Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-06-14
PheniX Republican.

The Pima and Maricopa tribes of Indians, whose joint reservations lie to the south and east of Phenix, are fine specimens of the American In dian. Not of the kind that Cooper's pencil sketched, but of character that far from despise work
 Were cotton a staple product of this valley, it is believed that a thous- and Indians could be engaged to pick the crop Thoroughly peaceable and fairly honest, they are available for many kinds of work where skilled labor IS not required.
 By means of several crooked sticks shaped into the semblance of a blow, attached by ropes to the horns of COW, they annually seed many thous- and acres of reservation land to Sono- ra wheat, and irrigate through ditches constructed many years ago with much labor and ingenuity. In the early summer they attack the ripe grain with cheap carving knives, cut every individual head from its stalk and carry the harvest in flat woven baskets to threshing floor. Here, after the grain has been trodden out by means of horses driven in circle, the squaws clean it, on breezy days, by winnowing.
 The product is then stored away in granaries, especially constructed, | and whenever the head of the house 1 hold desires to come to town or Is in need of cash, he sacks up about hundred pounds of wheat, puts 1t on the saddle of his patient cayuse, places himself upon the top of all and proud ly trots off, perhaps fifteen miles to dispose of his grain, for maybe dol 1 lar The wheat thus marketed IS of excellent quality, plump and clean.
 Their usual habitations are '']acals,' mere brush sheds, though for winter use a more elaborate affair Is some times occupied, the brush covering of which is thickly covered with clay. This latter style of mansion is in the shape of an inverted bowl.
 Many efforts have been made by various agents to advance their charges in the ways of civilization with but poor success. A wagon is promised to the head of the family who will build an adobe house of certain dimensions. The conservative Pima obtains the wagon by building the house, but obstinately refuses to l live in 1t himself
 By city regulation they have learned not to appear in Phenix with out sufficient clothing, but on their native heath no persuasion can in- duce the males to don other costume than an innocent expression of coun- tenance and breech-clout.
 The government has established at Sacaton an extensive school, and at Lehi the Mormons have for years been instructing the Maricopas in both language and Mormonism. The latter part of the curriculum has but little force, however, for religion, or any other subject requiring the exercise of imagination, has but little effect upon the red brother.
 They learn rapidly, however. A gentleman connected with the Indian Department remarked the other day that he had met with a Maricopa who fluently spoke English and Spanish and claimed a knowledge of six or seven Indian dialects, several of them quite dissimilar in structure.
 Finally, how they take to civiliza- ton may be noted in one example :: During the famous six-days go-as-you- please walking match mania, about eleven years ago, New Yorker came to Phenix, explored the reservation, and managed to induce young buck and his squaw to go East with him to take part in walking matches. They were gone for several years, trsveled extensively and were entirely separat- ed from contact with Indians. When the business ceased to be profitable the pair returned to Phenix and put up at the Bank Exchange hotel. They were sight to behold! The buck was a bowling dude and the squaw dudine Starched linen and fancy frills were superabundant. Sev- eral trunks were necessary to contain their wardrobe. Yet. within one month after their return, the writer beheld the buck simply cDstumed in breech-clout, cut bias, gayly peram- bulating around in the desert east of town hunting rabbits. He was ac- companied by quite band of young Pimas and had fully returned to his native condition.