Connecticut western news., 1890-02-19
PIMAS AND MARICOPAS.
Dark Skinned Dwellen in tho Egypt of
 North Amsrioa.
Two Arizona Tribss-Apachss of the Salt River-Mild Indians Who Farm the Lands of tho A1tscs-An Indian on Morality.

River-Mild Indians Who Farm tho Lands
 of the Aztscs-An Indian on Morality.
 Above Phoenix and below the mouth of the Verde, in the Aztecan Valley of the Salt river, is settlement of Pimas and Maricopas Indians as mild, gentle and laborious as their neighbors. The other Apache tribes are warlike, im- placable and indolent. So peaceful, in fact, are these Indians that their arrows are made without even the usual flint or obsidian head, having only the end wrapped with sinew, to prevent splitting. and hence are it only for killing the smallest of game. as, at most, B jack rabbit This settlement numbers some three ... or four hundred souls, and their reservation-a narrow strip of fertile valley land imagining on the river-is irrigated from an old canal, supposed to have been dug by the Aztecs and reopened by these Indians. Recent archmologists have pretty we'll established that the Salt River Valley is the Egypt of North America. Lieutenant Cushman. who accompanied a recent expedition. has made researches that would indicate that this valley once had population of 300, 900, and was supported by the land then under irrigation. Thers are many of those old sites, some are plainly traceable by the mere eye. leading out. into the mesa for miles; others were crossed in cutting the ditches of modern irrigation systems, and in some cases the ancient ditches were themselves used.
 F. These Pimas and Maricopas have this land divided off into small neigh borly plots of from one acre to one- fourth of an acre, bounded by little ditches or acequias having raised banks, carrying Till of clear water, which, from it's elevation, can, by the means of gates, be made to food the entire plot Here are raised crops of wheat, corn barley, early peas. melons and pumpkins. The tilIage is shared alike by the men and women, the former doing the heavier work: wooden blows are used, but the soil is liz ht and easily prepared.
 These Indians have always been self-supporting selling enough to buy their own clothes, which are few in this climate. Both of these tribes show great skill in making decorated baskets, so we'll woven as to be imper- vious to water. They also make very pretty pottery and this one article of their manufacture is invaluable in this climate. The great unglazed, pear shaped water jars. known in the west only by thelr Mexican name, "Olla," :" pronounced "Oy-ah." These jars allow slow percolation of water, and in this dry, hot climate so great is the evapo- ration in their wet water surface that it keeps the water at temperature below seventy degrees, some forty or fifty degrees below that of the air out side.
 The Pima maidens usually paint & narrow band of blue, their favorite color, from each corner of their mouth across their chin. The Maricopas cut their hair differently and use red paint Many of these Indians speak English and most all can speak to you in Spanish. Once, when 1 was com ing back from Misa City, a Mormon settlement not far distant, I stopped at the old chiefs ,.''tepee," or tentJ He was very hospitable; went out and got me watermelon and then began telling me some of his troubles. "You go over to see the womenP white man, got much wife--one man, got seven.' No, I told him, no. l did not go to see the women, but to buy horses, and asked him how many wives he had. He said only one, but thought it a good thing to have so many, only he could not support them.
 | He discoursed on morality as follows: .'Much bad man that steals and lies and gifts drunk. Me don't want no lie, no steal, no drink tismine Ca ferment- ed liquor made of cactus juice or corn) no bad women. I want me COWS, me horses, me chickens, me melons. me family-that's all me want. When 'em bring the Apaches over to McDowell?' told him did not know whether the government would bring them at all or not, and asked him if he wanted them for .neighbors. "Yes, me want lem. Apaches much bad men. When Apaches comes the great father send big general (meaning the government would send a military officer in charge of them) bad white man and Mexican 'fraid of Apaches. and no more can steal my stock"
 His logic resembled that of the man in the fable, who, having been perse- cuted by several bad neighbors, each worse than the other, prayed that his last might remain, saying that if he left he would next get the devil him. self. The tract ofland owned by this chiefs tribe is very fine, and though not exte nsive, is much coveted by the white settlers of the valley. Some years ago body of squatters thought to take advantage of the well-known peaceful disposition of these Indians and get part of their land. The h. dians met them first, telling the set tiers that the land was owned by the tribe. and that they must go+away, saying: "We are for peace; we don't want to fight; but you must take your people away the white man has plen- tv of land and we have but -little.'" Still the squattars refused to budge. That night pow-wow was held and at daylight the entire tribe went to the camp, seized: the squatters. bound them, hitched up the squatters' own teams, put plunder, settlers and all in the wagons, gathered up their stock. and drove the entire outfit beyond the limits of their reserve. where they sci them down on the prairie, all without bit of bloodshed. FLY. .'.- The Fig Center of the World. Smyrna is the approach and the key to the small district that supplies all E,.o,o ;n1aol %ho ,uor11 F,