The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-04-16
IN NEW MEXICO.
Strange and Striking Scenes at a Dining
Station I'm the Sandy Valley of the
Rio Graude

One of the famous eating-hoGses OF
the Atchison road is situated at Wal
lace. where the train going south stops
late in the afternoon. As the cars
draw up at the station the long plat
form is thronged with the people of
the country. of diverse races. Rough
miners in flannel and heavy boots
stand watching the train. cowboys set
off by sombreros and spurs swagger
about the platform, and Spanish
Americans with swarthy faces and
cleaning black eyes lounge against
the ratings. looking impassiveIy on
the scene. Most picturesque of all
there gathered are the descendants of
the tribes akin to the Toltecs and Az
tees, those migrating peoples whose
first home was in the Northwest, be-
fore they went South to colonlze the
valleys of the Mexican plateau-the
Pueblo Indians from Santo Domingo
and San Filipe. They are quantity
clad in their characteristic garb of leg
gings and tunic, with blanket dress
for the women. and sometimes for the
men a gaudy blanket wrapped about
the body. Some are awaiting the train
on the station platform, and others,
belated, are seen running toward the
cars, bearing on their heads and backs
the things they have to trade. They
exhibit "a great variety Of pottery. IN
the shape of vessels of divers sizes,
form, and patterns of decoration, aud
many earthen idols of infinite uginesS.
They offer for sale pieces of what the
New-Mexican curiosity dealers call
in
ian or volcanic glass. the material used
By the ancient Aztecs for cutting pur-
poses, from swords down to raZOrS.
About the train is a characteristic
collection of passengers. There are
tourists, European and American COM
mercial travellers. young men from
the East going to the Southwest TO try
their fortunes, and perhaps i'll the rear
cars some families of emigrants. Rep
resenting the Territory are merchants,
miners and cattle-men of American
and Spanish descent, while
opposite the blonde Eastern lady, in
her dainty travelling habit, may sit
dark-eycd olive-tinted beauty with the
blood of Aragon or CASTLE in her
veins. and perhaps a darker and not
unbecoming tinge from Indian ances-
try. Travelling theatrical companies.
army officers and private soldiers on
leave or on duty. and Indian delega-
tions going on or returning from
visit to the Great Father ut Wash
ington, are current types in South
west passenger train. Almost without
exception the passengers are atfable
and disposed to conversation. Stiff
ness and reserve among fellow-passcn-
gers by stage or by rail vanish west of
the hundredth meridian.
There is an excellent dinner, plenti-
full and well served. at the pleasant
and roomy railroad restaurant, with
so much time allowed for the stay that
the traveller. after his ample and
leisurelv meal, is able to walk about in
this barbarously brilliant scene. and
make bargains with the brown and.
worldly-wise sons and daughters of
the country for such of their wares us
he fancies. The Pueblo Indians hasten
toward any one whose eye they catch,
hold up their goods. and address him
in language mainly aboriginal, with
perhaps Il few Spanish and American
words intermingled; but the only part
of the discourse really understood on
either side is the cXtemporized Sign
language. They ask several prices.
expecting to be beaten down to fair
rate, aud they seldom will let the pos
sible customer get away without con-
summating a trade. Demure. swarthy
Pueblo children look on the trans
actions of their elders with great inter-
est, the larger girls helping their
Inv,
children in couch made by singing
Il shawl about their necks.
The Indian pottery is the ware most
purchased by the passengers. 1t is
quaint OF pattern, and. in its way,
much Of it is really beautiful. The
material of which it is made is Il white
or grayiSh-tinted clay. which the men
bring to the women, who are the pot
terry makers. The Indians guard jeal-
ously the secret of the places wh2re
are found the earth that makes the
choicest kinds The hunter pros
pector, or railroad explorer coming
suddenly upon these natives engaged
in digging clay for the purpose Is
likely to remember the terror and con-
stcrnation which they exhibit rs they
run toward him, warning him away.
The moulded pottery is buried in dry
sleeps dung, which is fired. and thus
it is baked. The material used in
making the striped designs is Il decoc-
ton from Il certain green root which
the Indians call rake. 1t is painted
upon the vessels, and in the baking it
turns black. The best pottery is made
by the Acoma, Zun, aud Cochiti Ind
ians.
A gong clanks at the station, and
those passengers who have not already
returned to the cars discontinue their
promenade, or hastily conclude their
bargains. The conductors cry rings
out, 'All aboard" and the laggards
enter the cars; but even rs the train
moves slowly off the passengers are
still making last bargains from the Car
platforms and through the windows
with the aborigines, who, at the fast
approaching disappearance of their
possible customers. are disposed at the
last moment to close bargains at al
most any price. The train gathers
Roadway, the last Indian vender is
passed, and soon the platform with its
semi-barbaric. party-colored assem-
blage is left behind, and the passen-
gers have turned from the strange and
striking scene 10 gaze at the panorama
of the river and the Indian villages
against mountain background on the
| right, as the train speeds southwark
down the sandy valley of the Rio
Grande toward Albuquerque. -Clar-
ehce Pulien, in Harper'S Weekly.
The White Traders in Africa.