limo.
Cosmos Mendelef7 has returned from Ari-
IONA to Washington Mendeleff, as his name
indicates, is Russian, and he is an intelli-
gent and expert explorer on the staff of Mai
John w Powell. chic fof the bureau of eth
nology. For six years he and his older
brother, Victor, have been engaged in the
survey Of the antique ruins OF Chaco and the
inhabited pueblos Of Zuni and the seven vii
lagos Of T1sayan, and together they mapped
the queer hnbitations OF those mysterious
people. and have madc for the National u1u-
scum models of the largest and most interest
ing pueblos. Victor still fingers in Arizona
to finish portion OF the work, but will arrive
here in about a fortnight Mendeief has
made some 800 photographs and large
number of free hand sketches of the strange
residences Of this remnant Of 6 race.
81 don't know that there is much that ID
really new" said Mendeleff. at was for
merly, indeed recently, thought that the
pueblos were very ancient-the same in which
this half civilized race lived at the time OF the
Spanish conquest-but we TOW know better.
The inhabited villages which exist today are
all modern. 1t was formerly supposed that
the Tusayan Indians never changed their
place of abode, but held to the same site from
generation to generation. 1t is now known
that they have been in the habit of abandon
ing their old houses and building new In
early days the villages were mostly in the
lowlands. and they were gradually crowded
up or climbed up to the practically inaeces-
sible mesas-sharp cliffs, easily defensible
The reasons for an abandonment of villages
and the building of others are many, some
times military, but often rooted In some
superstition.
The builders of these pueblos had very
meager architectural attachments. Their
houses are poor piles OF stone and mud. Their
ingenuity was puerile. The element of skill
Is almost wholly lacking. These curious
ruins are simply an evidence of the existence
of a race with unlimited time at their dis
posal and unlimited material at hand. Every
where is shown a lamentsble lack Of con-
gtructive ability. They did not know how
to make square room, or how to rear one
wall at right angles, or how to build a wall
plumb to another, or how to make circle or
even a straight line"
SEVEN TUSAYAN VILLAGES.
Mr.. Mendeleff has comprehensive phoro-
graphs of the seven Tusayan villages. Each
village consists of fifteen or twenty houses
and each house of several residences The
house is a series of terraces, receding as they
rise. The first story is about seven feet high,
and is approached from without only by q
ladder, which leads to hole in the roof In
war times the ladder is always pulled up
From the rear of this story rises the second
story, seven feet higher, mounted also by O
ladder, and other ladders lead to third and
perhaps fourth story. OF course, the first
story under this arrangement is Of much tho
largest and the upper story of much the
smallest area and as the latter is the light
est, the best ventilated and the safest, being
denfensible from all the roofs below, it is the
favorite habitation, and usually occupied by
the officers and the aristocracy. 1t is esti-
mated that in all the seven Tusayan villages
there are 3 900 persons. They live mainly on
Indian corn, squashes and beans They are
under Mormon influence, and will not per-
NIT a census or hold much intercourse with
Americans Col and Mrs Stevenson had
trouble with them. and were compelled to de-
part. Mr.. Mendelef and his party were
treated remarkably well, and are puzzled in
trying to account for it,
Perhaps the oldest thing" added Mr.
MeDdeleff, after a moments pause, sis the
status Of woman in these queer communities.
She owns all the houses and most of the
property. The man owns the crop in the
field, but as soon as it is harvested it belongs
to his wife. She controls the house and all
that is in it. She works steadily and con-
stantly in the duties of the household, but
she does no field work, and, taking 1t all
together, her condition compares favorably
with that Of the American farmers wife.
The descent of all property is in the female
line and through the mother; it is she who
makes the will and provides for the offspring"
What does the man own, thenF asked,
"The donkeys, perhaps" 10 said; "but
am not sure about that"
land the landf'
"No, the land is not owned individually.
Ever since before historic time land has been
owned by tho whole nation, on the Henry
George plan If an Indian goes out and
takes up some land not in use and cultivates
IL nooouy can uAe IL HUH ILL., Dus IL 10
stops using it any body else can jump it. 1t
belongs to the fellow that can use it,"
"How does that work.
"There are &c milhonaires. There is about
the same degree of comfort that there is
among very poor people anywhere. AS to
land, the shrewdest and smartest Indian
manages to get the best, the same as under
any system. w ashington Cor. New York
Mail and Express.